Religion, which one ?

There are only 2 religions in the world, divine accomplishment and human achievement. (John MacArthur grace church)

Religion is characterized as the belief in and worship of a personal God or gods. The term "re" means "to go back," and "ligio" means "to bind," so "religion" signifies "to bind back." Religions represent humanity's attempts to reconnect with God. Each religion is a specific system of faith and worship. Currently, there are thousands of religions worldwide, some more pagan than others. Nearly 75% of the global population adheres to one of the five most influential religions: Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism. Christianity and Islam are the two most widely practiced religions, together accounting for the religious affiliation of over half of the world's population. A common feature among most religions is the presence of rules and rituals. Followers are required to follow these guidelines to be accepted into their religion. For example, Islam and Judaism emphasise rules, while Catholicism observes numerous rituals, all intended to keep individuals on the righteous path to God.

Since ancient times, humanity has sought God. I believe He has revealed Himself to us through the Christian Bible, with the King James Version (KJV) being the most accurate translation. This book presents various aspects of His character, including prophecy, salvation, and revelation. Given the importance of religion to people, it is unsurprising that it has led to conflict, division, hatred, and even civil strife throughout history. Many have turned away from religion, seeing it as futile, which has left them disconnected from God and with weakened faith. As various religions have emerged, the evolving church has suffered from corruption, confusion, and deception. Truths have been mingled with falsehoods, rendering the sovereign word of God less effective and somewhat diluted. It's a fact that people are more inclined to accept falsehoods when they are cleverly intertwined with truths. The Rev Bert Farias (Holy Fire Ministries) describes religion below:

"I define religion (without relationship) as manmade expectations enforced upon someone as a means of defining how they may be accepted in a particular religion, church, or denominational system".

A brief history of the Church.

Following Christ's death and resurrection, the apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, began spreading the message to local Jewish communities and eventually to the Gentiles. However, Christ's followers faced hatred and persecution, with some even being martyred for their beliefs. The true gospel or apostolic church remained hidden for about 325 years until the Roman Emperor Constantine ordered its liberation and unification at the Council of Nicaea, leading to the formation of the Ecumenical or first Christian church.

Catholicism, which dates back to the 2nd century, adopted the pure teachings of Christ and combined them with another pagan religion of that time to gain popularity among the people, leading to widespread acceptance and practice. Although this new religion gained popularity, over the centuries, its hierarchy and leaders began to promote the church's own authority and traditions as equal to biblical scripture. In the 15th and 16th centuries, reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin pioneered Protestantism, steering the Church towards reformed theology with the Bible as the ultimate authority, significantly improving and correcting orthodox Christianity. As a result, there are now many denominations of the faith. In the modern era, we are witnessing new movements such as contemporary evangelicalism.

If we could represent this as a graph, beginning with the Nicaea council in 325 AD, we would see that all these church movements contain elements of God's truth and have fulfilled His purpose over time. However, today, many churches have their own agendas, and numerous modern prosperity teachers within the charismatic movement promote a superficial gospel, aiming primarily to attract followers and accumulate wealth. We must be cautious of these practices to avoid being misled. And Jesus answered and said unto them:

Take heed that no man deceive you, for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. Matthew 24:4-5.

The distortion of the word didn't occur suddenly. For thousands of years, the adversary (Satan) has been diligently influencing the susceptible minds of humanity to ensure that many continue to follow a false religion. His ultimate goal is to entirely separate our mind and spirit from God's word, primarily through deception. If we are non-believers or atheists, the enemy has us exactly where he desires. However, if we belong to a world religion, he will use deception to try to leave us spiritually impoverished and attempt to derail our faith. Some contemporary church practices are increasingly becoming secular, prioritizing popularity, church fundraising, and so-called humanitarian projects, causing the Holy Spirit to have long since departed. God urges us to keep the eyes of our hearts focused on Him to avoid being deceived.

'For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables'. [2Timothy 4:3-4].

Amidst corrupt global religions and prominent false preachers, it's not surprising that people have accepted lies and deception in their theology. So, which religion is the best path to God? Surely, there can only be one truth, and if that's the case, there can only be one path to God. The Bible refers to this as the narrow path. [mat 7 13-14]. Perhaps the question isn't about which religion, but rather whom we should trust. In my view, we should place our complete trust in Christ alone. The evidence for Christ is overwhelmingly compelling, as the first four books of the New Testament confirm. Regardless of the prophet or spiritual leader one follows, Jesus Christ is the only one who conquered death, was resurrected three days later, and ascended into heaven.

