The True Religion

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Enlil

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Hello,

If someone asks you what the true religion is, what will you answer? Christianity. Even though there are hundreds other religions in the world. Because we believe in Christ, and we know in our hearts it is right.

I have asked people of other religions. They too believe they are right, because they too feel it in their hearts. They are no different from us.

Then how do you really know what is true and what is not? Is it right that you may be damned to suffer in the afterlife just because you couldn't guess which one religion out of hundreds is the true one?
 

fivesense

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Hello,

If someone asks you what the true religion is, what will you answer? Christianity. Even though there are hundreds other religions in the world. Because we believe in Christ, and we know in our hearts it is right.

I have asked people of other religions. They too believe they are right, because they too feel it in their hearts. They are no different from us.

Then how do you really know what is true and what is not? Is it right that you may be damned to suffer in the afterlife just because you couldn't guess which one religion out of hundreds is the true one?

Enlil, do a concordant study on the word "religion" once. Then after seeing what God says about it, ask Him what to do. It is interesting to me how Young's translation in Acts 17:22 on the word "religious", is demon-dread in the Greek.

As far as being "damned" for not believing in Christianity per se, the Scriptures do not say that. On the contrary, there are a great many passages declaring that Christ will restore all of humanity at some point, according to His nature which is Love, and not the inevitable so-called suffering many have been mislead into believing. We must not limit God according to our beliefs, but allow Him to fulfill His declarations as He sees fit. This is faith.
 

Martin W.

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Hello,

If someone asks you what the true religion is, what will you answer? Christianity. Even though there are hundreds other religions in the world. Because we believe in Christ, and we know in our hearts it is right.

I have asked people of other religions. They too believe they are right, because they too feel it in their hearts. They are no different from us.

Then how do you really know what is true and what is not? Is it right that you may be damned to suffer in the afterlife just because you couldn't guess which one religion out of hundreds is the true one?

Hello Enlil

I am going to put it this way:

Who said there is A God?

Who said there is an afterlife?

Who said there is a heaven?

Who said there is a Hell?

Where do all these ideas come from?

----------------------------------------------

Outside of the bible there is no basis for any of these topics ...... yet most religions will not acknowledge the bible that gives them this information.

You have to really thing about that for a minute.


I think the Creator would be tickled pink if all religions arrive at the same destination. However he clearly indicates otherwise. I would expect that he knows best.

Just my opinion of course , and just like everyone else , I think I am always right.... :) !!!!

Best wishes
Martin W.
 

Miss Hepburn

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Hello,

If someone asks you what the true religion is, what will you answer? I'd say, "True religion? Are you nuts?"Christianity. Even though there are hundreds other religions in the world. Because we believe in Christ, and we know in our hearts it is right. I don't - I respect all religions.

I have asked people of other religions. They too believe they are right, because they too feel it in their hearts. They are no different from us. Got that right.

Then how do you really know what is true and what is not? You don't ever be small minded and presumptuous . Treat all with respect.
Is it right that you may be damned to suffer in the afterlife just because you couldn't guess which one religion out of hundreds is the true one? Oh, please? As if a religion one follows could do anything for you in the afterlife!
Also, everything fivesense said. As far as what most believe is the correct interpretation to Jesus saying He is the only way to the Father ---one must ask - who was Jesus Christ....the Word made flesh...know that Word and bingo ---right to the Father. You would never have had to have even heard the name Y'shua, Jesus, the Nazarene ---just know what that Word is. (And that doesn't mean the words in the Bible -it means that which was in the beginning, was with God and was God ---that Word.)

I liked these questions. :)
And welcome here, Enlil.
 

Enlil

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Fivesense,

There is no universal definition of religion. Nobody knows where to set a line between religion and mythology, religion and philosophy, whether a belief system with no gods can be called religion, etc. For the purpose of this discussion, it is enough to imagine that religion means simply a belief system.

