The Christian faith is often described as a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus, rather than a religion. But what does this mean?

In general terms, ‘religion’ is seen as humans striving to reach up to God to become acceptable to Him. In stark contrast, Christianity presents a paradigm where God reaches down to humanity.

It is God who initiates this relationship, not us. As stated in 1 John 4:19 (NKJV), “We love because He first loved us.” This verse signifies that God’s love precedes and enables our love for Him.

In His relationship with us, God sets a higher standard of love than what we typically know. John 15:13 (NKJV) says, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” This verse speaks volumes about the sacrificial nature of Jesus’ love and His ultimate sacrifice for our sins.

Following Jesus’ death and resurrection, the need for religious rituals to cleanse sin was abolished. Having a relationship with God transcends  common ritualistic spiritual behavior seen in other world religions. False religions are often tethered to strenuous rituals and traditions that make faith merely a chore rather than something to cherish.

We do not get to heaven because we are tagged as Christian. Rather, it is through a personal relationship with God, made possible through belief in Jesus Christ.

On a side note, God did not just become loving when He created humanity. The Scriptures state that “He is love”, it is part of His very being. This is possible because of the concept of the Trinity (1 God in 3 distinct persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). In the Trinity there has always existed a loving relationship/community within the Godhead.

God now invites us into this community to fellowship and spend  an eternity with Him. If you are seeking a relationship with the creator of the universe, the Christian Faith and the Lord Jesus Christ offer a path not just to a religion, but to a life-transforming relationship.