Christianity is NOT a religion - Pt 1

Acts 11:26  
​“And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch."
 
‘Christianity’ is derived from the word ‘Christian’ which was the name first given to those who were believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ and the name ‘Christian’ was used first of all at Antioch as is mentioned in the above scripture.

Christians are therefore disciples of Jesus Christ, who assemble together as believers and an assembly of Christians are collectively called ‘The Church’. 

​The Lord Jesus is the supreme head of His Church and He said that He will build His Church in Matthew 16:18 –

​“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.".

There is one church but many local assemblies of God’s people, called churches (Acts 15:41).  Much could be said about this and will be in further teachings. 

Believers! Never speak against the Church!  Christianity is much more than a religion.  There are many ‘religions’ of the world, thus they are called the 'religions of the world’ but Christianity is separate. 

Jesus Christ did not come to start or introduce another religion.  Never.  He came to show us the way back to God, the Father, so we could have fellowship with Him, meaning communion or oneness with God, a divine connection – God in us.

In the religions of the world, man is attempting to ‘work out’ a way to get to God, by working to please their God or serve their God, some even thinking they are pleasing God by killing believers in Jesus Christ!  That is exactly what the Lord Jesus said people would do, John 16:2

“They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.”

Christianity is quite different.  Christianity is God coming to us and loving us, which is why He sent Jesus Christ His son, in John 3:16 –

"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."

Christianity is God dying for us because He loves us. He is not killing us because He hates us – the god of this world, the devil, satan, is the one who hates us. 

The Lord Jesus put it this way in John 10:10

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
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​~ Bishop Barry Cunnington

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Author

Bishop Barry Cunnington is the Senior Overseer of the Promise Faith Centre Churches International. Founder of the International Ministry, Principal of the Promise Faith Academy and Founder of the Tent of Promise Inc. which traveled across Australia for 12 consecutive years full time seeing 10's of thousands come to Christ.