Christianity: What it IS and IS NOT

To fully understand something, you must grasp not only what it IS, but also what it IS NOT.

Most times, you will find Christianity listed as one of the world's religions.  It is defined as such out of ignorance; that is a totally inaccurate definition!   There will be those who disagree and scoff at such a statement, but the fact that Christianity is not a religion is central to what the Bible, the Word of God, teaches.  Let me explain further, borrowing from Why Christianity Is Not a Religion.

“The difference between Christianity and every other faith (or belief system) in the world is that all other religions are about man trying to reach up to God.  Christianity is about God reaching down to man.”

"This is a very important distinction...so I would like to try to clarify...  Here is the way I am defining religion:

"Religion is a system of beliefs or a code of moral conduct that judges (qualifies or disqualifies) a person based on their adherence and obedience to certain codes, rules, laws, traditions, or the performance of required acts... Religion is the creation of man and is not the intention or design of God."

Even when a person or church has good motives, and/or claims to believe the Bible, if there are requirements taught that are not found in the Bible, then they are simply "still being religious and this 'religion' is not from God."

True Christianity is not a religion, but is a relationship with Jesus Christ - the One, true, living God. The simple Gospel of Jesus Christ - the record of Jesus' life and teaching recorded in The Holy Bible, particularly in the first four books of the New Testament - is categorically unlike any "religion" found anywhere in the world.  To correctly understand this word "Christianity" is to be well on your way to understanding what it means to be a Christian.  So let's examine it closer.

The great religions of the world were founded by men in specific regions of the world, and the epicenter of those movements remains in that same region:

Bahá'í  began in the Middle East.  Its center remains in the Middle East today.

Buddhism began in Asia and its center remains there today.

Confucianism began in China; its center is there today.

Hinduism began  in Asia and its center remains there today.

Islam began in the Middle East and its center is found there today.

Judaism began in Israel; its center remains there today.

Mormonism began in America and its center is still there today.

Shintoism began in Japan; its center remains in Japan today.

Taoism began in East Asia and its center remains there today.

(Related:  Click here for "Christianity Is No Religion At All"

The history of Christianity is quite different!  Christianity was founded by Jesus Christ, beginning in the small country of Israel.  It then spread into places such as Syria, Assyria, Mesopotamia, Phoenicia, Asia Minor, Jordan and Egypt.  By 300 AD, Christianity became the accepted religion of Rome, and spread throughout the Roman Empire.

Christianity then spread throughout Europe and eventually was taken to the Americas, as Christian people fled persecution and crossed the Atlantic.

Religion is always the enemy of Christianity, but in that fact lies a great benefit.  A look throughout history shows that whenever and wherever Christians are persecuted, Christianity strengthens.  Where there is no persecution, where Christians begin to be "casual" about their relationship with Jesus Christ, where churches cease to have a sense of urgency in sharing the Gospel, the good news, with people who have not yet been introduced to Him, where apathy begins its cancerous attack - you will find the epicenter of Christianity moving somewhere else.

And so it is doing today!  The epicenter of Christianity has for many years been found in the United States of America, but that is true no longer.  The power keg, the epicenter, of Christianity will move to where the hearts of Christian people are passionate about their relationship with Jesus!

There are still Christian people in America who love Him and serve Him, who seek to share Him with others, and who are deeply passionate about their relationship with Him - but fewer and fewer with every passing year.  Unlike the United States, however, today - in other countries of the world - the growth rate of Christianity is exploding.  In some countries, it has out-paced their birth rate!  The epicenter has shifted!  Take a moment to look at this website:

Top 20 Countries Where Christianity Is Growing the Fastest

On this 2013 map of  the top 20 countries experiencing the greatest growth of Christianity, sadly, you will not see the United States of America.

Christianity moves to wherever Jesus Christ is received by human hearts.  Where it is rejected, God's power moves elsewhere.  This is true of individuals, of churches, of countries.  The epicenter of Christianity stays in no specific place - no region of this world, no country, no building.  It is found in human hearts!

Jesus Christ is the same - yesterday, today, and forever.  (Hebrews 13:8)  Just as it was in the days when He walked this earth, so it is today.  "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right (the power) to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." (John 1:12)

As already stated, Christianity is a relationship, a love-relationship with Jesus Christ.  A heart in a love-relationship with another seeks to maintain that relationship by drawing close to them.  There are significant correlations between maintaining a relationship with another human being and maintaining a relationship with Jesus Christ - the One, true, and living God.

Each of us could make a list of things that must be in place for a relationship to thrive and grow. Here are a few that easily come to mind:

Putting the other first
Spending time with them
Having an interest in the other
Experiencing a desire to learn more about them
Keeping a desire to please them
Talking with them and listening to them
Sharing your life with them

These are a few ways that I, and other Christians, purposefully seek to daily maintain my relationship with Jesus Christ, to keep it fresh and vibrant, to draw close to Him.  While He promises unconditionally in His Word never to leave us or to forsake us, promising to always hold us in the Palm of His Hand, and to bring us Home to be with Him in Heaven when our life on earth comes to an end - even so, our relationship with Him can grow cold and distant if we turn our attention from Him to other things in this world.

When we allow that to happen, we are still secure in Him as far as where we will spend eternity, but we lose our daily joy and peace, our influence will no longer point others to Jesus - the Answer to every need of the human soul, and we no longer are useful and available to God for His purposes in this world.

That is why the Bible, God's Words for us, gives clear direction for what to do when we realize we've let other things come before Him.

"Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the Lord."  Lamentations 3:40

"If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  1 John 1:9

"If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

You can trust Him to do just what He says He will do.  He is faithful!  (Here's one account of God's faithfulness from my own experience.)

For those of you not familiar with Jesus Christ, who have not yet received Him into your heart and life as the One, true, living God, I pray these few paragraphs have helped your understanding of Him, of what Christanity IS, and what it IS NOT.  If you choose to seek Him with your whole heart, He will make Himself known to you in surprising, amazing ways.  Put Him to the test; He is more than equal to the task!

I welcome your questions and comments.  :)  If you would rather chat about this privately, I can be found on my Facebook page.  My husband would also welcome the opportunity to chat with any interested guys out there!  We can chat via Facebook private messaging, or through email.

What is Christianity to you, from your own experience?