When the Father sent His Son into the world, He fulfilled His greatest plan for us under a new covenant. Christ arrived, preached to us, performed miraculous deeds, and taught us about God's character and love. Most importantly, He came to 'save us' from ourselves and our inherent sinful nature, which is why He is known as the Redeemer or the Savior of the world. What sets Christianity apart from other religions is that it is based on what God has accomplished for us through Christ, a divine triumph. In contrast, other world religions focus on what we must do to earn God's favor and forgiveness, emphasizing human achievement. 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift from God'. Eph 2:8

Christ fulfilled all the scriptures and completed God's ultimate plan of salvation for humanity. When he arrived, he brought a purity of truth, akin to a pure wine that had been maturing since the dawn of time, originating from the fruits of heaven. Some modern churches have diluted this pure wine of Christ with vinegar, leading to false doctrine and heresy. When God's people heard the truth, they immediately embraced the word, and God opened their hearts, revealing Himself to them, resulting in blessings and salvation. Others, however, rejected the word, particularly the Pharisees. The Pharisees of that time were the guardians of the law, and Jesus despised their hypocrisy. They were so self-righteous that they closed the gates of heaven to many of their own people.

These high priests viewed themselves as the ultimate religious authorities of their time and, due to their pride, were never going to acknowledge Christ as divine or as the son of the living God. This led to such indignation that they ultimately crucified him. Ironically, their malicious plan to crucify Christ aligned perfectly with God's plan for the salvation of all his followers. In a world filled with religious confusion, perhaps the question we should be asking is not about 'which religion' or 'Christian denomination,' but rather how we should present ourselves to God. I believe we should pray sincerely from the heart and pray in the Spirit. 'God is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth'. John 4:24. Sitting in a church and experiencing guilt with forced responses is not necessarily beneficial for your soul or spirit. Consider whether you identify as a 'born again Christian'. Didn't we hear Jesus say: verily verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again' he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3.

If you don't feel 'born again,' I believe you may not have a proper spiritual relationship with God. Again we hear Jesus saying: Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Mat 7:22-24

I'm not suggesting that you stop attending your church or that devout church members don't love the Lord. However, it's important to remember that the true church isn't about buildings or rituals, as these modern churches are not the ultimate authority. The real church is the body of Christ, comprised of genuine followers of the word, the saints, the high priests, and those who truly love and understand, (through the Holy Spirit), the work Jesus accomplished at Calvary. To clarify, Jesus is the head of the Church, and we, as Christians, are the body of Christ. 'for by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one spirit' 1 Corinthians 12:13.

Christ sacrificed himself for us so that we might receive the gift of salvation and eternal life in heaven. This is the new covenant that God has established and is being shared with many as we speak. God entrusts us with the duty to deepen our fellowship with Him. We shouldn't become complacent, depend on man-made religions, or fully trust a pastor, priest, or minister to secure our place in God's kingdom. Our relationship with the Lord should be passionate, sincere, demanding and ongoing, like a never-ending journey. It's about relationship, not religion, and we should place all our trust and faith in him, as God offers us the greatest gift possible: justification, sanctification, and the promise of glorification. As we ascend the mountain of wisdom and continue on this journey, through genuine prayer, communion, and worship, we gain understanding directly from the Holy Spirit that cannot be found elsewhere. Through this Spirit, the Bible comes alive, and our longing for holy scripture and the power of the word becomes overwhelming. 'But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all' [1Corinthians 12:7]

We need to see far and beyond a Sunday service and realise that a service to God extends into Monday's and through to Saturday's. We must shake off this general perception that world religion is the ultimate authority in our lives and get back to the pure wine of Christ and the Apostolic teachings. God charges us with a responsibility to seek out the truth, and as Christians we owe it to ourselves as we must repent and address the sin in our everyday lives. I must emphasise :

Self examination and repentance of your sins is a priority

Without confessing and acknowledging Christ, salvation and life are unattainable. A day of reckoning or judgment will come, a time when we will all stand before the Lord to account for our actions. This is an appointment that cannot be cancelled. We must be prepared. As Jesus welcomes those through the narrow gate, to others who paid lip service to faith but who do not possess the Spirit will hear Christ himself say to them;

I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers Matthew 7:23.

As Christians, we must understand that the cross is not just an ornament to wear but a burden to bear. Christ represents the way, the narrow path. He embodies the truth, the complete truth. Christ is the word, the ultimate authority. No person can earn God's favor through good deeds before salvation; rather, good works, rules, rituals, and commandments should be followed as a consequence of our salvation, which is a free gift from God for those with a humble heart. True religion is therefore accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, which will lead to an eternal loving and peaceful relationship with God.