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 Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:53 am
Hello there and greetings in Jesus Christ's name. I was talking to an Atheist and he says that he hates religion and doesn't want it in his life. And I believe that we should define what a Religion is and what Christianity is.
Religion means a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects. That came straight out of the dictionary. Basically religion is men trying to work their way to God with their beliefs and deeds. But it says that self righteousness is an abomination to God.
But Christianity is not just some mare religion. It is a lot more than that. I heard a preacher say "Religion is when man trying to get to God and Christianity is God trying to get to man." And it is true in a sense. God is trying to get to men, but I think it is deeper than that.
1 John 1:3 says "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." John really explains what is Christianity. It is a relationship with the Lord, or fellowship as he words it.
Fellowship means companionship. The image picture of a companionship is a father and son having sweet companionship or fellowship. That is the word picture for having fellowship is a son having a fellowship with the Father. That is what Christianity is about. It is not these beliefs and acts that we do, although some are not bad, but it is to be close to the Father. And when we are close to the Father, we desire to be like Him as a child desires to be like his Father when he gets older.
So next time when someone asks you of your religion, just say that you do not have a religion, but a relationship with the Father. It would create some interesting conversations, and maybe by the Lord's help, lead others to Christ.
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Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:57 pm
I agree with you.
You can be religious about doing some thing like bowling every Thursday night.
Or very religious about brushing and flossing your teeth two or three times a day.
Habits are very religious things that we choose to do. But to have religion, is some thing entirerly different; and to be a Christian that is saved, redeemed, santified and set aside is totally different then being religious.
I enjoyed your little write up here. You have made some fine points in doing so and have backed them up with scripture.
You have done a good work for the Lord our God here.
May He continue to bless you and give you the grace you deserve both here in this life as well as in His kingdom.
God bless brother,
Dave - The Hawk.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 12:01 am
I've always considered myself religous/spirtual but having a relationship with God explains things much better than how I been trying to explain it. I mean I was trying to say the same thing basically, but anyhow thank you for posting this. whee
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 12:33 am
As someone who has held resentment towards a Religion of my past I can understand the hating of "religion" in the sense of an institution. When I was younger I had a blast learning about God but when I got older I saw the inconsistencies, contradictions in the institution itself(I grew up Jehovah's Witness and by no means was under any true sense of Christianity), I casted away Religion and went away agnostic. I quickly realized how little I had without God in sin, and lost over resentment. Grudges can bury you with grief and a lot of atheists/agnostics hold these resentments without letting them go to the very God they aren't close to.
Everyone is different and go through different experiences. What drew me back to God wasn't necessarily my sinful lifestyle but the emptiness/distance joy I once had with a strong Faith in God. Some atheists will prove away their faith with facts and science but EVEN that will lead to many knowings but no satisfaction. All in all, I'm happy that Jesus saved me and even MORE happier to actually finally get to know His word, Truth, and Love.
I see a lot of people take God for granted, even me. I do my very best not to attack atheists/agnostics since I was there once. I listen as my Lord listens to me. Forgive as God has with me. Sometimes we are like Thomas we need to see it, feel it, taste it, hear it but without Faith how would you know to look for it? I hope the Atheist man you were talking to comes around. And whatever deep seeded reason that leads him away gets plucked out and filled with Hope.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 1:00 pm
Hey y'all!
I look at my relationship with God & His Son, Jesus and The Holy Spirit,
like my relationship with my parents.
I love them deeply.
I respect them and at the same time have a fear of them, but the fear is out of respect & love, and not from abuse.
I honor my heavenly Father by serving Him, much like the way the Bible teaches us in the ten commandments to honor our father & mother~which means if my parents need for me to do something for them, then I am there for them. The same with God/Jesus giving me the 'Great Commission' the day I was saved.
Have a great Sunday and be blessed,
~Lyn~
heart
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Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 10:54 am
Well said! biggrin I've also heard one of my favorite pastors say this, and I could not agree more. Knowing that it was a relationship changed my point of view enough so that I could clear my mind of people who constantly looked down on sin and, instead, look at the Lord whom was trying to get my attention all along. If more people expressed Christianity in this way, I have a feeling that more people would be open to hearing what we have to say.
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