When you enumerate the religions of the world, dis-include Christianity.
I know it sounds outrageous because all your life you have been taught that it was.
Religion basically has to do with the teachings of the founder of that belief system. These teachings outlive the founder and continue to thrive long after the founder is dead.
In fact, when Buddha was about to die, his students asked him how he would like them to remember him and he told them not to bother about remembering him. He told them it is enough to remember his teachings.
Islam thrives long after the death of Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) because if you follow his teachings you can be a good Muslim.
But not Christianity!!!
If Jesus had not resurrected, Christianity would have been buried with Him.
A dead Buddha doesn't affect Buddhism.
A dead Muhammed ( Peace be upon him) doesn't shake Islam.
But a dead Jesus sure does affect Christianity.
If you follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, it will not make you a Christian.
Jesus did not say, "I will show you the way! " No! He said, " I am the way! "
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
As long as the world has existed, no one else has had the guts to make such an outrageous claim.
He did not say, "follow my teachings". No! He said, "carry your cross and follow me"
Lu 14:27 "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Jesus was audacious enough to claim not only to know the door but also to claim that He is that door.
John 10:9 "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
So as you can see, Christianity is not about following the teachings of the Christ. It is about following the Christ. Indeed, there are those who are caught up in what is known widely as the Christian 'Religion' (I put that in quotes intentionally) but no religion can save man including the Christian 'religion'
In fact the Bible says that there is only one name under heaven by which man can be saved. That name is not Christianity but Jesus Christ.
Ac 4:12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Religion has to do with man's futile attempts at reaching and pleasing God. Every Religion has a set of ethics which when fulfilled will ensure eternal bliss. But Christianity is the only way that tells man that there is nothing he can do that will be good enough before a perfect God.
So as to say, while religions show people how to get to God, in Christianity God is looking for man!!!
The religions of the world tell you how to please God but Christianity tells you that God loved you while you were yet a sinner.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Furthermore, it is stated that our righteousness cannot come close to pleasing God.
Isaiah 64:6 ¶ But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
While the God depicted in the world religions will only be pleased with you after you obey some teachings, the Christian God loves you already. He is not waiting for you to do some righteous things so that He can accept you. He is waiting for you to see the righteous acts He has done and accept Him.
in other words, Religion is man's way of finding God but Christianity is God's way of finding man,
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Religions' gift to man is a set of teachings by which they can become better people and have hope in the hereafter. Christianity's gift to man is Jesus Christ, the hope of all glory for in Him we live and move and have our being,
Col 1:27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Ac 17:28 "for in Him we live and move and have our being,
If you check for similarities in the religions of the world, Christianity will stand out, so much that it will cease to be a religion.
No religion offers any salvation for man.
No religious man or leader ever died for a guilty man let alone a guilty world.
No religious man or leader was ever religious enough to rise from the dead!
They all claimed to show us the way yet only one claimed to be the way!
I dare say Christianity is not a religion. And further, I am without a religion. I am not following the teachings of Jesus Christ. I am following the teacher; Jesus Christ.
I know it sounds outrageous because all your life you have been taught that it was.
Religion basically has to do with the teachings of the founder of that belief system. These teachings outlive the founder and continue to thrive long after the founder is dead.
In fact, when Buddha was about to die, his students asked him how he would like them to remember him and he told them not to bother about remembering him. He told them it is enough to remember his teachings.
Islam thrives long after the death of Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) because if you follow his teachings you can be a good Muslim.
But not Christianity!!!
If Jesus had not resurrected, Christianity would have been buried with Him.
A dead Buddha doesn't affect Buddhism.
A dead Muhammed ( Peace be upon him) doesn't shake Islam.
But a dead Jesus sure does affect Christianity.
If you follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, it will not make you a Christian.
Jesus did not say, "I will show you the way! " No! He said, " I am the way! "
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
As long as the world has existed, no one else has had the guts to make such an outrageous claim.
He did not say, "follow my teachings". No! He said, "carry your cross and follow me"
Lu 14:27 "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Jesus was audacious enough to claim not only to know the door but also to claim that He is that door.
John 10:9 "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
So as you can see, Christianity is not about following the teachings of the Christ. It is about following the Christ. Indeed, there are those who are caught up in what is known widely as the Christian 'Religion' (I put that in quotes intentionally) but no religion can save man including the Christian 'religion'
In fact the Bible says that there is only one name under heaven by which man can be saved. That name is not Christianity but Jesus Christ.
Ac 4:12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Religion has to do with man's futile attempts at reaching and pleasing God. Every Religion has a set of ethics which when fulfilled will ensure eternal bliss. But Christianity is the only way that tells man that there is nothing he can do that will be good enough before a perfect God.
So as to say, while religions show people how to get to God, in Christianity God is looking for man!!!
The religions of the world tell you how to please God but Christianity tells you that God loved you while you were yet a sinner.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Furthermore, it is stated that our righteousness cannot come close to pleasing God.
Isaiah 64:6 ¶ But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
While the God depicted in the world religions will only be pleased with you after you obey some teachings, the Christian God loves you already. He is not waiting for you to do some righteous things so that He can accept you. He is waiting for you to see the righteous acts He has done and accept Him.
in other words, Religion is man's way of finding God but Christianity is God's way of finding man,
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Religions' gift to man is a set of teachings by which they can become better people and have hope in the hereafter. Christianity's gift to man is Jesus Christ, the hope of all glory for in Him we live and move and have our being,
Col 1:27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Ac 17:28 "for in Him we live and move and have our being,
If you check for similarities in the religions of the world, Christianity will stand out, so much that it will cease to be a religion.
No religion offers any salvation for man.
No religious man or leader ever died for a guilty man let alone a guilty world.
No religious man or leader was ever religious enough to rise from the dead!
They all claimed to show us the way yet only one claimed to be the way!
I dare say Christianity is not a religion. And further, I am without a religion. I am not following the teachings of Jesus Christ. I am following the teacher; Jesus Christ.