Now you say to ask God what to do. Alright, I get some unclear answers, or I think I do. Funny thing is other people also think they get answers from Him, and those answers are very different than mine. So again I'm stuck because there's no way to know which answers are right, if any.

And what the Scriptures say or do not say is irrelevant. The presumption here is that a person, looking for the truth, does not know the truth. Therefore he does not know if what the Bible, Tanakh, Qur'an, Gathas, or any other text says is true.


Martin W,

All these ideas with an exception of hell come from way before the Bible. The Tanakh, from which the Bible was composed in the first century, was canonized most likely around 400 BC. Gathas were written 500 BC, and Enuma Elis, containing most of those ideas, sometime between 18th and 12th centuries BC.


Miss Hepburn,

Alright, if you don't like the phrase "true religion", lets just say "the truth" instead. You can respect all religions, but they cannot all be truth - they contradict each other. And while there are religions that don't damn you for not following them, there are those that do. And those that do also contradict each other. It's awesome if the truth is that you won't be damned if you don't follow a particular religion. But what if it isn't?
 

Guestman

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The disciple James wrote that the "pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."(James 1:27, King James Bible) Thus, the "pure religion" is one, not many, that is acceptable to God. It is to be "pure" in it's worship, being "unspotted from the world."

Therefore, those that adhere to the teachings of the one "pure religion" has no part in the political arena of the world's nations, each having their own political agenda. Too, the apostle John helps us to identify the scope of what the "world" is, saying "not be loving either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and —does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world."(1 John 2:15, 16)

Hence, the "world" or unrighteous human society alienated from God (and this includes even many of those who profess "Christianity"), involves "the desire of the flesh", such as sexual immorality, "the desire of the eyes", and "the showy display of one’s means of life" and are diametrically opposed to God. The "world" uses every marketing ploy imaginable to entice us. It incessantly promotes a whole package that supposedly everyone should pursue—the showy life-style of the rich, the glamorous, and the “successful.”

Jesus said, at Matthew 7:13,14, to "go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it." What did Jesus mean ? He is laying out guidelines as to how to identify the true religion and how to guard against those who make a profession of following Christ but who take advantage of individuals, being "in sheep's clothing, but inside they are ravenous wolves."(Matt 7:15)

Many a religious leader have put on "sheep's clothing" only to "fleece the flock", such as those who preach a "prosperity gospel", saying that God will bless one financially. Of course, one has to first pay those who preach it, these appealing for donations, saying that the more you give, the more God will bless one financially. Is this what Jesus taught ?

Jesus now begins to narrow down the true religion, by saying: "By their fruits you will recognize them." He says that "never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they ? Likewise every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit." What will the true religion "produce" ? Jesus said "fine fruit", whereas false religion produces "rotten fruit". Jesus further says that " a good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit."

How can ‘the road to life’ be found ? Jesus said that the true religion would be evident in the lives of the people who practice it. “By their fruits you will recognize them,” he said. “Every good tree produces fine fruit.” (Matthew 7:16, 17) In other words, those who practice the true religion would be recognized by their beliefs and their conduct. Although they are not perfect and they make mistakes, true worshipers as a group seek to do God’s will. Consider ten features that identify those who practice true religion.

(1) Those who practice it have genuine love among themselves.(John 13:34,35; 1 John 4:8)

(2) All their beliefs are based on the Bible.(John 17:17; 2 Tim 3:16,17)

(3) They pray for God's name of Jehovah to be hallowed or sanctified. (Matt 6:9; Ps 83:18)

(4) They proclaim God's kingdom in all the earth, not some political or social philosophy.(Matt 24:14; Acts 28:23)

(5) They keep separate from the world's affairs, untainted by the world's politics or conflicts, remaining neutral in time of war.(James 1:27; John 17:14)

(6) They put God's kingdom and his righteousness first in their lives.(Matt 6:33)

(7) They cultivate the fruitage of God's spirit, not condoning war or personal violence.(Gal 5:22,23; Rom 12:17-21)

