Christianity the best religion in the world; there are awesome key principles that make this true and one of them is very appealing for anyone who feels too busy to breathe...
What makes Christianity the best religion in the world?
This is a fundamental question for anyone subscribing to any religious organization – Islam, Hindu, Buddhism, Judaism. Having been raised Catholic, and put in the context of “tolerance” and “love for neighbors”, I have often asked myself, “Who am I to tell others that their religion is wrong and mine is right?” Further, in thinking of myself as an evangelist for Christianity, I have thought how I would reject anyone coming to me as a promoter of their religion. I know I could never convert away from Christianity given my personal convictions about my faith… And I suspect the same of them.
The fact is that there are some very core differences that are unique to Christianity, not the least of which is that Christ is the only doorway to life in the presence of God in eternity (i.e., heaven). In fact, in pursuing growth in my faith, I have become more and more convinced that the absolute truth of the Bible is actual evidence of it being the “right” choice.
But there is one specific foundational principle I want to highlight now. This principle is the principle of WORKS.
“Works” are a common tenant within many spiritual philosophies. The idea that things we do or don’t do are actually steps on our way to heaven is ubiquitous. Actually, I believe the concept is so logical by man’s ability to think, that steps to heaven has become a subconscious truth ingrained in everyone’s mind.
But Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28) . This is a radical shift in the works mentality. Specifically, Jesus tells us that he has done all the “work” for us – through His death on the cross. When we truly understand this, we can start living amazingly free! We are not obligated to burn offerings to our God, or to pray at five specific times per day faced in a specific direction, or to any other specific routines or actions as our “ticket” to heaven.
The truth is that there is never enough that we could do to obviate our original sin sufficiently to gain access to heaven and eternity with God. The beautiful part about Christianity is that Christ did that work for us, so all we have to do is accept Him as our Savior and Lord.
An important caveat – While “works” are not necessary to getting into heaven, this does not mean we do not pursue good works as stewards in building the Kingdom of God on earth. What is different here is the motivation. Instead of the motivation being “duty”, our motivation becomes “joy”. Specifically, because of the gift of Christ through His death on a cross for us sinners, our gratitude drives us to live and work for him from our response to that gift.
Please let me know how you have found "rest" and peace in truly understanding the "works" fundamentals of Christianity... I'd love to hear from you.
