RELIGION vs. CHRISTIANITY

[c12azy]

these are some notes a friend of mine took in his pastor's sermon. and i agree with him.

Religion is mans attempt to please God by adhering to rules and regulations.

-Galatians 1:6-7

Why are people drawn to religion?

-Provides a system of measurement

-It provides a false comfort



I am not a religious person because religion never works

Problem with religion:

-It creates confusion

-Galatians 1:7

Break down the barriers and concentrate on the ONE thing that matters; that Jesus died on the cross for your sins.

-Galatians 1:10

-Religion focuses on mans work.

Why do people embrace religion?

-JESUS. Not Jesus PLUS being religious. It is JESUS no matter what!

The book of Galatians is all about breaking down the myth of religion.

RELIGION is spelled DO

You gotta do this, you gotta do that, gotta do it do it do it

CHRISTIANITY is spelled DONE

There is nothing left to do, when Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and when you accept that free gift of salvation, THATS IT! PERIOD! You do not have to do WORKS to gain His salvation.

RELIGION is mans attempt to reach God

CHRISTIANITY is the opposite. It is Gods attempt to reach man. Its Jesus loving us SO MUCH, that when we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. NOT when we were so good, but when we were sinners.

NOT US REACHING TO GOD, BUT GOD REACHING TO US

RELIGION focuses on the external

CHRISTIANITY focuses on the internal (whats inside your heart?)

God doesnt look at the exterior, He looks at the HEART.

Why are we doing the things we are doing?



I obey God not to gain His approval,

I obey God because of my sincere appreciation for what Hes done.



How does this apply to me?

-Galatians 1:11-12



-If you look at every other world religion on the scene, ever other religion that man has come up with, it all boils up to one thing, MAN trying to please the god. Man TRYING to gain approval, man TRYING to do this, man DYING, TRYING to please God.



-Christianity is totally different. Christianitys God dying for the world, while we were yet sinners.



-Galatians 1:13- 14 (BUT WHEN GOD)



-But when God changes everything.

-There are people that feel so bad for what they have done, BUT WHEN GOD, comes into the scene, everything changes.

-It doesnt matter what youve done or how many times youve done it, BUT WHEN GOD.

-When Saul saw Jesus, everything changed.

-When you catch a glimpse of what Jesus has done for you, everything changes.



-When God speaks, the doctors are silent.

-Jesus did not come into the world to put us in bondage (RELIGION),

-He didnt come into the world for us to live by a set of rules and regulations,

-Jesus came into the world for ONE purpose, to set the captives free.

-When you are free, you are free indeed!  

[Litia_Echo]

Nice dude! I really like that, it is some good stuff right there. I hate it when a lot of my friends called Christianity a religion. I'm just like whatever, its a relationship, not a regilion man.  

[ioioouiouiouio]

All I have to add on this subject is my firm belief that organized religion was the worst thing to ever happen to Christianity.  

[c12azy]

i believe that was one of my first posts here. i just started becoming active in this guild today because i wanted my first post to be very meaningful. me n my friends are young christians that help out our church in our free time and we also go to as many christian events as we can to learn more about god and help others during brakes.  

[LittlePinky82]

Cometh The Inquisitor

All I have to add on this subject is my firm belief that organized religion was the worst thing to ever happen to Christianity.

Very true and that in return has made Christianity a religion. Same thing with all the others.  

[Zuru-+-Zuru]

That was so great. I really liked that. I never really thought about them as being different but now it's clear. =)

 

[Uthopia]

Very nicely done. It actually makes me feel better and worse. I'm free, but God had to do all this just to free a sinner, and sadly yet, people still don't accept the truth. xp  

[c12azy]

yes sadly its true. he gave everything up for sinners but he gave us a choice. we could stay sinners or we can change and accept him as our savior.  

[alteus_hades]

I agree with you, and have gotten caught in 'legalistic religion'. A great website on the topic is http://ptm.org/ , I listen to their radio show every day and they even have a free magazine that you can order.

 

[reddy4nething]

My pastor preaches about the diference between the 2 all the time.....he says that some of the most meanest people he knows are religious....im not saying its wrong to be religious but id rather just be a Christian.....nice stuff btw  

[dirtdevilgrunt13]

Nice....
I dont look at Christanity being a religion,I look as it being be a relatioship with our God and Savior.  

[ryoushinn]

I've never thought of that. Nice! And it makes perfect sense! It makes me feel better, and a little weird, but mostly good. Ok that didnt make sense what i said but i like what your wrote.  

[vampy dave]

Wow, could you be any more wrong?? Please show me where these verses say that "organized religion" is false. Explain why there is a need for the Gospel if there are no rules to follow, nothing that we have to obey. Why did God give us the Bible and commandments to obey? Why is it that in James 1:27, James outlines what pure religion is?

I agree, nothing that man does alone can put him in favor with God. But God commands men to obey him, and that is how we know whether or not we're sinning. A sin is simply being disobediant to God's law (the New Testament). Are you saying that if I go out and sin and sin and sin, but then go to church on Sunday (if even that), and God loves me, he'll forgive me of all I've done even if I don't repent or feel bad or anything?

Of course there are going to be those who try and bend God's word to their wants and wills and by doing that they "pervert the gospel of Christ" (Gal. 1:7). But it's not a flaw with religion or the organization thereof. It is a flaw with the people who do the perverting. There are those who follow what the Bible says and are extremely religious. Are they in the wrong for doing what the Bible says?

Please, if all we need is faith (and from what you're saying, we don't even need that much), then explain James 2:14-19.

Remeber, we should be obeying God, not for approval, but because we are COMMANDED to.  

[younglink1991]

Dont get me wrong, i love the Lord with all my heart, but Christianity IS a religion, a religion if something you beleive in, and have faith in, its just the religion of christianity is different then other religions because christianity is the only real religion. even evolution is a religion, because there is no facts for it (unlike the bible, there is millions of facts for the bible) evolution is just a beleif, there for making it a religion. galatians just stats like how you said, how men try to put rules on it like "if you dont do this you wont go to heaven" all you have to do is accept Jesus Christ as your savior and beleive he died for you. God wants you to obey him though, and spread his love throughout the world.  

[marysservant]

mistressofthelost

Wow, could you be any more wrong?? Please show me where these verses say that "organized religion" is false. Explain why there is a need for the Gospel if there are no rules to follow, nothing that we have to obey. Why did God give us the Bible and commandments to obey? Why is it that in James 1:27, James outlines what pure religion is?

I agree, nothing that man does alone can put him in favor with God. But God commands men to obey him, and that is how we know whether or not we're sinning. A sin is simply being disobediant to God's law (the New Testament). Are you saying that if I go out and sin and sin and sin, but then go to church on Sunday (if even that), and God loves me, he'll forgive me of all I've done even if I don't repent or feel bad or anything?

Of course there are going to be those who try and bend God's word to their wants and wills and by doing that they "pervert the gospel of Christ" (Gal. 1:7). But it's not a flaw with religion or the organization thereof. It is a flaw with the people who do the perverting. There are those who follow what the Bible says and are extremely religious. Are they in the wrong for doing what the Bible says?

Please, if all we need is faith (and from what you're saying, we don't even need that much), then explain James 2:14-19.

Remeber, we should be obeying God, not for approval, but because we are COMMANDED to.

Don't chastise them, they're just bending the Word (kind of throwing it out actually) for their advantage; to make them able to sin without feeling guilty wink .