We’ve all heard others say, “Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.” At best, that statement is incomplete; at worst, it’s deceptive. But why isn’t Christianity defined as someone’s relationship with Christ? First, we have a clear passage in Scripture that tells us that Christianity is a religion! James 1:26-27: “If anyone thinks he is […]
1 Timothy, Lesson 7: The Christian Religion
July 2, 2015 by
Last week, Paul finished telling Timothy that the Church is a pillar and bulwark of the truth. Thus, the Church has a role in safeguarding and conveying the truth that Jesus originally gave to His Apostles. However, truth being truth, the Church does not have the authority to alter, delete, or add to this truth. […]
It’s not a Religion but a Relationship (not quite!)
November 24, 2014 by
This is our pastor’s newsletter article for the December 2014-January 2015 edition of our congregational newsletter: The Shepherd’s Voice. We’ve all heard others say it. Maybe, you’ve even said it: “Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with Christ.” Yes, we live in the age of the sound-bite, where “truths” are distilled into small, […]
Mark 10:17-22: Riches and Religion
October 14, 2012 by
Riches and religion are heavy on the mind of a rich man. So, he asks Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” That’s a reasonably religious question because we naturally assume that religion is about doing good deeds to earn God’s favor. And more than that, Jesus is a good teacher. […]