(8) They obey all human laws not contrary to God's law.(Rom 13:1-7)

(9) The true religion successfully unites people of every race, language, and tribe. It does not preach nationalism or hatred, but love worldwide.(Isaiah 2:2-4; Col 3:10,11)

(10) The true religion teaches the truth regarding God's purpose for man and the earth.(Matt 5:5; Ps 115:16; Isaiah 45:18)
 

revdw76

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The disciple James wrote that the "pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."(James 1:27, King James Bible) Thus, the "pure religion" is one, not many, that is acceptable to God. It is to be "pure" in it's worship, being "unspotted from the world."

HMM...This is the main tenant of freemasonry
 

jiggyfly

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The English word religion comes from the Latin word religio and is derived from re-ligare, re meaning "again" and ligare meaning "to bind".

So it appears that the English translation of the Greek word threskos is a very poor translation, IMO a better translation would be worship.


Religion means "to bind again" or "to obligate" and we can see it's ugliness time and again in the new testament scriptures how the Judaizers treated the new christians and tried to make them adhere to the law of Moses.
 

Guestman

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The English word "religion" is 12th century and via Anglo-Norman religiun , from Old French religion , from the Latin stem religion- “obligation, reverence,” of uncertain origin: (Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2005) In the Bible, the Greek word thre·skei´a is properly translated as "form of worship" at Acts 26:5, Colossians 2:18, 23, and James 1:26, 27 in the New World Translation. In the King James Bible, thre·skei´a is rendered as "religion" at Acts 26:5, as “worshipping” at Colossians 2:18, as “worship” at Colossians 2:23, and as “religion” at James 1:26, 27.

Hence, thre·skei´a is “form of worship” that can either be true or false. The true worship practiced by Christians is marked by genuine concern for the poor and complete separateness from the ungodly world, saying that this “form of worship (“pure religion”, King James Bible)....is clean and undefiled from the standpoint of our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself without spot from the world.” (Jas 1:26, 27) James later said: “Adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God ? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.”(James 4:4)

Thus, the true religion or pure “form of worship” makes no friends “with the world”, realizing that doing so, pits them against God, becoming his enemy, hated by him. These avoid any connection with the political system, be it either directly or tacitly. Furthermore, these refrain from involving themselves in the greedy commercialistic arena, that encourages selfishness and glory for oneself rather than for our Creator. Many delve into the stock market with the hope that they will “strike it big.” Hence, the “love of money” becomes their “God”, and in many cases, causes them to “stab themselves all over with many pains.”(1 Tim 6:9, 10)
 

judd

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If you study the ten commandments well, you will look and see that Christianity is the true religion. that's my opinion.
 

jiggyfly

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The English word "religion" is 12th century and via Anglo-Norman religiun , from Old French religion , from the Latin stem religion- “obligation, reverence,” of uncertain origin: (Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2005) In the Bible, the Greek word thre·skei´a is properly translated as "form of worship" at Acts 26:5, Colossians 2:18, 23, and James 1:26, 27 in the New World Translation. In the King James Bible, thre·skei´a is rendered as "religion" at Acts 26:5, as “worshipping” at Colossians 2:18, as “worship” at Colossians 2:23, and as “religion” at James 1:26, 27.

Hence, thre·skei´a is “form of worship” that can either be true or false. The true worship practiced by Christians is marked by genuine concern for the poor and complete separateness from the ungodly world, saying that this “form of worship (“pure religion”, King James Bible)....is clean and undefiled from the standpoint of our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself without spot from the world.” (Jas 1:26, 27) James later said: “Adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God ? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.”(James 4:4)

Thus, the true religion or pure “form of worship” makes no friends “with the world”, realizing that doing so, pits them against God, becoming his enemy, hated by him. These avoid any connection with the political system, be it either directly or tacitly. Furthermore, these refrain from involving themselves in the greedy commercialistic arena, that encourages selfishness and glory for oneself rather than for our Creator. Many delve into the stock market with the hope that they will “strike it big.” Hence, the “love of money” becomes their “God”, and in many cases, causes them to “stab themselves all over with many pains.”(1 Tim 6:9, 10)

