Riff's Christian Journal

Ok, if Christianity is not a religion, then what is it? Simply put, it is a lifestyle, which begins when one enters into a relationship with Jesus.

In the New Testament the word religion means this –  “ceremonial observance: religion, worshipping.”While that is part of the Christian religion, it is not what defines Christianity.

This is what Christianity accomplishes in everyone whom God saves:

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

In Romans 12: 2, we are told not to be conformed to the world. The problem is we are already conformed to the world. Since we were born, we have done nothing more than to live in the world and do as everyone else does in thought, word and deed. By being with everyone else, we could not help but be conformed to the world.

As Christians, however, we are told to no longer be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. So, how do we do this? We cannot make this change of our own will; it is to be done by the will of God.

You see, having been saved and called by God we have experienced the new birth. Now, God is going to do a work of renewing of our minds to become more like Jesus and less like the world, and many changes will take place in our life.

There is only one way for anyone to be conformed to the image of Jesus and that is by spending time every day with Him. The best way of making a start is to get into the Word of God, especially by reading the Gospel of John first.

In your reading, take your time, listen to what God is saying to you and the Holy Spirit will reveal to you, not only the humanity of Jesus but His divine nature as well. You will hear Jesus speak to you through His teachings and He will draw you near to Him as you learn more about Him.

When you “hang out”, so to speak, with Jesus you will find feelings, thoughts and desires, which you may never have had before, begin to appear in your daily walk with Him. This is God working in you. Your language may change; your less than pure thoughts will start to be bothersome and maybe even embarrassing.  

In short, over a period of time you will begin to enjoy more and more about spending time with Jesus, walking with Him, talking to Him and just listening to what He has to say. 

Soon, you will begin to see how your words, your thoughts and your actions will become nothing as people came to see in you and more like what you read and hear from Jesus in His Word.

Friends, family and co-workers may even start to notice and ask you what has happened, what has made you change from the person you used to be. Some will like the change but many will not welcome the new you because you no longer talk and act as they do, and they will start to feel uncomfortable around you.

This is because you are becoming conformed to the image of Jesus and since the world does not like Jesus, they will not like you as well. However, as you begin to become closer to Jesus you will find that you are happier, more restful and more at peace with God than you have ever felt before.

Before you know it, you will notice that Christianity is more than a religion, going to church and taking part in a worship service. It is all about being conformed to a new image and in living a new lifestyle, a lifestyle that reflects Jesus.

This new lifestyle can only come about, not by self-effort or by self-will, but only by the will of God, as you spend time daily, in building a relationship with Jesus.

This is why Christianity is not just a religion about Jesus, but about a relationship with Him, and in living a lifestyle ordained by God and made possible by the works and words of Jesus.