27 lines
2.7 KiB
HTML
27 lines
2.7 KiB
HTML
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<title>Does a Person Have to Be Religious to Be a Christian?</title>
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<div class="head">Does a Person Have to Be Religious to Be a Christian?</div>
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<p>One of the things that stops people from becoming a Christian is the notion that he or she will have to become religious. For most people this has negative connotations. However, Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship with the living God.</p>
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<p><b>Rituals and Rules</b></p>
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<p>Religion consists of rituals and rules, do's and don'ts. However, Christianity, though it has rules to follow, is basically a relationship between humanity and the Creator. When one becomes a Christian, He enters into a relationship with God through the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said:
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<blockquote><p>And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (<a id="nbi515-si1" onClick="return mV('Jhn',17,3);">Jhn 17:3</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p><b>Bible Condemns This Behavior</b>
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<p>The Bible condemns in the strongest of terms a religion without any substance. Jesus had the following to say concerning the religious leaders of His day:
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<blockquote><p>The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do...Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of bones of the dead and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (<a id="nbi515-si2" onClick="return mV('Mat',23,2,3,27,28);">Mat 23:2-3, 27-28</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p>Scripture also informs us what true religion should be:
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<blockquote><p>Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world (<a id="nbi515-si3" onClick="return mV('Jam',1,27);">Jam 1:27</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p><b>Summary</b>
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<p>Christianity, therefore, is a relationship with a living person, not a dead religion. When a person becomes a Christian they enter into a personal relationship with Christ.</p>
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