Because of the etymology concerning the English word religion, makes it a bad choice and translational error. I agree with your thoughts concerning worship if you drop the word "form" from it but disagree on your your statement about God hating those that you consider to be enemies of God. The scriptures tell us that God loves the whole world and this includes His enemies.
smile.gif


If you study the ten commandments well, you will look and see that Christianity is the true religion. that's my opinion.

Why the ten commandments rather than Christ?
 

judd

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Because of the etymology concerning the English word religion, makes it a bad choice and translational error. I agree with your thoughts concerning worship if you drop the word "form" from it but disagree on your your statement about God hating those that you consider to be enemies of God. The scriptures tell us that God loves the whole world and His enemies.
smile.gif




Why the ten commandments rather than Christ?

Most people don't believe in Jesus Christ, i mean if you look at the ten commandments and see it that everyone obeys it, the world will be peaceful.
 

jiggyfly

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Most people don't believe in Jesus Christ, i mean if you look at the ten commandments and see it that everyone obeys it, the world will be peaceful.

I apologize, I probably was not very clear in my question to you Judd. Do you think that the ten commandments are the foundation of Christianity? I am wondering what your connection is between the ten commandments and Christianity " the true religion".

The ten commandments were part of the covenant with the people of Israel through Moses of which was fulfilled and filed away.

Christianity is comprised of a a different covenant with better promises and results through Christ.
 

Guestman

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Because of the etymology concerning the English word religion, makes it a bad choice and translational error. I agree with your thoughts concerning worship if you drop the word "form" from it but disagree on your your statement about God hating those that you consider to be enemies of God. The scriptures tell us that God loves the whole world and this includes His enemies.
smile.gif

The English word "religion" still has the connotation of "worship of a diety or deities" (Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2005) and can therefore be used with a sense of accuracy in the Bible and not neccessarily a "translational error." And concerning those whom James says are at "enmity with God", his "enemy", James makes it clear that anyone who commits spiritual "adultery" with the "world", are at "enmity with God", and are therefore his "enemy". The churches of Christendom, among the religions of the "world", are notorious for committing "adultery" with the "kings of the earth" at Revelation 17:2.

These have become deeply involved in the political arena, having political and religious alliances with the nations. Today, religious leaders frequently campaign for high government office, and in some lands, they share in government, even holding cabinet posts. In 1988 two well-known Protestant clergymen ran for the office of president of the United States.

Consider, for example, the facts behind Hitler’s rise to power in Germany—ugly facts that some would like to expunge from the history books. In May 1924 the Nazi Party held 32 seats in the German Reichstag. By May 1928 these had dwindled to 12 seats. However, the Great Depression engulfed the world in 1930; riding in its wake, the Nazis made a remarkable recovery, gaining 230 out of 608 seats in the German elections of July 1932. Soon after, former chancellor Franz von Papen, a Papal Knight, came to the Nazis’ aid. According to historians, von Papen envisioned a new Holy Roman Empire. His own short tenure as chancellor had been a failure, so now he hoped to gain power through the Nazis.

By January 1933, he had mustered support for Hitler from the industrial barons, and through wily intrigues he ensured that Hitler became Germany’s chancellor on January 30, 1933. He himself was made vice-chancellor and was used by Hitler to win the support of Catholic sections of Germany. Within two months of gaining power, Hitler dissolved parliament, dispatched thousands of opposition leaders to concentration camps, and began an open campaign of oppressing the Jews.

