I watched a sermon by Greg Locke where he made a very valid point. We have a two party political system in which to be democrat diminishes being republican and being republican diminishes being democrat. A very obvious division. Now look at religion. We don’t have two denominations. We have hundreds of denominations. To be Baptist diminishes all other denominations. To be Catholic diminishes all other denominations. To be Muslim diminishes all other denominations. And by definition even Satanism and Atheism can be considered religious denominations. Why are churches losing ground? Because every one of those denominations claims to be right above all others and it has created confusion. I have attended Baptist, Pentecostal, Lutheran and Assembly of God churches. And in each you could ask any regular attendee and they will proclaim “I am Baptist”, I am Lutheran”, etc. The church of the Bible is not a denomination. The church of the Bible is a commitment to a lifestyle and faith called Christianity. The church is one! Politics has divided this country as has religion and we must stop! Jesus Christ was sent to save us and to be Lord of our Life with a wonderful promise of eternal life. Stop thinking you must die. Dying is a choice.
Please understand I am not suggesting those denominational churches are bad. I attend a denominational church. Those churches are full of followers of Jesus Christ but be sure when you disciple for Jesus Christ and for the salvation of others you represent your Christian heritage above and beyond the name on a sign. If you focus on that I believe you will reach more people. I know this because I was lost between denominations. Confused by man-made traditions and rules. All of the answers we seek are found in God’s word…the Holy Bible. Some of those traditions and rules are ok. They don’t insult God but those rules are not required to have a relationship with our Creator. Just look to the thief on the cross next to Jesus. “Jesus answered the repentant thief with the most hopeful words possible: ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise’” (Luke 23:43). A thief who woke up in the morning on his way to hell had his eternal destiny changed with a simple plea to the Savior. “Jesus, remember me.” He was not baptized, he did not attend Sunday services, he did not know the Lord’s prayer, he did not know scripture, he did not partake in communion. He simply responded in a moment of doom to repent of his sins, seek forgiveness and believe in Jesus Christ as the savior.
Religion is humanity’s attempt to reach God or the sacred or divine. It involves a human effort to become acceptable to God or to give meaning to one’s life. Thus, the potential exists for there to be as many religions as there are humans. This makes religion subjective to the person resulting in no two being the same.
Christianity is God’s attempt to reach humanity. Christianity is centered on a personal relationship between a creator God and His human creation. It’s about a loving God who initiates the relationship by revealing who He is to His human creation by coming to us in the person of Jesus. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus a person is given the way to become acceptable to God who is holy and experience the true meaning for their life and the path to eternal salvation.
Jesus, God in human form and the founder of Christianity, said this in John 14:6 of the Bible, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus validated this claim through the unchanging and undisputable fact of His resurrection.
His statement and resurrection are at the core of the irreconcilable differences with the religions of the world. He’s alive and all the founders of the world’s religions died and are still dead!
It took me awhile but I found a church that resonates with me. The name and title on the sign are of no relevance to me. And that church will be different for each of us. But don’t give up. Ask God to guide you to a messenger that can help open your mind and heart to understand your sinful nature, your imminent demise and your potential eternal salvation. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 Ask for answers, seek truth and clarity and walk through the doors he opens to you.
Have a blessed day. I am heading to church to spend time with fellow followers of our Lord Jesus Christ.
