Question:
Does it really matter WHAT religion you are? Or is it more important to just love and know God?
Answer:
ALL “RELIGIONS” OF THIS WORLD TEACH ONE OR BOTH OF THOSE CONCEPTS IF YOU LOOK DEEPLY ENOUGH (even atheism makes us our own god).
This stands in stark opposition to TRUE Christianity which is not a religion but a relationship. In Christianity, salvation is a free gift of God (Eph 2:8). God did it. In “religion”, man does it. That’s the key:
Religion: man does it.
True Christianity: God does it.
In true Christianity, man’s relationship with His Creator has been cut off because of man’s sinful nature which began when Adam and Eve disobeyed God (thus elevating themselves above God, ie. pride). In “religion”, people basically think they are “good” and just need to add a few things to earn their way into “salvation”, however they may view “salvation”.
In Christianity, NO ONE IS GOOD (the human heart is in fact, evil), and therefore the only way to restore your relationship with God is to do it His way, because we can never earn it by being “good”. (1John 1:10; Ps 53:3; Jer 17:9)
“Hey, wait a minute” you are thinking, “I’m offended by that. I’m a good person. I’m not evil and wicked.” Really?
- Have you ever told a lie, been deceitful or knowingly exaggerated? YOU ARE A LIAR.
- Have you have said “G*d d**n”, “j*s*s chr**t!” or “oh my g*d” in a less than reverent and respectful manner? YOU ARE A BLASPHEMER
- Ever lusted after someone? Even once, even for one second? YOU ARE AN ADULTERER
- Ever stolen? Ever wasted time on the job? Ever underreported taxes? YOU ARE A THIEF
- Ever wanted what someone else has? Ever been jealous of someone else’s recognition? YOU ARE COVETOUS
- Ever had anything in your life be more important than God even for a second? YOU ARE AN IDOLATOR.
If you answered NO to any of those questions above, you are simply deceived or being dishonest. We are all guilty of all these things at some point in our lives. It only takes once. How many times do you have to lie to be a liar? Once. How many times does it take saying “oh my god” to be a blasphemer? Once. So don’t play games with yourself about the STATE OF WICKEDNESS AND EVIL in humans INCLUDING YOU. YOU, and I, are liars, adulters, thieves, blasphemers, idolators, etc. if we honestly ask ourselves those questions above.
No “religion” can do anything about our sinfulness except deceive us into missing the Truth. Only Christianity offers a solution, an answer, a rescue. Religion says “be good, earn your salvation, appease the gods, make up for your sins”. Huh? The only thing the efforts of sinful humans can produce is more sin, be they wrapped in “good works” or not.
How much work does that take anyway? How many years of perfection makes up for a year of sinfulness? If only one lie puts you right back at being a liar, how can we possibly hope to be good enough to earn salvation? If only one lust, one instance where God is not the most important thing in my life instantly makes me an adulterer and an idolater again, then what hope do I have of ever being “good enough” or “earning salvation”? The answer? We DO NOT have any hope.
Christianity is Unique Among “Religions”
That’s why Christianity stands alone in the world against “religion”. Christianity (God) says “you have no hope to be ‘good enough’ so I planned a way for you”. That way is simply this: “I’ll send my only Son to earth who will live a truly perfect, sinless human life. Then He will willingly accept the punishment for YOUR WICKEDNESS. If you believe this (faith), turn from your wickedness (repentance), proclaim that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (confession) and then do all that I command you (obedient response), I (God) will accept Jesus’ punishment on your behalf, see you as ‘sinless’ and you can have eternal life with Me because of Him.”
That’s not “religion”. That’s reality… the reality of our situation, and the reality of our eternal predicament. It has nothing to do with religion. It is a choice, a relationship, an acceptance of God’s terms.
Religion is about man’s effort. Christianity is about man’s relationship with God (or lack of it).
Religions teach incompatible and opposite views of salvation, eternity and man’s origin… then present impossible, futile or absurd solutions and ideas about it.
Christianity teaches who created us, what happened to separate us from the Creator, and how to remove that separation so that we may return to our Creator for all eternity.
Religion is confusing. Christianity is crystal clear and simple.
Religion is EVER-CHANGING with each new generation recycling old ideas and making up new ones. Christianity is absolute and unchanging making it reliable and trustworthy, beyond the whims of man, opinion or majority vote.
Skip religion. Embrace a relationship with your Creator. Only Christianity gives the truth about how to do that.