Do you know what sets True Christianity apart from other religions?

[4afaithfulone]

The difference is that other religions dictate laws for you to follow, but leaves you in your same carnal state of the fallen nature, that causes us to fall back into sin. We deceive our selves thinking that we are good people, and we can be, but we are also evil in our thoughts and deeds as well. Because the carnal mind will always be self survival. Here are the attributes of our carnal flesh nature that must be over come to truly be a good person, yet it is impossible for fallen man to see their sin as sinful.
Recognize any of these?:

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

While in true Christianity, we are given the Spirit of God to help us to actually make a change in our thinking and doing through the Word of God coming into our hearts, so that we don’t need laws exalted over us, for we are given the wisdom to know how to do right, we don‘t need no law to tell us.
Gal.5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Here are the attributes of one led of the Spirit:

Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
KJV
"Have" in verse 24 means Have done the work to overcome their flesh man, with the help of the Spirit and the Word working together within them.

One of the Spirit can always tell a carnal man led of their flesh. They are those who always seek vengeance and punishment for those who are held captive to sin.
While a True Christian understands that the sinner is held captive to sin and needs someone to help them be set free so that don’t do them anymore. That way they Don’t go so far as to receive punishment, but they repent and seek a better way of life in Christ.
God desires mercy and a changed heart, not sacrifices.

 

[jonahmano]

The Acts of the Holy Spirit

 

[FreeGrace]

I love the title of this thread! Great question.

Answer: Grace. No religion involves grace. It's all about works. How to satisfy God.

Therefore, Christianity is NOT a religion. It is different from all of them.

 

[gr8grace3]

I love the title of this thread! Great question.

Answer: Grace. No religion involves grace. It's all about works. How to satisfy God.

Therefore, Christianity is NOT a religion. It is different from all of them.

And that drives religion nuts. Someone else did the work for us.

Christianity~~Creator credit.

Religion~~creature credit.

 

[4afaithfulone]

True, there are many aspects of TRUE Christianity that sets it apart from other religions who just tell men how to be good, but can do nothing in the inwardly to help them to be able to do them as God has made a way through receiving Christ does.

It is the work of the indwelling Spirit and Word that is the only way, truth and the life.
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
KJV

The Grace or Mercy of God is a big part, because without it, we are doomed! But this does not mean that we don't need to change anything, that God loves us in our filth and wants to keep us that way, struggling in life due to our disobedience to Christ/His Word. He does care and hopes that many see that their works are evil so they can humble themselves in repentance (to turn away from their sin) to submission to His Word/Christ to be saved. That is why He sacrificed His own Son to reunite us to Himself by His Spirit, so that we can feed on the Bread of life, to renew our minds and be raised from being dead to God, to alive in Christ for a life more abundant and beautiful in peace, goodness, health etc....That we had before the fall of man.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
KJV
Grace was given for the fact that we Were all carnal(self survival as the beasts) in our actions of our fallen nature due to sinful ways in thought and actions that have been passed down through godless generations who do not know or value God's wisdom, but who are their own gods making many destructive decisions that have ruined everything(Except God of course). Man came up short of the glory that God made His man in. We must not allow ourselves to be deceived by smooth talkers who say sin is no longer the issue because Jesus took it away as if God is allowing us to live sinful now. Sin always suffers consequences, but as we are learning how to walk in His Word as babes of the Spirit, we have repentance to be forgiven because we took it to God and did not hide it. Correction, TRY to hide it , nothing can hide from God. The Spirit helps us to get back up to keep walking.
We could not please God with bulls blood once a year to be able to walk another year in our dog eat dog ways that changes no one.
He wants obedience to His Word for our own good. God hates sin and always will because He knows it destroys the family unit, causes us to be diseased for rejecting to hear His Voice(Jesus The Word), causes perversions, hatefullness, destroys the earth, the animals, our nations by bringing His plagues upon our food supplies, our oceans, our cities, children, marriages and our love for one another's well being, to walk in this life in peace not fear!
Our grace is that He has given us MORE time to get it together so that we are not destroyed, as those who reject Him and His Word as their Lord to live by, will be.
We must not think that grace is an ok to continue a life of sin, for sin kills us and puts us in hell.
We are to be growing in grace to be merciful as our Father is and in the grace period that Christ bought for us, as we are formed into his image(attributes). No longer just hearing the law, but not able in our own fallen nature or fleshly strength to obey the law, but eventually doers of the law by our daily sacrificing our bodies as living sacrifices as the Word and the Spirit cut and burn away the lusts of our flesh that hold us back from the blessings of God to manifest in our lives. To overcome them and hopefully be found worthy to escape all that is coming upon the earth and stand face to face with Christ as one looking in a mirror and see's HIMSELF and you look exactly as HE is.

