|
BACK
IS THERE A RIGHT WAY OR
RELIGION?
Let's start with another question
here:
"Are all religions the same?"
If it can be
shown that out of all the religions in the world, there is one that stands alone
in respect to origin, structure, and membership; then the one that differs
from the rest is probably the one ordained by God, and the rest are made up by mankind. If God has
ordained one, then it could be dangerous to follow another in attempting to be with Him. Now let's
take a closer look at religion in respect to the three categories mentioned.
ORIGIN: I
personally believe that God himself started Christianity before the world was
formed but I keep it semi secular here for simplicity. Christianity is the
name
of a lifestyle and Christian is a name given to one living the lifestyle.
If one isn't
living it, then he isn't a Christian though he may call himself one.
Christ is not a
name but a title: anointed one.
Every
religion in the world was started by a man. This being the case, how does
one know
which one is ordained by God? There are distinct
differences that reveal the answer.
1. Jesus, as a man, started
Christianity, was killed, and then rose from the dead. The other
religion founders are still in the grave
and cannot make this claim. One can dispute this fact,
but there is too
much evidence to the truth
of this claim; he was seen by thousands of
witnesses.
If this claim was a
lie, then why did the
witnesses go to their death because of their claim,
rather than recant
the lie? Signs, wonders and miracles followed these witnesses, which
they
claim were done
through the power given to
them by Jesus. Miracles done by those
in other religions are done
through their own power or ability.
2. Even though Jesus started this
religion, it was actually being put into place long before, when
Moses led
Israel out of Egypt. Again, one can dispute this but the evidence is
overwhelming
if one is honest
in their assessment of the facts. Archeological finds are shedding much light
on the reality of
this information. Perceiving this lies in understanding the law (Torah), the
first five books of the bible,
which were written by Moses. When one researches the law of
Israel, it is discovered
that an exact picture
or shadow of the law was fulfilled in the life of
Christ. His
birth, life
and death not only
fulfilled the law, but were predicted centuries beforehand by the
prophets of
Israel. Jesus even claimed
at various times that he was fulfilling events of the
law. One can claim
that it is all coincidence,
but there exists to many events predicted by
the prophets that came to pass and
not one failed to
happen. Only God can know the
future.
3.How about the miracles that Jesus
performed? Did any other man who started a religion do
such things?
Don't these give credence to what Jesus was saying?
LINKS:
Did Moses
lead Israel out of Egypt?
http://www.arkdiscovery.com/
http://www.bibleplus.org/discoveries/discoveries.htm
Did Aliens really make the pyramids?
http://www.anchorstone.com/content/view/231/74/
SUMMARY:
There is
one religion where the founder rose from the dead and its roots are in a people
who were obviously being led by the God of the universe. No
other people can claim a past like Israel. No other people were re-established in a land promised to them
by God thousands of years prior, after being dispersed around the world for centuries prior to their
reorganization in that land. God did many mighty signs and wonders through Israel to reveal that it was
HIM at the helm. He then used Israel to point to 'the way' which He would accept in getting to Him.
Read up on some of the miracles that happened in the process of Israel becoming a nation again,
http://www.bible411.com/nationofmiracles/index.htm
STRUCTURE:
No other
religion in the world is based on the following elements. They may be
similar but do
not have the unique philosophy of Christianity.
1. One must worship God through
a relationship, not through actions. The relationship will
bring about action, as
God changes the person's heart through this connection. One does
not
change their own
heart, God does; and the resulting actions, towards God or one's
fellow man, are
the worship God
requires.
Jn 4:23-24
But
the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the
Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
God
is a Spirit:
and they that worship him must worship him
in spirit and in truth.
2Cor 9-7
Every
man according as he purposeth in his
heart, so let him give;
not
grudgingly,
not of necessity: for God
loveth a cheerful giver.
2. One cannot be good enough for God,
or do enough for God, to be accepted by God.
3. Works done for God without a
relationship are vain and count for nothing; this is religion.
4. One seeks the good of his fellow
man out of love, not
because rules require it which is
religion.
5. One tries to draw others into the
family of God through goodness and love; not pressure or
demands
which is religion.
6. If one is not Christian, they are
loved anyway, not judged for it. God alone does the
judging.
7. One meditates on the word of God
to be changed, not on himself. He cannot change
himself, and the act
of trying is religion.
8. Christianity is based solely on
the words of the Bible. The Bible is the word of God and the
proof is in
its perfection concerning prophecy. It has never been wrong. Other
facts are
that Jesus himself
was of Israel; Israel was never defeated when standing with God, no
matter the
odds against them;
Israel wrote every word of the Bible, and Jesus had a greater
impact on the
world than any
other man, or woman, or event in the world's history.
