"True" Christianity?

Happy Saturday! The Oregon coast is beautiful, as always. :o) We had some rain earlier today but now the skies are partly cloudy and there's enough wind to create a symphony of sorts with the chimes.

Christianity. What is "true" Christianity? Ask 100 people and you'll probably get as many answers.
Why do so many folks shy away from the topic? "I'm not religious", "I'm not into organized religion", "religion/traditional Christianity is too restrictive". Any of these sound familiar?
I can remember when each one of those was the answer I'd have given to "the question".

A statement I hear from my Christian brothers and sisters (professing) is how much other countries "hate" Christians & Americans. Why on Earth would that be true?

First, what is "true" Christianity?


So many people, many who profess to be Christians, simply do not understand that true Christianity has nothing to do with religion. Religion may make one "feel" like a good person but ultimately leads to frustration, often causing a complete falling away from spirituality.
Spirituality, in and of itself, is not Christianity although a Christian can be spiritual. As for religion being too restrictive, IT IS! Religion reduces the relationship your Creator desires with you to mere legalism. Religion = legalism. Oops....someone just got offended, didn't they? Please, indulge me a bit longer.

Christianity is NOT about religiosity. True Christianity is about a relationship. The One who created us loves you more than you can imagine and wants a relationship with you. He Likes you....He loves and likes me. He loves and likes everyone equally. Did you catch that?
E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E! He may despise that which we sometimes do but He never stops loving us. Who wouldn't want a relationship with someone like that? Who else is going to love us like that? We've all offended and been offended, hurt and been hurt, angered and been made angry....it goes on and on. How many of us have had a dear friend, someone who was as close as a brother or sister to us. Someone we're certain will be there for us no matter what our decisions, actions, or lifestyles. Suddenly we find that, due to a choice we make, he/she can't get far enough away from us but not before expounding upon how we've let him/her down, how we're not worthy of love and even God Himself wouldn't want us now. I've been there. Maybe you have too. Maybe you're the latter friend and you simply couldn't deal with the reality of some choice another made. I'm NOT judging anyone....I've been on both sides of the fence . What I'm saying is that no matter what we do or say or what choices we make, our Creator will ALWAYS love us. That's the kind of security in a relationship I'm looking for. True Christianity, a relationship with your Creator, doesn't offer restriction but freedom in its truest sense. His love is perfect and perfect love will never force you to do or not do anything.

I'm going to be very candid now. Ready?

I've known Christians who will tell an alcoholic, drug addict, post-abortive woman, homosexual, Muslim how much God hates "them". In an instant a sincere desire to share a wonderful, unconditional relationship with someone turns into a virtual hate-fest! What a tragedy.
I will say it again: NEVER will God hate you...NEVER will He stop loving you. He will often be grieved by what we do, what we say, how we live, but our actions are not synonymous with us...not in His eyes.

I'm not implying a Christian should overlook that which violates God's ways. To alienate people, however, because of their choices, is wrong. Jesus never alienated anyone. He ate with prostitutes, tax collectors, thieves, etc. Those who were drawn to Him then and those who are drawn to Him now are so because of His heart for them. No one will ever embrace the Truth of what true Christianity is if all they hear are words. People need to see a changed life. Not a perfect life. I'm not perfect, you're not perfect (sorry if I burst some bubbles). A changed life.

Now to that "other nations hate Christians/Americans" thing. It may very well be true to a degree. I'll be honest (big surprise, huh?). If the only example of Christianity and Americans in general was what I see in society today, I'd not be too fond of us either. Greed, corruption, devaluing of human life. Oh yea! Sign me up! When the same heinous acts committed in "the world" are happening in "the church" no one is ever going to get close enough to really learn what Christianity should be. No one is going to believe they need "this Jesus" if those who say "you need Jesus !" are hateful, dishonest, and legalistic. Yes you will see hypocrisy in the church. Yes true Christians blow it. Newsflash: even those who have a relationship with the Creator are still human...subject to err.

Finally I will share this with you. You DO need Jesus because you DO need a relationship with your Creator and Jesus is the only way you can have that. The only thing God is asking of anyone is to be willing to trust Him. Yes God has definite standards. Not to restrict us and take away our free will. Not to deprive us of "a good time" or the best things in life. If our Creator says we ought not do a thing, it's for our own good. I learned that the hard way. Anything He wants for us IS the best in life. I'm a Christian. I'm not religious. I'm free to do whatever I want to and God will still love me. I didn't change my life and then start getting to know my Creator. My life began to change for the better BECAUSE I started getting to know my Creator. He's not in a building. Jesus is not Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, or Pentecostal. Those are names we mere mortals attach to the church to feel "special". There's nothing wrong with gathering under the roof of any one of those congregations. Our Creator is non-denominational though.

Are you living right? It's not for me to say. I will tell you that I believe the Word of God. I believe the Bible is the Word of God...His thoughts, instruction, warning, and guide to Life. I can share with you what He says through His Word about this thing or that. Ultimately it's between you and your Creator. We'll each stand before Him. Should you or I truly desire to know if what we believe, do, or how we live is in line with His best, all we need do is ask Him.

Thank you. Seriously. Thank you for persevering through this post (if indeed you felt as if you were merely persevering). My heart aches and goes out to everyone who is angry or has been put off by the cold shoulder turned in the name of Christianity. I pray you are blessed. I pray you desire to know the One who loves you so much and who only wants the absolute best for us all. Peace be with you always.

T