"Religion's not for me"

 

A lot of people tend to think of Christianity as a list of rules. They think the Bible is a big book of law, filled with do's and don'ts. And that leads them to thinking things like, "Christianity is boring." They tend to think Christians are "religious nuts" and never have any fun.

But none of this is true. Christianity is not just a list of rules. The Bible is not just a big book full of do's and don'ts. Christianity is not boring.

Becoming a Christian is the most fulfilling, exciting, and joy-filled thing you could ever do! It's not a decision to live a good moral life. It is SO much more than that! 

The Bible is a book full of beauty, power, history, promise, hope, prophecy, and truth. It is the very word of the Creator of the Universe.

• What is Christianity? Christianity is simply the belief that Jesus Christ is Lord of all! Christians believe in the gospel. They believe in Jesus Christ and that He died to save us from our sins, rose from the grave defeating death, and is now in heaven.
• What does it mean to become a Christian? To become a Christian means that you have put your faith and trust in Christ alone and repented of your wicked ways. It means that you are a follower of Christ. You have died to your old self and the life you lived in your sins. You are a new creation! Your identity, hope, trust, security, joy, and peace are in Christ! And here's some good news for you: Christ is the only one who will not fail us!
• What is the gospel? This is how I shared the gospel in my post "What's Missing?"

God created the world and the whole universe. It was good and perfect and beautiful. The first people made were Adam and Eve. They were perfect and without sin. But one day they rebelled against God. This was serious. God is so holy and perfect that absolutely no sin or evil may dwell with Him. So after that 1st sin, mankind became separated from God. Mankind is born into a sinful nature, separating us from the very God who created us, the one whom we disobey. But that's not the end of the story. God loved us. Not because we were so great. No. We aren't. We are undeserving of His love. But yet He chose to love us. Love is a choice. It is the sacrifice of self. And God showed the greatest love ever to be demonstrated. He sent His only and perfect Son to this earth: Jesus. Jesus came to earth and was born in the likeness of man. He was fully God and fully man. He lived an absolutely perfect life. That's right! He lived on this earth around 30 years and never once sinned! He faced trials, temptation, and suffering just like us. But never once did He lash out in anger, give into temptation, or complain about His circumstances. He was sinless. He performed miracles, called people to follow Him, and taught many things. But then He did something astounding. You see, there is only one way to heaven. The only way to get to heaven and escape eternal punishment for our sins is to live a perfect life. That is NOT good news for us, is it? None of us is without sin. And even one sin is enough to condemn us to hell. The only way for us to be forgiven is through a perfect and holy, bloody sacrifice. The Israelites in Bible times would sacrifice lambs without any blemish. But even that was not enough. They had to live by the law and continue to bring sacrifices to the temple. But, like I said, Jesus did something astounding. He sacrificed His own perfect life for us. He died a brutal, bloody death to save us! He paid the ultimate sacrifice once and for all. He took the punishment for all the sins of the world on Himself. He had never sinned even once! And yet He faced that punishment out of love for the Father and for us! He is our Savior. After He died, He was buried. If that was the end, it would be a very sad story. Death would have defeated the Christ. But it is not the end! Three days after His death, Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead! He appeared to many, proving that He is alive! He then ascended into heaven where He is now! And everyone who confesses that He is Lord and puts their trust in Him and repents of their sins will be saved! What grace and mercy God has shown! This is the gospel. This is the good news. 

• What about the Bible? If it's not just a list of do's and don'ts then what is it? The Bible is Gods word. In 2 Timothy it tells us that all Scripture is God-breathed. God used 40+ men, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to write the 66 books of the Bible. It was written in 3 different languages (Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic) over around 1,500 years, and yet it all flows together. Not one word contradicts another. God's word is holy; reliable; true; pure; sweet; sufficient; and applicable. Gods word is living and active and is described in Hebrews 4:12 as something that is "sharper than any two-edged sword." Gods word contains books of law, history, poetry, prophecy, the gospel, and letters to churches. Gods word is complex but yet it connects together smoothly. There is not one word or promise of God that has not or will not come true. God keeps His words. His word contains all that we need. It is our source of truth, strength, wisdom, comfort, guidance, and hope. His word is "food" for our spiritual life. Without the Bible we cannot grow spiritually. His word contains answers for the questions of life. It has answers for family roles, loving siblings, what marriage is suppose to look like, how to respond to suffering, what to look for in a true, solid, biblical church, and so much more! And Gods word has always been, is, and will always be relevant. It is eternal. It will not fade or pass away. His word equips, edifies, refines, and strengthens us. The Bible tells us about how we got here, why we're here, who God is, the gospel, and how we should live a godly life for Christ.
• "Well, religion is just not for me" - To the person who thinks that religion's just not for them, who says "it's great for you maybe, but just not for me," I would say this: Sure. Maybe it's not for you. Maybe you don't want to be forgiven, made new, and reconciled with God. Maybe you don't want to worship the Creator of the universe. Maybe you don't want to follow Him and glorify Him in everything you do. Maybe you don't want to give up your sin or worldly pleasures. That's your choice. I can't make it for you. I can't force you to put faith in Jesus Christ. So maybe it's not for you. You're not being forced to make the decision to follow Christ. But just remember this:

Whoever believes in [Jesus] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. -John 3:18

This is serious. Don't just say, "I'll think about all of this when I'm older or have more time." Make a decision. It's your choice. Will you choose to follow Christ, or will you choose to follow the way of the world?

I want to end with a verse that reminds us of who we once were (following the ways of this world) and who believers now are in Christ: 

-Titus 3:3-8-

~For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.~