Religion vs. Christianity

[Mandy]

Does it really matter what Faith a person comes from; or Church one attends as long as they believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save the world from their sins and to bless those who believe with the Holy Spirit, and God the Father?

[FERNANDO D IMPANG,JR]

Every one must be planted in a local church,where he must be connected.we must stop dating church,we must date only one where we can grow and matured.

[Mandy]

The reason I ask, is my husband was brought up Catholic. I brought up Lutheran. Although there are some difference in beliefs; there are some very basic beliefs. Both: belief Jesus Christ died for our sins on the cross and that the Holy Spirit was given to us from the Lord to worship the Father. Both: communion,some similary prayers. When we got married, his family expected a Catholic wedding. My family hardly went to church any more and didn't seem to care less. So I said ok. I did not convert to cathocism. But at the catholic church, the priest who married us was willing to do so with a few classes and weekend retreat. After we were married we attended church for a short while and that stopped. When we had children, I wanted to take them to a different church, because I did not feel comfortable in the Catholic church. My husband and I were at odds over this matter for a long time. He did not budge. So we go to the Catholic Church. Though some of their practices are not close to my heart. I still love our church because of the people their. Many know I am not a Chatholic and accept me as a fellow christian as I am and love me. I feel secure their and I have peace with my husband. But some people believe or I have heard some say. I used to be Catholic and then I was saved. That is what I don't understand. Am I missing something? Thank you for your input. Love in Jesus Christ Mandy

[Ron Payne]

Hi Mandy, what you say is true as long as the requirements you mentioned are put into action in the lives of those who say they believe.
But there can be a problem, because with many, many people it is simply head knowledge.
I had just accepted the Lord in 1958. About a week later I cornered a Priest. "Father I am saved through the shed blood of Jesus." I told him enthusiastically. "my Son" the Priest said, "To say that you are saved is a sin of assumption. You cannot and must not assume you are saved."
I was devastated, yet the joy and love of Jesus that I was experiencing, would not allow the priest to rob me of what I had come to learn. This was my first experience.
The second time was when I attended a church where they sang:
"Man of sorrows what a name,
For the Son of God Who came,
Ruined sinners to reclaim,
Hallelujah, what a Saviour."
Once we were outside the Church, I started to tell the members who were standing around, of what Jesus had done for us and because of this I was Born Again and saved. I could see by the looks I was receiving that all was not well. I put the question to them bluntly: "Are you saved" I asked. To the last person in that group all answered in a similar fashion: "I don't know, how can I possibly know until I die?" "You believe that Jesus died for our sins and paid the price for these sins on our behalf. Don't you?" I asked. "Yes came the reply." "Then why can't you believe that in accepting this fact and repent by asking God's forgiveness that you are saved? I asked" I still received negative replies and excuses. I tried a different tact and asked:
"We have been singing about a saviour who reclaims sinners, we even sang out loud: 'Hallelujah what a Saviour.' What good is a Saviour when we don't believe He can save us?" I got no where with these "faithful Church attenders" who "KNEW THE TALK BUT DID NOT KNOW THE WALK" as they say.
This then Mandy is the problem, there are thousands upon thousands who attend church faithfully, even have a good relationship with the Pastor, but not with Jesus the Son of God, even though they say they believe.
Your Brother and Friend in Christ - Ron "We MUST be Born Again."

[Phabs]

Hi Mandy
I think both JW and Mormons believe these things and they are certainly not christian denominations, so i guess we have have to be very careful as to what makes a church or religion Christian. Compare the Roman Catholic Church to what the bible has to say.

[Pieter]

Religion is man's ideas about serving God. The bible is God's ideas about serving man. Christianity chooses the latter.

See whay Paul wrote about this:

"I was ahead of most other Jews of my age in my practice of the Jewish religion, and was much more devoted to the traditions of our ancestors. But God in his grace chose me even before I was born, and called me to serve him." [Gal 1:14-15 GNB]

As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the Law, I was without fault. But all those things that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ's sake. Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ [Phi 3:6-8 GNB]

Jesus Himself strongly denounced religion (man's ideas about serving God.).

Jesus answered, "And why do you disobey God's command and follow your own teaching?"
[Mat 15:3 GNB]

"See to it, then, that no one enslaves you by means of the worthless deceit of human wisdom, which comes from the teachings handed down by human beings and from the ruling spirits of the universe, and not from Christ." [Col 2:8 GNB]

'It is no use for them to worship me, because they teach human rules as though they were my laws!' "You put aside God's command and obey human teachings." And Jesus continued, "You have a clever way of rejecting God's law in order to uphold your own teaching.' [Mar 7:7-9 GNB]

Where do you stand?

Remember, it is not only about head knowledge.

"Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe---and tremble with fear." [Jam 2:19 GNB]

You must be born again!

Jesus answered, "I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again." [Joh 3:3 GNB]

"A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit." [Joh 3:6 GNB]

You can do this by putting your faith into action through prayer. Something like this:

"Lord Jesus, I am a sinner and in need of your salvation. I accept you now as my Lord and Saviour. Come into my life and make me the person you want me to be. Amen"

Remember, Jesus promised to enter your life if you ask Him.

"Be in earnest, then, and turn from your sins. Listen! I stand at the door and knock; if any hear my voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them, and they will eat with me." [Rev 3:19-20 GNB]

You can accept through faith that He has given you a new life if you prayed the above prayer. Thank Him for entering your life.

We gladly await your testimony.

Yours in Christ.

Pieter

[FERNANDO D IMPANG,JR]

we must sure that the church we attend teach the word of God biblically not by emotion or sensitive seekers,it must be founded by the Word of God.

[FERNANDO D IMPANG,JR]

"When the mind is enlightened by Divine truth, and duly impressed with a sense of guilt, it cannot fail anxiously to inquire, How can a man be just with God! The answer given to this question decides the character of our religion, and, if practically adopted, our future destiny. To give a wrong answer, is to mistake the way to heaven. It is to err where error is fatal, because it cannot be corrected. If God require one thing, and we present another, how can we be saved?"

[Hellofull]

Does it really matter what Faith a person comes from?
What matters is the kind of Faith a person has.

Does it really matter what Church one attends as long as they believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save the world from their sins and to bless those who believe with the Holy Spirit, and God the Father?

It is a requirement for salvation to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

It is also a requirement for salvation to accept the Father as the only true God
"Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (John 17:1, 3)

It is also a requirement for salvation receive the Holy Spirit.
"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14).

The church as well is also a requirement for salvation.
"For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body." (Ephesians 5:23). For it is the Church that our Lord Jesus Christ will save. Even Christ gave importance to the Church. How? Ephesians 5:25 shows how, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,"

During the time of Christ it was not a question which Church should a man belong, because there was only one Church of Christ then, the Church built by Christ (Matthew 16:18).

The question now, does is it matter what church we belong as long as they all proclaim to be a Church that is of Christ?
Yes it does, because not all churches today which profess to be Christians are of Christ.

Let us remember Christ only has one body (Ephesians 4:4), one Body of Christ or one Church of Christ (Col 1:18). What's many is the members of the body (Romans 12:4-5). We know for sure that the members of the body are not also bodies or churches, that's not what the Bible teaches.

Now it's time for you to search the true Church of Christ. May God bless you.