On July 20, 1933, the Vatican’s interest in the rising power of Nazism was displayed when Cardinal Pacelli (who later became Pope Pius XII) signed a concordat in Rome between the Vatican and Nazi Germany. Von Papen signed the document as Hitler’s representative, and Pacelli there conferred on von Papen the high papal decoration of the Grand Cross of the Order of Pius. In his book Satan in Top Hat, Tibor Koeves writes of this, stating: “The Concordat was a great victory for Hitler.
It gave him the first moral support he had received from the outer world, and this from the most exalted source.”

The concordat required the Vatican to withdraw its support from Germany’s Catholic Center Party, thus sanctioning Hitler’s one-party “total state.” Further, its article 14 stated: “The appointments for archbishops, bishops, and the like will be issued only after the governor, installed by the Reich, has duly ascertained that no doubts exist with respect to general political considerations.” By the end of 1933 (proclaimed a “Holy Year” by Pope Pius XI), Vatican support had become a major factor in Hitler’s push for world domination.

Thus, the Catholic Church committed "adultery" with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party, among just one of myriads of instances where it was guilty of both physical and spiritual "fornication" and therefore became God's "enemy".(Rev 18:9) Without the Catholic Church's support, Hitler would have failed in his bid for the political office he attained, but because of the Catholic Church's support, he eventually became Germany's supreme ruler, with the resulting slaughter of millions of innocent people during WWII.
 

jiggyfly

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The English word "religion" still has the connotation of "worship of a diety or deities" (Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2005) and can therefore be used with a sense of accuracy in the Bible and not neccessarily a "translational error." And concerning those whom James says are at "enmity with God", his "enemy", James makes it clear that anyone who commits spiritual "adultery" with the "world", are at "enmity with God", and are therefore his "enemy". The churches of Christendom, among the religions of the "world", are notorious for committing "adultery" with the "kings of the earth" at Revelation 17:2.

These have become deeply involved in the political arena, having political and religious alliances with the nations. Today, religious leaders frequently campaign for high government office, and in some lands, they share in government, even holding cabinet posts. In 1988 two well-known Protestant clergymen ran for the office of president of the United States.

Consider, for example, the facts behind Hitler’s rise to power in Germany—ugly facts that some would like to expunge from the history books. In May 1924 the Nazi Party held 32 seats in the German Reichstag. By May 1928 these had dwindled to 12 seats. However, the Great Depression engulfed the world in 1930; riding in its wake, the Nazis made a remarkable recovery, gaining 230 out of 608 seats in the German elections of July 1932. Soon after, former chancellor Franz von Papen, a Papal Knight, came to the Nazis’ aid. According to historians, von Papen envisioned a new Holy Roman Empire. His own short tenure as chancellor had been a failure, so now he hoped to gain power through the Nazis.

By January 1933, he had mustered support for Hitler from the industrial barons, and through wily intrigues he ensured that Hitler became Germany’s chancellor on January 30, 1933. He himself was made vice-chancellor and was used by Hitler to win the support of Catholic sections of Germany. Within two months of gaining power, Hitler dissolved parliament, dispatched thousands of opposition leaders to concentration camps, and began an open campaign of oppressing the Jews.

On July 20, 1933, the Vatican’s interest in the rising power of Nazism was displayed when Cardinal Pacelli (who later became Pope Pius XII) signed a concordat in Rome between the Vatican and Nazi Germany. Von Papen signed the document as Hitler’s representative, and Pacelli there conferred on von Papen the high papal decoration of the Grand Cross of the Order of Pius. In his book Satan in Top Hat, Tibor Koeves writes of this, stating: “The Concordat was a great victory for Hitler.
It gave him the first moral support he had received from the outer world, and this from the most exalted source.”

The concordat required the Vatican to withdraw its support from Germany’s Catholic Center Party, thus sanctioning Hitler’s one-party “total state.” Further, its article 14 stated: “The appointments for archbishops, bishops, and the like will be issued only after the governor, installed by the Reich, has duly ascertained that no doubts exist with respect to general political considerations.” By the end of 1933 (proclaimed a “Holy Year” by Pope Pius XI), Vatican support had become a major factor in Hitler’s push for world domination.

