Not a Religion

There are a lot of people who call themselves Christians, and probably fewer who, without a shadow of a doubt, believe that the Bible is true and that all other beliefs are wrong and will lead their followers to Hell.

There are probably even fewer who can back this claim up against onslaughts of reason, logic and experiences that might be thrown at them in an aggressive maneuver to displace them from their seats on their pillars of faith.

Many such people are likely among the ones who Jesus said would fall away and be swayed from their faith. Though they believe to have built their pillars on the solid rock of God, their faith’s foundation has no basis, and is an easy target for the relentless storms and tides of this world.

There are some who, even without knowing why, have their faith solidly placed in the Rock of God, and will not be easily persuaded away from that – in fact, such persuasion is nigh impossible. These people are not simply clinging to a hopeful belief system that they believe will take them to heaven – they made the decision to follow that path, and as they progressed, they began seeing with their spiritual eyes to the point where they no longer need doubt their decisions and their faith. If asked why they believed what they do, they will probably have some sort of answer based on their journey and explorations.

From reading things on the internet from atheists, Christians, and people of different religions, I’ve found that answers such as “you just have to have faith” are extremely frustrating to others. Hopefully, those people who once decided to “take a chance” and follow Christ’s path now have the ability to formulate different answers that are based not only on their own experiences, but also on what God has taught them. If they have been truly following God long enough, such an answer would be sufficient to let another person see clearly enough what it means to be a Christian, and allow them to make a fully educated choice about it. Of course, by no means should we assume that everyone will come to the conclusion that they should be a Christian.

I’ve thought about it, and if someone questions my motives for my faith, I will not be caught without an answer. And I refuse to let my bottom line be “you just have to have faith.” To do so would put my beliefs on the exact same pedestal as every religion in the world.

But Christianity is not like those religions. Religions are merely systems of beliefs designed to prepare people for a life after death. The focuses of following Christ are not getting to heaven or going to Hell, and Christianity is not a set of beliefs and commandments that we are supposed to follow without question and without real purpose. All of the things commanded in the Bible are not meant to merely appease some god and get us into heaven. They are meant to keep us away from harm, because all the things commanded against have very real consequences. Anyone, even those who don’t follow the Bible, should be able to see that.

The real focus of Christianity is not appeasement, or fear, or reward: it is building God’s Kingdom. It is rescuing the world from the darkness of sin that has seized it. It is about Jesus Christ saving US from what we have all done to ourselves.

And unlike the gods of other religions who apparently sit around and expect everyone to follow their pointless, hollow commandments, Christ shows His power through His followers. Everyone who accepts his sacrifice, follows His path and is cleansed by His blood in dying with Him will shine clearly in the world. Jesus gives them the power to be fully and ultimately freed from death and sin, and they have the courage to do the craziest, wildest, most unfeasible things anyone’s ever heard of. God even works miracles through people’s faith! THAT is the faith of Christianity, not blindly believing that there is some God up there and hoping we are right. Really following God means that we KNOW God, and have a relationship with Him, and are becoming like Him, and have His power working through us to show the world who he is. He does not sit invisibly in another universe or dimension – He works here on Earth, even though He does not show Himself to many people the way they want Him to prove that He exists. He still wants people to have faith in Him, because faith is more powerful than sight, and it will eventually weed out the weak pretenders from the strong and courageous followers of Christ.

The God we serve and believe in created everyone with a set purpose. His kingdom is based on love, not on appeasement. God is not ready to throw us away to eternal fires on a whim. He does not enjoy destroying people. He spends lifetimes trying to call people to Himself and out of the lies and darkness that they have fallen into. Yet many resist the call, and he must destroy them, or they would destroy His kingdom and the faithful and the righteous who gave up their lives to serve Him.

And this is what our God wants; this is what Christianity is: a life, not a change in certain habits. A true Christian has counted the cost and given up everything to serve the Creator who loved him enough to give up His own life to free him. It is a decision to live for God that is based on ancient truths that have stood strong through all the tests of time and are also present truths. These truths are not a belief system that we hope to be right, and they are not truths that seek to freeze us in stone as we try to satisfy the seemingly pointless demands of a higher being. They are the things and values that were set in stone long ago, and will surge us forward, past the destruction of this world and to the completion of the Eternal Kingdom of God.

Everyone God creates is created with a purpose. God will use everyone for something whether they choose to follow Him or not, but nothing compares to the awesome power that God can show through those who give their lives to the One who knows exactly what is best for them.

Every one of God’s commandments has a purpose. They keep us from falling into evil or being swept away by the world, they light our paths in times of struggles, and they keep us safe from consequences. They are not a box that we must stay inside, as other religions are – they are the truths that will ultimately set us free from the box we were once trapped inside.

And God Himself has an ultimate purpose, to build a perfect Kingdom free of fear, darkness, and pain, a kingdom that will end evil and sadness forever.

Oh, and guess what? You can't convert away from true Christianity. Anyone who "converts" away from following God was very, very, very likely - in fact, almost positively - never a true follower of Christ to begin with. No religion can honestly say that, or this: being a Christian is a state of being. It means that you have been changed by God, and are being molded into who He meant for you to be. Religions, on the other hand, only have their followers obey sets of commands and believe certain things. Christianity has real power, no matter who, no matter where, no matter when - God is with us. In everything. And He shows His presence and His power.

Ciao!