 

[M.Abdullah]

If laws are useless, why did God set forth tons of laws for his chosen people to follow? This is an honest question, I'm not baiting anyone, just want to know the reason for the OT books with laws in them

 

[4afaithfulone]

If laws are useless, why did God set forth tons of laws for his chosen people to follow? This is an honest question, I'm not baiting anyone, just want to know the reason for the OT books with laws in them

Lawlessness is Not what we are to be! For lawlessness brings for more laws over us and leaves the earth more and more corrupted.
Here is an Example:
If someone comes to your home to visit, there are no laws for them, they are free to enjoy your home with you, But….if they lack godly wisdom of what is right to do, and begin to display their nakedness(not clothed in God’s Word of righteousness) in shame by their lawlessness, and they commence to destroy or defile your home and family. Then you are going to have to place some laws over them to tell them how to behave in your home. (That is what other religions do)
Yet we know from experience that to tell someone to “Stop“ doesn‘t make them Stop, it is just a word to the lawless who rebel right ways.
(Here is what needs to happen and is what the Spirit in True Christianity helps us do):
They need to take the law you gave them, inwardly in their heart, to be able to see(good eyes) it’s good for them, and learn to obey till it manifests in their actions, so they can be edified(raised up in stature as a godly man) within and restored to honor in your eyes and God's, and makes them acceptable and in right standing and welcome to your home Anytime!
For they now See the error of their old ways of self destruction, and now need no laws to lord over them, for they have learned what God says is good and walks accordingly.
ALL THE GLORY GOES TO GOD AND HIS CHRIST AND HIS SPIRIT, for we were not able on our own to be all good.

In Christ we have been set free from keeping all 613 written ordinances. However, God’s 10 commandments are forever and they are Good.
But other religions only say do this and don’t do that and you will be good!
But in my example above we can see that words alone can not make us obey, it just make us look bad when we can’t keep them in our own fallen nature of Adam.
In Christ our new covenant with the Creator and Father, we have a better covenant than they had in the old one or in any other religion. The reason is because God wants to come in us, spiritually, for us to allow the Spirit of God work in our hearts to TEACH us how to do right so we don’t need written laws hanging over us, but now we are able to do them. God knows that when we keep falling for temptations to sin, we suffer loss in sickness, poverty, wars, divorce, lawless children, fatherless or motherless children the torments of the heat of hell. We wants to be able to bless us for turning from our wicked ways.
Jesus is the Stone, the Rock, meaning Jesus is the Word of God or ten commandments that were written in the Stone tablets and they are permanent, firm for they are never changing. But all the accumulated laws that were added to them for disobeying the 10 original in the Stone/Jesus, were taken away when God forsook His Word on the cross for our sakes by leaving them nailed to the cross, but resurrected The Word on the 3rd day as our new covenant Word in which we are given 2 laws, which if performed correctly, fulfill all 10 of the commandments in the Stone.
The are to love the LORD thy God and serve Him only.
And to love others as you would have them love you.
So if you would not want someone to lie or cheat or steal or kill or covet your wife, possessions etc… then do not do it to them either. For in Christ we are under a perfect and Just law, one of sowing and reaping. What we do to others, is going to come upon us, Rather good or bad actions, we make our own bed and reap the harvest of what we have sown in God‘s perfect law of righteous Justice!
He is the only one who can faithfully judge in perfection, for He sees and knows every man’s motives and secret actions and sorrows, we do not. That is why we must not judge, for as we judge others, we shall be judged likewise.