Thus, the Catholic Church committed "adultery" with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party, among just one of myriads of instances where it was guilty of both physical and spiritual "fornication" and therefore became God's "enemy".(Rev 18:9) Without the Catholic Church's support, Hitler would have failed in his bid for the political office he attained, but because of the Catholic Church's support, he eventually became Germany's supreme ruler, with the resulting slaughter of millions of innocent people during WWII.

Very nice post Guestman, neatly presented in short paragraphs, worded clearly too, but I still disagree with using the English word religion as a proper translation and seems I disagree with Microsoft Encarta too
smile.gif
.
 

Redeemed22

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In regard to the original question, first let us ask, why is Christianity different from all other religions/faiths?

Some definitions of religion would include or exclude Christianity as a religion. For a moment let us consider Christianity a religion just for the sake of explanation.

Every religion senses something wrong, out of sync, broken, or unfulfilled about the world. They describe this "problem" in many different ways. It may be a lack of balance, too much attachment to emotions, original sin, a lack of harmony, a lack of enlightenment, a departure from divinity or potential, a lack of respect for divine authority, an unhappy god............. whatever. The point is they all present a "problem" to be overcome. For some it is a moral problem, for some a pragmatic one, for some a philosophical one; let's not get concerned with that now.

Then they all present a solution. Exercise. Follow your dharma. Pray 5 times a day facing a certain direction. Give to the poor. Follow the Dao. Get reincarnated upwards. Love your neighbor. Meditate. Follow the ten commandmensts.... etc.

In other words, each religion is what YOU can DO to fix the problem. You reach your arms upward towards the stars. You are climbing the stairway to heaven (or enlightenment/oneness/paradise/finality/fulfilment/happines/ etc). You have been working out and studying the prescribed climbing moves and now you are ready. You are a captain of your own fate. You climb and you climb and you reach and you reach. It is your muscles and your resolve against the deficit in the universe or yourself. What of yourself can you spend to solve the problem?

Enter Christianity.

Christianity says you can't do crap to solve the "problem" because the problem is your nature itself! You can't fix it. You can't earn it. You can't deserve it. You can't negotiate for it. You have no leverage. Your best and most righteous deeds are like filthy rags before God. You have a sin nature. You are a sinner. You have a certificate of debt. And the wages of sin are death. Your sins may be more societally acceptable than the fella to your right or left, but your nature is still sinfully independent from God.

In Christianity, God reaches down to you. You are helpless to save yourself, to better yourself, to impress God, or to deserve anything good. Though you might rearrange some aspects of your outward behavior, you can't change your nature naure or your identity. But God will cause you to be born-again if you let him. That means you have a new nature and a new identity. It is a free gift for you, but paid for at great expense of God. Your certificate of debt is canceled. The result of this new birth and kindness from God for those who receive it is a life of love and giving. Christianity is not a performance based religion. But if you are born again, you will do good deeds anyway, knowing that you are loved and accepted in spite of how you perform, and you are empowered to do this supernaturally.

I did not answer the question of why Christianity is the true religion. But I did answer why it is different than all other religions. This is why some Christians (including myself) may feel Christianity shouldn't even be called a religion. You could say religion is man's attempt to solve "the problem", which we all sense is there, like we are all looking at some monster in the fog. We identify it a little different based on where we are standing, but the problem is there. It is written onto our hearts. Christianity is God's decisive action that solves the actual problem as it is.
 

fivesense

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The English word "religion" still has the connotation of "worship of a diety or deities" (Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2005) and can therefore be used with a sense of accuracy in the Bible and not neccessarily a "translational error." And concerning those whom James says are at "enmity with God", his "enemy", James makes it clear that anyone who commits spiritual "adultery" with the "world", are at "enmity with God", and are therefore his "enemy". The churches of Christendom, among the religions of the "world", are notorious for committing "adultery" with the "kings of the earth" at Revelation 17:2.
I quite agree with jiggyfly, that you have done a good service by providing us with the fruit of your research. It rings as relatively true in all regards.

