The short answer to the question is, "No." So the question then is, "Why not?" There is no escaping it. The world considers Christianity (being a Christ Follower) to be a religion like all the others in the world. But it’s something much, much more that sets it apart from them.
There is nothing else like that one thing, and it's best described as having a deep, personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. How that happens is key.
The Christian Faith is based on the teachings of Christ and His death and resurrection, which are recorded in the Bible. There we learn that no matter what we do, it is impossible for any of us to rid ourselves of our sin nature, which is what keeps us forever separated from God. Out of love He then mercifully prepared a way for us to have a Relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ, who broke the hold of sin so we can be approved by God and spend eternity with Him. God Himself then established the Christian faith through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus; His followers have hope because they believe and trust in what He did for us.
All other religions are based on the opposite belief, that we can overcome our sin nature and earn for ourselves a place in “heaven” by strictly following the beliefs, teachings and instructions established by a revered leader. A religious person’s hope is in what they believe and trust they are able to do and earn for themselves.
It’s important for us to know too that all religious beliefs, efforts, and deeds done to make a person worthy of heaven cannot be carried into eternity with us. They all end with the follower’s death for they’re part of this fallen world and not of our eternal one—while our Relationship with Christ is carried with us as we enter into eternal Life with God!
It’s a never-ending relationship that came from Heaven, was born of God and established with perfect Love… His Love for us and our love for Him. Love is then key.
In I Corinthians 13:8-10 and 13, we clearly see that when He returns again, everything will “pass away” except that which comes from Him: Faith, Hope and Love. It also tells us the greatest of the three is Love, which leads us to this last amazing part...
We’re told how “God IS Love.” Think about it.
Isn’t that amazing? But that’s another wonderful story… a never ending one!
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