I'm not religious, I have a relationship with God.

[d taylor]

I heard a person who appeared to be Christian say this. What does this mean? He said religion is man's interpretation of God, where relationship with God is God without man's interference. But it seems to me, because men wrote the bible, without religion you don't get the Bible, and without the Bible you don't get Jesus; so how do you get to Jesus without religion?

Men (actually The Jews) authored the words of God.

What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God.

You get to Jesus by the words of God, and that is the only way. A person knows who Jesus is and how to have Eternal Life by the words of God.

Religion always puts the way to God through man unlike the words of God who puts the way to God through The Messiah (Jesus).

that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

 

[Ken-1122]

How did he appear to be a Christian though? I mean was he being Christlike?

Not sure what it means to be Christlike, but if that means perfection; he does not claim to be perfect. But he is Christian. In a previous conversation he said Christianity is not a religion, but about having a relationship with God.

 

[bèlla]

He is definitely Christian. As a matter of fact, in a previous conversation he said Christianity is not a religion, it is about having a relationship with God.

Do you see Christian tenets reflected in his behavior and life?

 

[Ken-1122]

I've heard Christians say they aren't religious, meaning they're not into the man-made traditional liturgical and ceremonial litanies and trappings of religion.

Am I the only ones who's heard the expression uttered by real Christians: "it's not a religion, it's a relationship"?

Yes! This sounds like where he is coming from

 

[Ken-1122]

Do you see Christian tenets reflected in his behavior and life?

He is a nice guy, but if his kindness is a result of Christian tenets, I doubt I would recognize it as that

 

[bèlla]

He is a nice guy, but if his kindness is a result of Christian tenets, I doubt I would recognize it as that

If he didn't tell you he was a Christian would you assume he was?

 

[Ken-1122]

You get to Jesus by the words of God, and that is the only way. A person knows who Jesus is and how to have Eternal Life by the words of God.

Religion always puts the way to God through man unlike the words of God who puts the way to God through The Messiah (Jesus).

What does that mean? Is the way to God through man the Bible? If so, what is the way to God through Jesus?

 

[Ken-1122]

If he didn't tell you he was a Christian would you assume he was?

No.

 

[bèlla]

No.

Why not?

 

[Ken-1122]

Why not?

I don't equate nice people as being with any specific type of religion. I know too many people who are kind who are of various religions and even no religion at all.

 

[d taylor]

What does that mean? Is the way to God through man the Bible? If so, what is the way to God through Jesus?

Really do not understand what you are asking when you wrote

What does that mean? Is the way to God through man the Bible?

-​

A person becomes a son of God/child of God (way to God) when they believe Jesus (of The New Testament) is the promised Messiah from the prophecies of The Tanakh (Old Testament) and trust in The Messiah (Jesus) for God's free gift of Eternal Life.

The Messiah bridges the separation (between God and man) that has been placed by sin in man.

Because The Messiah took away the sin of the world, giving everyone the free access to God's offer to Eternal Life. That is if a person trust in The Messiah for Eternal Life.

Eternal Life is not automatically given to every person. A person must receive God's free gift and a person receives this gift by faith, belief, trust in the Messiah for Eternal Life.

 

[Ken-1122]

Really do not understand what you are asking when you wrote

I said that in reference to the fact that man wrote the bible so I was asking if God through man was through the book man wrote.

-​

A person becomes a son of God/child of God (way to God) when they believe Jesus (of The New Testament) is the promised Messiah from the prophecies of The Tanakh (Old Testament) and trust in The Messiah (Jesus) for God's free gift of Eternal Life.

If I understand you correctly, you get to God by reading, understand, and trusting in what is written in the Bible. Is that correct?

 

[ozso]

Not sure what it means to be Christlike, but if that means perfection; he does not claim to be perfect. But he is Christian. In a previous conversation he said Christianity is not a religion, but about having a relationship with God.

I was just trying to figure out what you meant when yo said he seemed like a Christian. When I said Christlike, I should have said disciple-like. Like someone who follows Jesus and it shows in the way they treat others and act.

 

[Ken-1122]

I was just trying to figure out what you meant when yo said he seemed like a Christian.

Yeah I should have said he was Christian.

When I said Christlike, I should have said disciple-like. Like someone who follows Jesus and it shows in the way they treat others and act.

The person is kind and is a good friend. If there is such a thing as "disciple-like" I probably wouldn't recognize it if I saw it.

 

[d taylor]

I said that in reference to the fact that man wrote the bible so I was asking if God through man was through the book man wrote.

-​

If I understand you correctly, you get to God by reading, understand, and trusting in what is written in the Bible. Is that correct?

God now in this age is known through the Bible, which has been written by men. Who God selected to write His words.

God is not physically now walking among people as He did 2000+ years ago. So a person living now just can not escape the fact that God now is communicating with humanity though the Bible which has come about by men through God's guidance.

If a person is going to believe there is a God and actually more than that. Believe the only true God is the God that is found in the pages of The Bible. Will require a person to exercise faith that the Bible is The True Witness about God, that simply can not be avoided. Of course there is the other choice to not believe that is true.

 

[Francis Drake]

Many people barely know how to spell the word A-n-g-l-i-c-a-n, let along pronounce it, so I've gotten used to folks who likewise haven't a clue about what the people of the church are like.

I grew up as a child in a typical English Anglican church and never heard the gospel. In fact what I do recall of their attempts at the gospel, it was drivel.
However, I did hear God speak to me one day as I was standing outside the church with a bunch of other kids.

Being small and asthmatic, I was always on the outside of the group watching, but never joining in.
I can't remember how it started, but on this day there was an argument and suddenly I heard the voice of one kid above the others.
"Ok then, who goes to heaven and who goes to hell?"
Looking back it was as if time suddenly stopped still, and at that question, everyone turned around and looked at Tony Ray for the answer. Tony was a year or two older than the rest, and being the altar boy, was closer to the vicar and obviously closer to God, therefore he would obviously know the right answer.
"That's easy," Tony spouted proudly, "Good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell!".
And that's where it ended, the voice of authority had satisfied their curiosity.

Except that something else was going on with me.
I was sitting on the railings watching all this take place, and it was as if a blanket of truth descended over me, and I heard these words deep in my spirit, "He is totally wrong because I am bad, and everyone else is bad, but God has made a way."
Then as my eyes panned over the church, "And I don't live in the church, I live in your heart!"

And that is the essence of the gospel...................

As Romans1 states regarding the unregenerate, "They are without excuse........"

 

[Francis Drake]

Lots of truisms. But the word reigns supreme.

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

~bella

No, the Spirit of God reigns supreme.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

I heard a person who appeared to be Christian say this. What does this mean? He said religion is man's interpretation of God, where relationship with God is God without man's interference. But it seems to me, because men wrote the bible, without religion you don't get the Bible, and without the Bible you don't get Jesus; so how do you get to Jesus without religion?

Thank you for articulating that, some denominations exist with this question as a foundation.

(to your question) How? The Holy Spirit.

 

[chilehed]

I'm not religious, I have a relationship with God.

I heard a person who appeared to be Christian say this. What does this mean?

It means that he doesn't know the meaning of the words he's using.

 

[Albion]

I said that in reference to the fact that man wrote the bible so I was asking if God through man was through the book man wrote.

Well, the Bible is considered to be divine revelation by almost every Christian church, and the Bible itself states that Scripture comes to us by God having chosen certain men to write in accordance with how he inspired them to write.

-​