| TRUE CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A RELIGION |
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True Christianity is not a religion. True biblical Christianity is a relationship, between God and man, that has been forged by God, in an act of Divine Grace.
There are many definitions for the term “religion.” For example, Religion is a cultural system that creates powerful and long-lasting meaning by establishing symbols that relate humanity to beliefs and values. Or religion, is that which expresses outward show and ceremony, a regular discipline, something that is done on a regular basis, religiously. Or again, religion is also defined as a philosophy, or belief or faith system, that implies a method of set procedures in order to accomplish something, in the case in point, salvation.
James tells us that “Pure religion (worship) and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world,” James 1:27, this being the end product of this amazing relationship between God and man, through Christ Jesus.
All religions have one thing in common, that is, they all prescribe something that men must do in order to placate their god and earn salvation, whatever they define that as. These world religions include; Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Roman Catholicism along with her daughter churches. There is also a religious system, called Christianity which embraces many sub-Christian cults, denominations, doctrines and practices that tend, as do the other religions, to works for salvation rather than grace, or grace plus works.
True Christianity, on the other hand, is the manifestation of God’s Sovereign Grace in that, Almighty God has done for man something man could not do for himself, and that is to restore the broken relationship that sin has caused.
God is Grace.
Christ is the manifestation of that Grace.
The saved sinner is the outworking of that Grace.
Peter J Gadsden |