Should a Christian change religions?
Of course this is trick question.
It's like asking if an alcoholic should change his choice of alcoholic beverage. Be it beer, wine, brandy, or whiskey, it's still alcohol. Changing the type of alcoholic beverage does not eliminate the problem with alcohol.
Likewise, changing from one religion to another does eliminate the problem with religion. Be it of the Pagan, non-Christian, or one of the many "Chrsitian" religions, it is still religion that is in view.
Knowing of its destructive capability, religion and religious activity is endorsed and promoted by the devil.
Religion (Psalms 96: 5) consists of all the teachings and practices that Man has engineered in an attempt to avoid the wrath and to receive the earthly and eternal blessings of one or more of the Psalms 96: 5 "gods."
In the case of Judaism and Christian religions, it is the avoidance of the wrath and the receiving of the earthly and/or heavenly blessings of the God of the Bible that is in view.
The phrase "Christian religion" is actually a oxymoron. An oxymoron is a phrase that contains conflicting words, such as dry water or calm storms. Christian religion and genuine Christianity are two very different things and produce very different results.
Christian religion is the product of Man. It consists of all the false teachings and practices that have been introduced into the Christian Community at large over the course of the Church Age dispensation. The bottom line is that Christian religion promotes itself as being the means through which Man avoids the impending wrath (Rev. 20: 15) of the God of the Bible, and the means through which one receives God's earthly and the eternal blessings. Christian religion is all about what Man does (or has done) to earn such things through his participation in the rituals of Christian religion, good behavior, and good deeds.
The way of religion is the one that the majority will follow (Matt. 7: 13), having been convinced that this the road that their god or the God of the Bible requires of them if they are to avoid the wrath and receive the blessings that their god or God will bring to them.
The way of religion leads to "destruction (Matt. 7: 13 NASB)." This can involve total destruction when it is religion that keeps one away from hearing and/or responding to a presentation of the Gospel Message. There are degrees of destruction when it is religion that steers one away from either identifying and/or executing the post (after) salvation spiritual life.
The devil endorses the concept that there is no god, as well as endorsing the concept that the true god is one of the many gods that are worshiped by followers of the religions of the world (Psalms 96).
As for Christianity, the devil has a different plan of attack. He attacks Christianity by denying the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. The devil attacks Christianity by promoting religious activity WITHIN the Christian Community as the means to obtain or to retain salvation. The devil attacks Christianity though Christian religion by promoting alternative agendas in place of the post salvation spiritual life of discipleship and ambassadorship.
They way of religion appeals to the fallen nature in Man for two primary reasons. #1, the fallen nature in Man is inherently hostile towards God and the things of God (Romans 8: 7 NABS). #2, the counterfeit products of religion appears to provide Man with the means to save himself. Many of religion's alternative agendas to the post salvation spiritual life appeals to Man as it offers the crown (rewards) without the cross (sacrifice). It is much easier to just "check in" at the required times and go through the required rituals of religion than it is to deal with the daily, moment to moment challenges of pursuing the life of an advancing disciple and ambassador.
Christianity is the "narrow" way that only the minority of each generation of the Church Age will choose to follow (Matt. 7: 14 NASB). This concept is foreign to those who were raised in a Christian society or in a Christian family. . Even within a family unit, teach that there will be those who will be saved by believing in a presentation of the Gospel Message, and those who will not. This true even though all of them likely participated in the same religious activity at one time or another.
Depending on the source, about 1/3 of the present world's population is believed to be Christian. That fact that the Gospel Message will be (or has been) preached throughout the world before the Church Age comes to its appointed end (Matt. 24: 14), does not mean that the people of the world at large will all believe it and be saved. Rev. 20:15 make it clear that although it is God's desire that all souls be saved (1Tim. 2: 4), there will be souls tossed into what the Bible calls the lake of fire where unbelievers will spend all of eternity. Matt. 7: 13 tells us that the lake of fire is where the many (majority) of the souls of the human race will spend eternity.
It is my firm belief that if the Rapture should take place in the middle of a worship service, there will be "many" religious souls left behind in the pews and behind the pulpits when those who were born again are taken away (1Cor. 15: 51, 52/1Thess. 4: 17/Luke 17: 34/Matt.. 24: 40, 41).
Being void of human works, Christianity is all about what God has done, what God is doing, and what God will do through (John 15: 5) and for the people of faith. The ONLY input that comes from the human side of Christianity involves one making a one-time choice to believe in the Gospel Message, and then making an ongoing choices to identify, pursue, and remain in the post salvation spiritual life taught in Scripture.
