Q – What is religion?
Religion is humanity’s attempt to reach out to God or the sacred or divine. It involves human effort to become acceptable to God or to give meaning to one’s life. Thus, the potential exists for there to be as many religions as there are humans. This makes religion subjective to the person resulting in no two being the same.
Q – Can you give some examples of differences between religions and what that means?
Mohammed, the founder of Islam, said God is one and not knowable. Krishna who gave rise to Hinduism believed in many gods. Buddha was agnostic. And Jim Jones who started the Peoples Temple taught that he was the incarnation of God and Jesus.
As you explore each of these religions and others in detail you will find there are irreconcilable differences between them. These differences include the nature of God, the human condition and the destiny of humankind. This means they can not all be right or true.
Q – Isn’t Christianity a religion?
No. Christianity is not a religion because it does not involve humanity’s attempt to reach God, but rather God’s attempt to reach humanity. Christianity is centered on a personal relationship between a creator God and His human creation. It’s about a loving God who initiates the relationship by revealing who He is to His human creation by coming to us in the person of Jesus. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus a person is given the way to become acceptable to God who is holy and experience the true meaning for their life.
Q – What are Christianity’s roots?
God gave birth to a man named Abraham and through him a people called Israelites. Through Abraham and the Israelites, God instituted a system of worship that made them distinctive from all other peoples and their religious practices. We know it as Judaism. Judaism began God’s movement to prepare the way for Him coming to earth in the person of Jesus. The life, work, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, an Israelite Jew, were the pivotal transition point from Judaism to Christianity.
Q – I see Christianity’s roots, but what was the need for the transition to Christianity?
Humans due to their sin nature are relationally separated from God who is holy, i.e. with out sin. Through Judaism He provided a temporary work around system to cover over the sin of people. This system enabled a holy God to have relationship with people who were sinful.
God was using His Jewish people and their Judaism system of worship he had instituted through them to prepare and point the way to the time and need for Jesus. Jesus, God in human form, by offering up His life on the cross provided a permanent solution to the separation that sin was causing. This solution eliminated the need for the Judaism system of worship. Worship instead began being centered on Jesus’ death for our sin and His resurrection to life, giving birth to Christianity.
Q – So how do I know Christianity is right?
Jesus, God in human form and the founder of Christianity, said this in John 14:6 of the Bible, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus validated this claim through the immutable fact of His resurrection.
His statement and resurrection are at the core of the irreconcilable differences with the religions of the world. He’s alive and all the founders of the world’s religions died and are still dead!
Q – What’s the bottom line meaning for me?
Only Jesus provides the way to be right with God and to be assured of going to Heaven.
Q – How do I get right with God through Jesus?
While the religions of the world falsely require you to do something like be a good person or observe certain rituals/ traditions to get right with God, Jesus already did what’s necessary on your behalf. What He did was pay the penalty that God, who is holy, justly requires for sin which is death.
Rather than you needing to die and stay dead for your sins, you can ask God to substitute Jesus’ death in place of your death so that the sin penalty is satisfied.
It’s as easy as ABC.
- Admit you’ve sinned against God. Tell Him you are sorry and ask Him to forgive you.
- Believe [trust, rely/depend on] that Jesus’ death on the cross was in your place and satisfied God’s penalty for sin.
- Confess that Jesus is your Lord and Savior
When you do this you’ve put your trust in what Jesus did on your behalf. God says it this way in Romans 10:11 of the Bible, “Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.” It means being saved from the shame that would have resulted from foolishly not accepting Jesus’ offer to satisfy God’s sin penalty on your behalf.
Q – What should I do next?
Becoming a Christian is more than being assured of God’s forgiveness and going to Heaven. He wants to work with you so you can begin living as He originally designed you to live. Living life by His design is the only true pathway to the purpose, meaning and significance we all desire. Here are the basics to learning about and growing in living by His design for you.
- Start attending a bible-based church so you can learn more about God’s design for your life.
- Read a bible regularly to get to know God better and hear from Him.
- Talk with God [aka prayer] to get His perspective on your questions, doubts, fears and needs.
- Begin to hang out with other Christians through a small group. This will allow you to get specific answers to your questions, enable others to pray for you and receive encouragement.
- Tell others about what’s happened in your life. They have the same need for a personal relationship with God through Jesus.