James did not pen his epistle to us. It has a heading on it, read it, it says; Ja 1:1 ." James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting".

Now, if the heading on this personal, divinely inspired letter from James is ignored, and applied to any and every tom, dick and harry that ever was or is, then there is more of a problem here than a mere "translational error". Or, maybe it was James' mistake, not hearing correctly when listening to God. I don't see any mention of the nations or Gentiles in his letter, only instruction on the truth of God for the Circumcision believers of Israel.

Faith without works is dead? Not likely, not for the Gentiles. For the Jew, yes; for the Gentile, never in a thousand years!

It is best to view all the word of God by the latest and most important revelations given to us from Him by His apostle to the Nations, Paul. His is the only relevant truth for today.
fivesense





 

fivesense

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In regard to the original question, first let us ask, why is Christianity different from all other religions/faiths?

Some definitions of religion would include or exclude Christianity as a religion. For a moment let us consider Christianity a religion just for the sake of explanation.

Every religion senses something wrong, out of sync, broken, or unfulfilled about the world. They describe this "problem" in many different ways. It may be a lack of balance, too much attachment to emotions, original sin, a lack of harmony, a lack of enlightenment, a departure from divinity or potential, a lack of respect for divine authority, an unhappy god............. whatever. The point is they all present a "problem" to be overcome. For some it is a moral problem, for some a pragmatic one, for some a philosophical one; let's not get concerned with that now.

Then they all present a solution. Exercise. Follow your dharma. Pray 5 times a day facing a certain direction. Give to the poor. Follow the Dao. Get reincarnated upwards. Love your neighbor. Meditate. Follow the ten commandmensts.... etc.

In other words, each religion is what YOU can DO to fix the problem. You reach your arms upward towards the stars. You are climbing the stairway to heaven (or enlightenment/oneness/paradise/finality/fulfilment/happines/ etc). You have been working out and studying the prescribed climbing moves and now you are ready. You are a captain of your own fate. You climb and you climb and you reach and you reach. It is your muscles and your resolve against the deficit in the universe or yourself. What of yourself can you spend to solve the problem?

Enter Christianity.

Christianity says you can't do crap to solve the "problem" because the problem is your nature itself! You can't fix it. You can't earn it. You can't deserve it. You can't negotiate for it. You have no leverage. Your best and most righteous deeds are like filthy rags before God. You have a sin nature. You are a sinner. You have a certificate of debt. And the wages of sin are death. Your sins may be more societally acceptable than the fella to your right or left, but your nature is still sinfully independent from God.

In Christianity, God reaches down to you. You are helpless to save yourself, to better yourself, to impress God, or to deserve anything good. Though you might rearrange some aspects of your outward behavior, you can't change your nature naure or your identity. But God will cause you to be born-again if you let him. That means you have a new nature and a new identity. It is a free gift for you, but paid for at great expense of God. Your certificate of debt is canceled. The result of this new birth and kindness from God for those who receive it is a life of love and giving. Christianity is not a performance based religion. But if you are born again, you will do good deeds anyway, knowing that you are loved and accepted in spite of how you perform, and you are empowered to do this supernaturally.

I did not answer the question of why Christianity is the true religion. But I did answer why it is different than all other religions. This is why some Christians (including myself) may feel Christianity shouldn't even be called a religion. You could say religion is man's attempt to solve "the problem", which we all sense is there, like we are all looking at some monster in the fog. We identify it a little different based on where we are standing, but the problem is there. It is written onto our hearts. Christianity is God's decisive action that solves the actual problem as it is.
This too, is a marvelous and thoughtful post. The truth of our insufficiency and inability to do a thing cannot be overemphasized. If it were in any way, shape or form within our control, it would not be of God. Faith, along with any good and perfect gift, comes from above from the Father of lights, in Whom there is no shadow of turning. Thank you redeemed22
 

Guestman

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I quite agree with jiggyfly, that you have done a good service by providing us with the fruit of your research. It rings as relatively true in all regards.