RELIGION
VERSES GODS DESIGN FOR ACCEPTANCE
In religion man attempts to get to God through his own means, dictated by his
own opinions of what God wants, and it ranges from the casual to the
extreme. The Casual says there are no rules, it doesn't matter what one does, he
will be with God
in the
end. Some even declare that one is god or in God presently and therefore, there is no
'getting to Him'.
The Extreme takes much work, self abuse and denial to be good enough to be
with God.
(These two include every
religion but one, true Christianity.)
In Christianity man admits that there is nothing he can do to be good enough to
be with God; therefore, God Himself
came to man and did
what was
necessary for man to be with him.
(This
includes only true Christianity.)
SUMMARY:
Many so called Christians are in a
Christian denomination, but are more religious than Christian.
Though they study the Bible, they consider
what they are doing for God rather than what God has done for
them. This is not Christianity and makes a relationship with God
difficult. It is for this reason that
I say "true
Christianity". Many groups that call
themselves Christian are actually based
somewhere between the casual and the
extreme religions. Christianity is not a religion filled with dos and
don'ts; but a faith based lifestyle of seeking Him because of what
he has done for us. It is not trying to get
to God, but letting God come to us and change us from within. The harder
we try, the more we fail. The
less we try and allow God, the easier it becomes. God is not looking for
our actions, but our hearts. He
wants a relationship with us, and that takes humility. Humility to the
extent that we say, "Lord, I can't be
good enough, please accept me the way I am and come to me". God is not
looking for our works, our
things, or even our worship; he is looking for our love; but when we love him,
we will worship Him and do
works for Him. When we do works for him without loving him, that's
religion. When we love him, even in
the absence of works, that's true Christianity; but that love will eventually
cause us to be servant to Him.
As we love him and he moves in us to change our hearts, we will even begin to
love our fellow man. We
will begin to do for mankind, not just because we love God and He wants us to;
but because we love them
also and want to. When one gains this love of God, it becomes easy to look
at the people in churches and
see which ones are religious and which ones are "truly Christian". The Bible
says we will know them by their
fruit and Jesus said to the churches in Revelation that He knows their works.
Understanding the spirit of
these two verses reveals that the fruit of the spirit, Gal 5:22, Eph 5:9,
produces fruit in works and that
works done without Godly motivation, are vain religion. Are one's works done
for reasons comparable
to the
Pharisees, or are they done simply to please our Father out of love for Him?
MEMBERSHIP:
Membership is granted solely upon
what God does for man and what it causes in man,
not on anything
man can do or become for God. Access to membership is
granted exclusively through the
cross of Christ;
the belief that it is the only way and the faith that it is enough.
1. All membership fees and dues were paid by Jesus, it's
free.
2. There is no cost but there is one requirement, to have
faith in what God has already done.
Faith in
Christ is more than just believing that He did it.
One can believe in what Jesus did
and yet have faith in
themselves and what they are doing
for God.
Example: One can believe in the job
that our president does but put their faith in another.
One can believe a road takes them to their desired destination, but take another
route.
One can believe in what Jesus did, but put their faith in their own goodness or
in
what
they do for God .i.e. I am going to heaven because I am a good person
and
pay
tithes, give to the poor, etc.
3. Faith is also free of any cost; but to receive it, one
must be seeking God through His word.
One must be able to hear God, and this
takes hearing, which comes from His word. This
is building a relationship with Him. Faith
comes by hearing and hearing comes by the word.
Jesus said on several occasions, "Let them with
ears to hear, hear". Without ears to hear,
one can't hear and if one doesn't hear, he can't obey.
Too many people aren't even
listening, they just do what they think
will get them to heaven. This,
again, is religion.
Rom 10:17
So
then faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
4. Christianity is the only religion
that, when a person is a member, the Spirit of God is a real and
present help.
SUMMARY:
Membership in God's chosen
religion isn't religion at all. It is seeking a relationship with Him and
being changed by his spirit. It is easy and costs nothing. It takes
faith but faith is not merely belief, it
is putting ones trust in doing it God's way. If one believes in God's way,
but does it their own way,
they're in trouble. Religions say, "I am going to heaven because I
.......", but Christianity says, "I am
going to heaven because Jesus ....".
Note: If one truly wants to know what
God desires, then one must be honest in their attempt to
find Him. One must be seeking the Lord, no matter which
religion of the world one is presently
a member of. One cannot just say the one they are a
part of is the true one unless they are
truly seeking God and His thoughts. If this is the
case, then God will lead someone to that person
to reveal truth. Even the Christian might, on occasion,
have doubts. When this happens, he just
seeks God for the answer and God never fails him. The
Spirit of God is the revealer of truth and
Christianity is the only religion, or non religion, that has
the Spirit at work. When one is honestly
seeking God, they do not do it through their religion, they
do it in spirit. This is relationship.
|