Let God Speak #5: Christianity Is Not A Religion

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Does this title surprise you? Maybe you’re thinking, “Uh, yeah it is? It looks pretty similar to all the other religions!” I admit that it does. There is a god, a holy text, rules, meditation, prayer, etc. However, what’s under the hood could not be more different.

A religion talks about gods (or a god) who are separate from humanity. A religion teaches a path to salvation. Someone who follows a religion says, “I need to be a good person, or else I won’t be in good standing.” If you ask, “Where will you go after you die?”, someone who follows a religion says, “Heaven, or whatever equivalent, because of what I’ve done.”

Christianity isn’t a religion. It’s the exact opposite.

Christianity talks about a God who became human to suffer in our place. Christianity teaches that salvation is a gift. A Christian says, “God has already saved me. I want to be a good person, not for my benefit, but for others.” If you ask, “Where will you go after you die?”, a Christian says, “Heaven, because of what Jesus has done for me.”

Okay, you can still call Christianity a religion. But you can’t say it’s the same. The heart of Christianity is a God who gave his life that we might have life eternal. Such wondrous love! Now go, show that same love to others.