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The Amish Voice 7
Let’s start with some questions before we
dig into
What Separates Christianity
From All Other Religions
.
How would you answer me if I sat across
the table from you and asked, “Do you—
with great confidence—know what you
believe about Christianity?” What would
you use to back up your answers?
How do your beliefs differ from 4,200
other religions in the world?
How do you know you have the right
beliefs?
Would you change your beliefs if you
knew they were wrong?
I believe these questions are all very
important—not only for our own sake,
but for the sake of others. If you have a
family or are planning to someday have
a family and raise them on your beliefs,
at some point you will be faced with each
one of the questions I just asked.
God’s Word says
… be ready always
to give an answer to every man that
asketh you a reason of the hope that
is in you…
1 Peter 3:15
Sooner or later, you and I will give
account for what we believe—if not on
this side of the grave, surely on the other.
In order to fully understand and defend
our beliefs, it takes preparation—much
preparation. As Christians, we must
study and meditate on the Scriptures. We
must also pray that God would
open our
understanding
of the Scriptures.
Then opened He their understanding,
that they might understand the
scriptures.
Luke 24:45
True understanding of God’s Word
comes from God alone. It takes the Holy
Spirit to open up our hearts and make the
Word of God come alive (John 14:26; 1
John 2:20, 27).
The great tragedy is that most professing
believers do not know what they believe,
simply because they do not read the
Scriptures.
For these reasons, I would like to take a
few minutes and remind each one of us
what separates Christianity from all other
religions. I believe there are at least three
major differences.
1) Christianity is not a religion; it’s a
relationship.
Christianity is not a religion—do, do, do;
it’s a relationship that God has
established with His sons and daughters
(2 Cor 6:18, Gal 4:6). In Christianity,
God is the instigator, meaning God draws
us (
No man can come to me, except the
Father which hath sent me draw him
John 6:44, 65),
and man is the recipient
(Rom 8:3). According to Isaiah 53:6;
64:6; Rom 3:23; 6:23, there is nothing
man can do to make himself right with
God.
But as many as received Him, to
them gave He power
(the right)
to
become the sons of God… Which
were born, not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh, nor of the will of
man, but of God.
John 1:11-12.
2) Christianity is based, not on what
you can do for God, but rather, on
what God did for you.
The word picture for RELIGION is man
attempting to reach God on his own. A
RELIGIOUS man places his own rules
and
traditions
above
God’s
commandments; he believes that
somehow his list of do’s and don’ts will
please God enough to make him
acceptable. Jesus had a few words to say
about that approach:
…this people honoureth me with their
lips, but their heart is far from me.
Howbeit in vain do they worship me,
teaching
for
doctrines
the
commandments of men. For laying
aside the commandment of God, ye
hold the tradition of men, as the
washing of pots and cups: and many
other such like things ye do. And he
said unto them, Full well ye reject the
commandment of God, that ye may
keep your own tradition. Mark 7:6-9
Most of the 4,200 religions in our
world today are made up of people
working hard to reach God on their own.
CHRISTIANITY, on the other hand, is
exactly opposite—it is not what I do for
God, but rather, what God has already
done for me.
For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: Not of works, lest
any man should boast. For we are
His workmanship...
Ephesians 2:8-10
3) Christianity is the only belief system
where the religious leader not only
died, but rose again.
Every religion in the world has a founder.
Islam refers to Muhammad, Mormons
refer to Joseph Smith, Jehovah’s
Witnesses refer to Charles Russell,
Buddhists refer to Siddhartha Gautama,
Christians refer to Jesus Christ, etc.
Every single founder whom I mentioned
has died. And all are still dead, except
one—Jesus Christ. My friend, the
founder of Christianity is alive and sits at
the right hand of the Father in heaven
(Mark 16:19, John 21:14). —Joe Keim
What Separates Christianity From All Other Religions?
By Joe Keim
Religion Vs. Christianity
All Religions spell “DO”
Christianity spells “DONE”
Therefore we conclude that a man
is justified by faith without the
deeds of the law. Rom 3:28 and 5:1