Among Christians (those who are born again) only a minority will choose to embrace and/or remain in the post salvation life of discipleship and advance to ambassadorship. Many will choose to take the road of Christian religion instead. Born again believers who later take (or remain on) the way of Christian religion will not lose their salvation, but will forfeit the heavenly rewards (1Cor. 3: 14) and privileges (Rev. Chapters 2, 3) that await the born again believer who chooses to become disciples and ambassadors.
God has a master plan and objective for Church Age, just as He had/has a plan for past and future dispensations (periods of time) to come. The plan of God for the Church Age is the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 19, 20). The Great Commission calls for the preservation and presentation of the Gospel Message to unbelievers, and the making of disciples (students and appliers of the Word of God) of those who have already been born again.
Discipleship is initially for the edification of the born again believer, but with the long term objective of serving as God's ambassador in whatever place or in whatever activity he/she finds him/herself on a daily basis.
God has an individual spiritual gift (1Cor. 12:7) and an area of service (1Cor. 12: 5) for each born again believer of the Church Age. This gift is NOT primarily for the benefit of the one receiving it, but for the benefit of other believers (1Cor. 12: 7). The identifying, developing, and executing one's individual gift and ministry (area of service) are essential parts of the post salvation spiritual life. The spiritual gift that God has in mind for each and every born again believer is what defines his/her individual role and part in the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
* * *
As of the Church Age, the people of faith are those who have chosen to believe (place their confidence and trust) in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is all explained in the Gospel Message.
Preserving and presenting the Gospel Message and presenting it to unbelievers is the external (outside) part of the Great Commission that the Lord gave to the Church that He designed. It is being presented with the Gospel Message that hat provides unbelievers with the opportunity to become people of faith.
After one becomes a person of faith, he/she then has the opportunity to become a disciple.
A disciple is a life long student (2Pet. 3: 18) and applier (James 1: 22) of the Word of God. The making of disciples (students and appliers of the Word of God) is the internal (inside) part of the Great Commission that the Lord gave to His Church. Discipleship is initially for the building (Math. 7: 24) and the on-going (2Pet. 3: 18) edification (2Tim. 3: 16) of one's own soul structure, with the long term objective of participating in the Great Commission as one of Christ's ambassadors (2Cor. 5: 20).
An ambassador is one who is fully schooled in the policies of the kingdom that he/she represents while residing in another.
In the spiritual realm, an ambassador for Christ is an advancing disciple who represents (by example) the Kingdom of God, and speaks for the Kingdom of God while living here in the devil's (Luke 4: 6) world. The post where one is to function as Christ's ambassador is wherever one finds him/herself 24 hrs. a day, seven days a week. Within every ambassadors personal periphery, there will be placed unbelievers that are in need to be presented with the Gospel Message and fellow believers to be edified and served.
The devil, needless to say, will do all that he can to see to it that any given soul will not identify or progress along the "narrow" (Matt. 7: 14) way. He will do all that he can to encourage one to identify with and tread along the "broad" (Matt. 7: 13) way that leads to destruction. One of the lanes on the road to destruction is for the religious traveler.
The devil, and those he has deceived, unwittingly (John 8: 44) do his bidding. Such "blind guides ()" do so by promoting false means and ways to obtain and to retain salvation. These false means and ways are what make up the false gospels that our Lord warned us about over and over again.
Salvation refers to being saved from the impending wrath of God that is in store for all unbelievers (Rev. 20: 15).
A counterfeit (false) Gospel s one that promotes the obtaining (getting) or the retaining (keeping) of salvation by means other than, or in addition to, making a one time decision to place one's faith (trust and confidence) in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
These ways usually involve going through or being put through one or more Man-made religious ritual or another.
Until one is born again (John 3: 5, 7) he/she is not ON the narrow way that leads to life, let alone making any progress.
Once born again, the devil will do all he can to obstruct any progress along the narrow way that leads to discipleship and ambassadorship.
The fallen nature within each one of us is inherently hostile (Romans 8: 7) towards God and the things of God, setting the stage for an open ear to one or more of the devil's alternatives.
One of the primary reasons that the devil promotes sin in the lives of the people of faith is that sin is what takes the born again believer out of fellowship (2Cor. 13:14) with God.
When out of fellowship with God, the person of faith is very vulnerable to the influence of his/her fallen nature. When we are out of fellowship with God, we are predisposed to think and conduct ourselves as any 1Cor. 2: 14 "natural man" would.
"But a natural man (under the influence of the fallen nature) does not accept (or apply) the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, he does not understand (or apply) them, because they are spiritually appraised (1Cor. 2: 12 NASB italics mine.)"
