CHRISTIANITY: A relationship with God

On Friday, March 20, Jack H. Normanson of Hayden wrote that in his studies he “found a remarkable truth that all the religions, be it Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism or Hinduism have a common bond in the nature of existence and basic guiding principles.” Earlier he described how he “was raised a very conservative Christian — baptized in a tub on the church altar, no movies on Sunday, no dancing, etc. This was bothersome to me as a youth.”

Mr. Normanson is right in his assessment of the religions of the world. They all teach that man must endeavor to be good, to find favor with God by following a list of “dos and don’ts,” and this is how you get to heaven. True Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship with God. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, mankind became the property of Satan. And every person born since has been born a slave of Satan and sin. Because of what Jesus did on the cross paying the penalty for everyone’s sin, when we come to the place of hating our being slaves to sin we can cry out to God for deliverance from Satan and sin. At which point God saves us by his mercy and his grace, adopting us as his children.

He then begins working in us to transform us into the person that pleases him. It is his mercy, his grace, his working in us, for his praise and his glory because we’ve become his children.

True Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. It is God working, not us. I know! Because he has done a work in me. Thank you, Jesus!

TIM STILES

Coeur d’Alene