 

[Free]

Answer: Grace. No religion involves grace. It's all about works. How to satisfy God.

Therefore, Christianity is NOT a religion. It is different from all of them.

This is a circular argument. Christianity very much is a religion.

 

[Free]

If laws are useless, why did God set forth tons of laws for his chosen people to follow? This is an honest question, I'm not baiting anyone, just want to know the reason for the OT books with laws in them

The laws weren't useless. They were given to separate God's chosen people from everyone else. And so many were given in such a way that it would be impossible to follow them perfectly, showing that salvation could not be attained by works. The continual need for sacrifices was fulfilled in Jesus, both the sacrifice and the priest, making atonement final with forgiveness needing no further sacrifice. Jesus was and is the ultimate sacrifice and by putting our trust in him we have salvation.

 

[FreeGrace]

This is a circular argument. Christianity very much is a religion.

How so? Only Christianity offers total grace and no works for salvation. Religion only offers works for salvation.

 

[gr8grace3]

This is a circular argument. Christianity very much is a religion.

Christianity is not a religion.

Religion is man reaching out to a god.

Christianity is God reaching out to man.

The problem we see today is People have used Jesus to justify adding so many “requirements” to being a Christian. Just a few in the ocean of "conditions" that people have put on True Christianity
~Not smoking, or drinking alcohol
~Not listening to certain types of music
~Insisting that church meet on certain days
~Only certain forms of music can be used in church
~You can’t be saved unless you are circumcised
~Reciting ritualistic prayers
~Saying you aren’t saved unless you get baptized
~You can’t eat certain foods
~Saying you aren’t saved unless you speak in tongues
~Salvation is conditional upon attending church or church membership
~Saying that you have to earn your salvation by doing good deeds
~You need to repent of all your sins
~you will go to hell for your sins
~you will have a change of lifestyle
~you need to be sweet and change your personality
And the list goes on and on!

Christianity is about what God has already DONE to provide us the opportunity to be right with Him. Religion says you must EARN your salvation by doing good deeds or certain acts and not doing evil. Christianity says all we need to do is BELIEVE that Christ has already paid the price for the evil we have done. Christianity says we are all evil (filled with sin) and there is nothing we can do to earn the right to be saved. Christianity says that God (in the form of Jesus Christ) stepped into our place and paid the awful price that had to be paid for us. He gave us the free gift of salvation if we choose to believe in Jesus.

 

[Free]

How so? Only Christianity offers total grace and no works for salvation. Religion only offers works for salvation.

It's circular because in your premises you are presuming a definition of religion that precludes Christianity from being a religion and then conclude that Christianity is therefore not a religion.

That Christianity offers grace and not works in no way whatsoever means that Christianity is not a religion. I suggest looking up the definition of religion in any dictionary or sociological textbook.

 

[Free]

Christianity is not a religion.

Religion is man reaching out to a god.

Christianity is God reaching out to man.

The problem we see today is People have used Jesus to justify adding so many “requirements” to being a Christian. Just a few in the ocean of "conditions" that people have put on True Christianity
~Not smoking, or drinking alcohol
~Not listening to certain types of music
~Insisting that church meet on certain days
~Only certain forms of music can be used in church
~You can’t be saved unless you are circumcised
~Reciting ritualistic prayers
~Saying you aren’t saved unless you get baptized
~You can’t eat certain foods
~Saying you aren’t saved unless you speak in tongues
~Salvation is conditional upon attending church or church membership
~Saying that you have to earn your salvation by doing good deeds
~You need to repent of all your sins
~you will go to hell for your sins
~you will have a change of lifestyle
~you need to be sweet and change your personality
And the list goes on and on!

Christianity is about what God has already DONE to provide us the opportunity to be right with Him. Religion says you must EARN your salvation by doing good deeds or certain acts and not doing evil. Christianity says all we need to do is BELIEVE that Christ has already paid the price for the evil we have done. Christianity says we are all evil (filled with sin) and there is nothing we can do to earn the right to be saved. Christianity says that God (in the form of Jesus Christ) stepped into our place and paid the awful price that had to be paid for us. He gave us the free gift of salvation if we choose to believe in Jesus.

