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What is Christianity?
I will begin with what Christianity is not:
Christianity is NOT a religion. Religion is a man made institution. Religions are formed and administered and enforced by men.
People, not understanding what God said in the Bible about how to worship and honor Him, listened to other people and tried to honor God according to what these other people said was the right and sometimes the ONLY way (their religion).
False religions have always plagued mankind. Many false religions began after the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel. The Tower of Babel was in Babylon which any student of the Bible can tell you was not the Godliest place on the face of the earth. We can trace the roots of ALL modern religions back to those that originated in Babylon.
Please understand, men are created with a need to have a god. Men have built in, or men are hardwired for, so to speak, "A" god. It is natural for us to want to elevate someone or something higher then ourselves and rely on that something for our pleasure or protection or righteousness. Men hate to be wrong, they hate to admit they are not in control, and if they have to invent a way to be in control then they will invent just that.
Men have worshipped many different things, in many different ways, gods and goddesses, animals, the earth or the sun or the stars, men have even worshipped other men. Men still do worship these things. In fact, we have no shortage of things to worship thrust at us daily. Modern people worship things without even realizing that what they are doing is worshipping. People worship themselves, money, sex, work, play, drugs, alcohol, relationships, sports, schools, science or the intellect of men, racial identities, belongings, other people or beings (whether dead or alive), even their countries, never thinking that they are worshipping at all.
But when you realize that to worship means, to adore, to reverence and give top honor to, to set above all else, to give respect and to submit to, then it is easier to see that the person that gives his all to drinking and staying drunk is indeed worshipping alcohol. The persons that paints their faces and bodies in sports team colors and attends games and make complete fools of themselves to show that team they love them, are worshipping that sports team. People that spend all their money on personal appearance, clothes, cars, make up, hair salons, plastic surgery and all other outward appearances are worshipping self.
We have hundreds, even thousands, of different groups telling us that in order to worship God, we must worship by their religious rules. We have Churches all claiming to be the ONLY TRUE Church. WE have churches claiming that if you do not do it their way you are not saved, and in fact are going to hell. Actually, it is rather humorous! Here we have the Catholics saying ALL other churches are protestant and ALL protestants are going to Hell, unless they repent and accept their pope! We have Mormons saying that ALL churches, most especially the Catholics, are abominations in Gods Eyes, and are in deed lost and going to hell, unless all accept their prophet. WE have other "Christian" cults saying, we are to worship on this day or that. Or we have to wear this type clothing and shun the world and if we don't we have the mark of the beast, and are of course, going to hell. We have Jews telling us that we are not the chosen people, that they are, and since the messiah they wait for has not arrived yet, we as gentiles are their enemies and are hated by God, and are going to hell! We have the Muslims saying we don't even know who the real god is. And that, if we do not repent and follow their prophet to their god, we are not only damned to hell, but they will destroy us through Jihad Here and Now! We have the "New Agers" saying WE are the gods and goddesses! And Eastern cults saying we are born physically over and over in essence being given many chances to achieve, again through OUR Works, perfection which must be their term for heaven! We have whole nations, ruled by religion, that are starving, but worship cows! WE have environmental cults that honor nature above humans and if given the choice would happily see humans die to save a species of animal.
IN ALL OF THIS CONFUSION HOW DO YOU TELL WHO IS RIGHT?
How about we choose a very novel approach. How about we go to the Ancient Scriptures and see what God says about the issue? The God of the Bible is the ONLY God recorded to have claimed to be the CREATOR of ALL. The God of the Bible is the Only God to have claimed to be able to deliver ALL people from sin and death and give them eternal life with out sin, with no help from the people. The God of the Bible is the Only God that has anything what so ever to say about men state of existence, how we got here and how to remedy it, and get out of this mess! Yes folks, with all those Gods and Goddesses hanging around out there The GOD of Abraham is the Only God to make these stupendous claims and to have backed them up time after time with great shows of power and mercy to his people! The God of the Bible is the only God that has archaeological PROOF that His Word is true. The God of the Bible is the ONLY God to claim a love for mankind so intense, personal, and powerful that he walked with the First man and woman in the Garden just to be with them, and that He used his own death, to atone for the sin that separated his man from Him? The God of the Bible is the only God that says He can heal you and protect you and keep you safe and He is the only God that has millions perhaps billions of believers ready to step up and testify of that Power Here and Now in their lives.
What Does God say?
God says to worship Him you must worship in spirit and truth. God also says that our sins have separated us from Him. God says to be reconciled to Him, we must believe and accept that Jesus is sent by God to be the perfect sacrifice for our sin. God says when we do that we are reconcilied to Him and have the authority to once again have a close personal relationship with him. God says He loves ALL Mankind and is NOT willing that ANY Perish! God says He is no respecter of person and that WHOSOEVER will accept Jesus IS SAVED! God says he wants us to be healthy and well provided for, and that He doesn't want us to spend a moment thinking about how we are going to get the things that we need. God says He will provide for us IF we make Him first in our lives! God says that in Jesus name we have power over sickness and evil. God says that whatsoever we ask him according to His will, in prayer, if we believe and forgive others, HE will give to us! God through CHIRST did all that is ever going to be done to rescue you from the sin you live in today and the eternal punishment you are headed for, and God did that 2,000 years ago!
That is why Christianity is NOT a religion.
Christianity is a relationship.
CHRISTIANITY IS A REAL, VITAL, ONE ON ONE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LIVING GOD, HERE AND NOW AND THROUGHOUT ETERNITY!
What? You say I would like that sort of Relationship with God. You do? GREAT!