Man-made religion of any variety has never been, is not now, and never will be the means to either obtain or salvation. Man-made religion of any variety has never, is not now, and never will be an acceptable substitute for the post salvation spiritual life of discipleship and ambassadorship.
In conclusion, genuine Christianity is not about changing Man-made religions. Genuine Christianity is about not being getting deceived by religion in the first place, and making the necessary adjustments when we do.
It's like asking if an alcoholic should change his choice of alcoholic beverage. Be it beer, wine, brandy, or whiskey, it's still alcohol. Changing the type of alcoholic beverage does not eliminate the problem with alcohol.
Likewise, changing from one religion to another does eliminate the problem with religion. Be it of the Pagan, non-Christian, or one of the many "Chrsitian" religions, it is still religion that is in view.
Knowing of its destructive capability, religion and religious activity is endorsed and promoted by the devil.
Religion (Psalms 96: 5) consists of all the teachings and practices that Man has engineered in an attempt to avoid the wrath and to receive the earthly and eternal blessings of one or more of the Psalms 96: 5 "gods."
In the case of Judaism and Christian religions, it is the avoidance of the wrath and the receiving of the earthly and/or heavenly blessings of the God of the Bible that is in view.
The phrase "Christian religion" is actually a oxymoron. An oxymoron is a phrase that contains conflicting words, such as dry water or calm storms. Christian religion and genuine Christianity are two very different things and produce very different results.
Christian religion is the product of Man. It consists of all the false teachings and practices that have been introduced into the Christian Community at large over the course of the Church Age dispensation. The bottom line is that Christian religion promotes itself as being the means through which Man avoids the impending wrath (Rev. 20: 15) of the God of the Bible, and the means through which one receives God's earthly and the eternal blessings. Christian religion is all about what Man does (or has done) to earn such things through his participation in the rituals of Christian religion, good behavior, and good deeds.
The way of religion is the one that the majority will follow (Matt. 7: 13), having been convinced that this the road that their god or the God of the Bible requires of them if they are to avoid the wrath and receive the blessings that their god or God will bring to them.
The way of religion leads to "destruction (Matt. 7: 13 NASB)." This can involve total destruction when it is religion that keeps one away from hearing and/or responding to a presentation of the Gospel Message. There are degrees of destruction when it is religion that steers one away from either identifying and/or executing the post (after) salvation spiritual life.
The devil endorses the concept that there is no god, as well as endorsing the concept that the true god is one of the many gods that are worshiped by followers of the religions of the world (Psalms 96).
As for Christianity, the devil has a different plan of attack. He attacks Christianity by denying the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. The devil attacks Christianity by promoting religious activity WITHIN the Christian Community as the means to obtain or to retain salvation. The devil attacks Christianity though Christian religion by promoting alternative agendas in place of the post salvation spiritual life of discipleship and ambassadorship.
They way of religion appeals to the fallen nature in Man for two primary reasons. #1, the fallen nature in Man is inherently hostile towards God and the things of God (Romans 8: 7 NABS). #2, the counterfeit products of religion appears to provide Man with the means to save himself. Many of religion's alternative agendas to the post salvation spiritual life appeals to Man as it offers the crown (rewards) without the cross (sacrifice). It is much easier to just "check in" at the required times and go through the required rituals of religion than it is to deal with the daily, moment to moment challenges of pursuing the life of an advancing disciple and ambassador.
Christianity is the "narrow" way that only the minority of each generation of the Church Age will choose to follow (Matt. 7: 14 NASB). This concept is foreign to those who were raised in a Christian society or in a Christian family. . Even within a family unit, teach that there will be those who will be saved by believing in a presentation of the Gospel Message, and those who will not. This true even though all of them likely participated in the same religious activity at one time or another.
Depending on the source, about 1/3 of the present world's population is believed to be Christian. That fact that the Gospel Message will be (or has been) preached throughout the world before the Church Age comes to its appointed end (Matt. 24: 14), does not mean that the people of the world at large will all believe it and be saved. Rev. 20:15 make it clear that although it is God's desire that all souls be saved (1Tim. 2: 4), there will be souls tossed into what the Bible calls the lake of fire where unbelievers will spend all of eternity. Matt. 7: 13 tells us that the lake of fire is where the many (majority) of the souls of the human race will spend eternity.
It is my firm belief that if the Rapture should take place in the middle of a worship service, there will be "many" religious souls left behind in the pews and behind the pulpits when those who were born again are taken away (1Cor. 15: 51, 52/1Thess. 4: 17/Luke 17: 34/Matt.. 24: 40, 41).