James did not pen his epistle to us. It has a heading on it, read it, it says; Ja 1:1 ." James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting".

Now, if the heading on this personal, divinely inspired letter from James is ignored, and applied to any and every tom, dick and harry that ever was or is, then there is more of a problem here than a mere "translational error". Or, maybe it was James' mistake, not hearing correctly when listening to God. I don't see any mention of the nations or Gentiles in his letter, only instruction on the truth of God for the Circumcision believers of Israel.

Faith without works is dead? Not likely, not for the Gentiles. For the Jew, yes; for the Gentile, never in a thousand years!

It is best to view all the word of God by the latest and most important revelations given to us from Him by His apostle to the Nations, Paul. His is the only relevant truth for today.
fivesense

To take issue with the English word "religion", which serves acceptably for the Greek word thre·skei´a, and taken from the Latin word re·li´gi·o, could be compared to what Jesus said of the scribes and Pharisees, that these had ' strained out the gnat and gulped down the camel."(Matt 23:24) Unless there is a clear distortion as to the meaning of thre·skei´a, then utilizing the English word "religion" provides a sound understanding for grasping how to identify the true "religion" or "form of worship."

The Jews in Jesus day missed the point and impact of Jesus and his illustrations, with him telling his disciples that "this is why I speak to them (the Jews) by the use of illustrations, because, looking, they look in vain, and hearing, they hear in vain, neither do they get the sense (Greek sy·ni´e·mi, meaning "to mentally put the pieces together" or "perceive") of it [the kingdom]."(Matt 13:13)

And concerning James and his letter "to the twelve tribes scattered about"(James 1:1), the apostle Paul wrote that "all Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work."(2 Tim 3:16, 17) James wrote under inspiration from God, and his letter to the "twelve tribes" or all the congregations, not separating Jew from Gentile, was preserved by God for our everlasting benefit.

James was eminently qualified to write a letter of counsel to the Christian congregation. He was greatly respected as an overseer in the Jerusalem congregation. Paul speaks of “James the brother of the Lord” as one of the “pillars” in the congregation along with Cephas and John. (Gal. 1:19; 2:9) James’ prominence is indicated by Peter’s sending immediate word to “James and the brothers” after his release from prison. And was it not James who acted as spokesman for “the apostles and the older men” when Paul and Barnabas journeyed to Jerusalem to request a decision regarding circumcision? Incidentally, this decision and the letter of James both start with the identical salutation, “Greetings!”—another indication that they had a common writer.(Acts 12:17; 15:13, 22, 23; Jas. 1:1)

The "wall" or Mosaic Law covenant, that separated Jew from Gentile, was removed with the death of Jesus on the torture stake. In speaking with the Ephesians, Paul wrote of Christ Jesus, that "he is our peace, he who made the two parties one and destroyed the wall in between that fenced them (Jew and Gentile) off."(Eph 2:14) Thus, the "twelve tribes" are not speaking of literal Jews, but rather of both Jew and Gentile as "one", those who are doing God's will. James' letter is therefore for those who can rightly call themselves Christian, having the "pure religion"(James 1:27, King James Bible) or "form of worship" that is "clean and undefiled from the standpoint of our God and Father...and (is keeping) oneself without spot from the world."

The real issue should not be with the rendering of thre·skei´a, as "religion", for this serves satisfactorily in English, but rather with identifying what pleases God, how to identify the "true religion". Straining "out the gnat" or minor issue and missing the "camel" or larger issue, is like being distracted by our shoe lace that is loose while a powerful tornado is coming, completely oblivious to it's presence. Which is more important to deal with ? If a person is busy with their cell phone and misses the "train", which takes precedence ? Hence, the critical issue is who has the true religion or "form of worship" that pleases God, since there are over 10, 000 different religious sects that all profess to serve God.