This Christian Life
Religion is humanity's attempt to reach out to God or the sacred or the divine. Christianity is the opposite in that it is God's attempt to reach humanity through a personal relationship. Christianity is not blind adherence to a set or rules which will "get you into heaven". It is not even "being a good person" or "doing the best you can" and hoping that will make you acceptable to God. This may surprise some people. However, the upside is that it's not about what you can do. That's right. You're acceptance does not depend on your performance. Phew, what a relief !
So how does it work then?
If it depended on us , we could never really be sure we'd done enough. God has taken the guesswork out of this getting to heaven business. The bible says - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" - Romans 3:23. A level playing field. All humanity has gone it's own way in defiance of God (Isaiah 53:6) and because He is righteous and just, as well as loving and merciful the consequence of that defiance is death (Romans 6:23)
Here is the stumbling block for most people. They would argue that compared to so-and-so they are not a bad person. That may appear so but arguing on the basis of moral relativity leads us down an unsavoury path. God has put down a marker of moral absolutes in the Ten Commandments. "There's no way anyone could keep those perfectly, that's ridiculous" - you say, and you'd be right. They're meant to show us how incapable we are of matching up to God's standards.
However, God in His great mercy sent His Son ( who lived a sinless life in perfect obedience to God's commandments) to die in our place and satisfy God's requirement for justice. (John 3:16). There is only one way to God and that is through belief in Jesus as saviour. (John 14:6). Jesus called this being "born again". (John 3:3-8). Anyone can take that step of faith. It requires a sincere acknowledgement before God that you've gone your own way and rejected Jesus up to this point (repentance) and a decision to reverse that way of life.
God does not want to patch up your old life, He wants to give you a new one. The Christian life is a living personal relationship with the creator of the universe through His Son, Jesus Christ.
"Therefore , if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new". 2 Corinthians 5:17
