LIFE OR RELIGION?

Jesus didn’t come to give the world another religion. In fact the world was already chocking of religion when Jesus came. Jesus brought Abundant, Eternal Life to man. That’s Christianity – the life of God to the max in a man! The world has religion, the Christian has eternal life. So what have you got? A life or a religion? The word ‘religion’ is quite relative. It all depends on the usage and what it seeks to communicate. From Scriptures we actually see that there are two kinds of religion – the negative and the positive. The negative kind of religion is that which tries to connect with God through acts and deeds, not taking advantage of what has already been accomplished in Christ for them. This is the reason a lot of folks would go to hell. Salvation is just about taking what God has accomplished in Christ and personalizing it. It’s a vital decision we mu

st make in this life before we die or before the rapture if not we end up in the lake of fire. Romans 10:9,10,13 is the basis for this salvation. It says “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” A lot of people who go to Church would still go to hell for eternity because they ignored God’s pattern of righteousness and set up their own standard for connecting with God. This is actually the current problem of the Jewish race (Romans 10:1-13). This is so unfortunate! Jesus called those who practice this kind of religion thieves in John 10:1. He says “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” This is terrible! It is important we understand that we are not made righteous because of what we deed or didn’t do but because of what God did for us through Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:21). In 1 Corinthians 3:11, we read “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (NKJV). The Word of God is so clear about this matter. The positive kind of religion has to do with consistency in doing the right things according to God’s Word. For instance studying your Bible, praying, walking in love etc everyday must be carried out religiously. In this case, it is an attitude not just an act. The Christianity of the Bible is not a religion at all. However, the positive kind of religion is a vital part of Bible Christianity. It is not the whole but a part of Christianity. Christianity is the life and nature of God expressed on earth through mortal men. This must be properly understood. James 1:26,27 tells us “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” (NKJV). This is true religion. Blessings!