See the response I gave above. Yours is a common argument but a fallacious one. Not that I necessarily blame you but more thought needs to be put into what a religion is, by definition. We simply cannot make up our own "Christian" definition of religion and then use that to argue that Christianity is not a religion.

 

[gr8grace3]

It's circular because in your premises you are presuming a definition of religion that precludes Christianity from being a religion and then conclude that Christianity is therefore not a religion.

That Christianity offers grace and not works in no way whatsoever means that Christianity is not a religion. I suggest looking up the definition of religion in any dictionary or sociological textbook.

The flip-side~~But you are presuming a definition of Christianity that includes it in religion.

 

[FreeGrace]

It's circular because in your premises you are presuming a definition of religion that precludes Christianity from being a religion and then conclude that Christianity is therefore not a religion.

My definition is all about grace, which is absent from ALL religions. Christianity is different from ALL religions precisely because salvation is by grace alone, no works.

That Christianity offers grace and not works in no way whatsoever means that Christianity is not a religion.

I guess that would be your definition.

I suggest looking up the definition of religion in any dictionary or sociological textbook.

Only Christianity offers salvation by grace. That's enough for me.

In fact, being able to note that Christianity is not a religion is one way to "break the ice" in personal evangelism, and allows one to present the gospel of grace.

Even the Bible reveals what religion is: Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. James 1:27

So, any religion can do this. In fact, obeying James 1:27 may be one way to obtain salvation in some religion.

Again, religion is salvation by works. Christianity is salvation by grace. No works. Totally different from ALL religions.

 

[ezra]

the law points toward sin the law was our school teacher till Christ came. paul said i would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. (paraphrase) the law can not save us a person today is either under the law of sin and death or the law of the spirit the life IN Christ . as Christians we are under the law of the Holy Spirit

 

[Free]

The flip-side~~But you are presuming a definition of Christianity that includes it in religion.

Nice try but no. I am willing to use any dictionary or sociological definition of religion that you can find. I am the one using accepted definitions; you are wanting to ignore all those definitions and use your own.

 

[gr8grace3]

Nice try but no. I am willing to use any dictionary or sociological definition of religion that you can find. I am the one using accepted definitions; you are wanting to ignore all those definitions and use your own.

I am talking the Flip-side Free. What is your definition of Christianity? If you look at post #5, other than the scriptures used, that is mostly religion.

 

[Free]

My definition is all about grace, which is absent from ALL religions. Christianity is different from ALL religions precisely because salvation is by grace alone, no works.

It doesn't matter what your definition is; what matters are accepted definitions. You cannot define religion in a way that excludes Christianity and then use that to conclude that Christianity isn't a religion. That is a fallacious argument and therefore, false.

I guess that would be your definition.

No. As I pointed out, I am willing to use any dictionary or sociological definition you can find.

Only Christianity offers salvation by grace. That's enough for me.

In fact, being able to note that Christianity is not a religion is one way to "break the ice" in personal evangelism, and allows one to present the gospel of grace.

Which says nothing about whether or not Christianity is a religion.

Even the Bible reveals what religion is: Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. James 1:27

So, any religion can do this. In fact, obeying James 1:27 may be one way to obtain salvation in some religion.

I agree with what James 1:27 is saying and completely supports my point. You want to change the meaning of that verse so that it in obeying what is says, it "may be one way to obtain salvation in some religion." But that is not what James is saying:

Jas 1:26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.
Jas 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (ESV)

There is acceptable religion to God and this is being written to believers. Do you really think that God would save someone in "some religion" who hasn't put his trust in the name of Jesus? So when you first responded, "Answer: Grace. No religion involves grace. It's all about works. How to satisfy God.", that goes against what James is saying, since it is about showing grace through the grace of God.

Again, religion is salvation by works. Christianity is salvation by grace. No works. Totally different from ALL religions.

Of course Christianity is different from all other religions but, again, this is irrelevant as to whether or not Christianity is a religion.

 

[Free]

I am talking the Flip-side Free. What is your definition of Christianity? If you look at post #5, other than the scriptures used, that is mostly religion.

I know what you are talking about. My point was that there is no flip-side.