Being void of human works, Christianity is all about what God has done, what God is doing, and what God will do through (John 15: 5) and for the people of faith. The ONLY input that comes from the human side of Christianity involves one making a one-time choice to believe in the Gospel Message, and then making an ongoing choices to identify, pursue, and remain in the post salvation spiritual life taught in Scripture.
Among Christians (those who are born again) only a minority will choose to embrace and/or remain in the post salvation life of discipleship and advance to ambassadorship. Many will choose to take the road of Christian religion instead. Born again believers who later take (or remain on) the way of Christian religion will not lose their salvation, but will forfeit the heavenly rewards (1Cor. 3: 14) and privileges (Rev. Chapters 2, 3) that await the born again believer who chooses to become disciples and ambassadors.
God has a master plan and objective for Church Age, just as He had/has a plan for past and future dispensations (periods of time) to come. The plan of God for the Church Age is the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 19, 20). The Great Commission calls for the preservation and presentation of the Gospel Message to unbelievers, and the making of disciples (students and appliers of the Word of God) of those who have already been born again.
Discipleship is initially for the edification of the born again believer, but with the long term objective of serving as God's ambassador in whatever place or in whatever activity he/she finds him/herself on a daily basis.
God has an individual spiritual gift (1Cor. 12:7) and an area of service (1Cor. 12: 5) for each born again believer of the Church Age. This gift is NOT primarily for the benefit of the one receiving it, but for the benefit of other believers (1Cor. 12: 7). The identifying, developing, and executing one's individual gift and ministry (area of service) are essential parts of the post salvation spiritual life. The spiritual gift that God has in mind for each and every born again believer is what defines his/her individual role and part in the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
* * *
As of the Church Age, the people of faith are those who have chosen to believe (place their confidence and trust) in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is all explained in the Gospel Message.
Preserving and presenting the Gospel Message and presenting it to unbelievers is the external (outside) part of the Great Commission that the Lord gave to the Church that He designed. It is being presented with the Gospel Message that hat provides unbelievers with the opportunity to become people of faith.
After one becomes a person of faith, he/she then has the opportunity to become a disciple.
A disciple is a life long student (2Pet. 3: 18) and applier (James 1: 22) of the Word of God. The making of disciples (students and appliers of the Word of God) is the internal (inside) part of the Great Commission that the Lord gave to His Church. Discipleship is initially for the building (Math. 7: 24) and the on-going (2Pet. 3: 18) edification (2Tim. 3: 16) of one's own soul structure, with the long term objective of participating in the Great Commission as one of Christ's ambassadors (2Cor. 5: 20).
An ambassador is one who is fully schooled in the policies of the kingdom that he/she represents while residing in another.
In the spiritual realm, an ambassador for Christ is an advancing disciple who represents (by example) the Kingdom of God, and speaks for the Kingdom of God while living here in the devil's (Luke 4: 6) world. The post where one is to function as Christ's ambassador is wherever one finds him/herself 24 hrs. a day, seven days a week. Within every ambassadors personal periphery, there will be placed unbelievers that are in need to be presented with the Gospel Message and fellow believers to be edified and served.
The devil, needless to say, will do all that he can to see to it that any given soul will not identify or progress along the "narrow" (Matt. 7: 14) way. He will do all that he can to encourage one to identify with and tread along the "broad" (Matt. 7: 13) way that leads to destruction. One of the lanes on the road to destruction is for the religious traveler.
The devil, and those he has deceived, unwittingly (John 8: 44) do his bidding. Such "blind guides ()" do so by promoting false means and ways to obtain and to retain salvation. These false means and ways are what make up the false gospels that our Lord warned us about over and over again.
Salvation refers to being saved from the impending wrath of God that is in store for all unbelievers (Rev. 20: 15).
A counterfeit (false) Gospel s one that promotes the obtaining (getting) or the retaining (keeping) of salvation by means other than, or in addition to, making a one time decision to place one's faith (trust and confidence) in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
These ways usually involve going through or being put through one or more Man-made religious ritual or another.
Until one is born again (John 3: 5, 7) he/she is not ON the narrow way that leads to life, let alone making any progress.
Once born again, the devil will do all he can to obstruct any progress along the narrow way that leads to discipleship and ambassadorship.
The fallen nature within each one of us is inherently hostile (Romans 8: 7) towards God and the things of God, setting the stage for an open ear to one or more of the devil's alternatives.
One of the primary reasons that the devil promotes sin in the lives of the people of faith is that sin is what takes the born again believer out of fellowship (2Cor. 13:14) with God.
When out of fellowship with God, the person of faith is very vulnerable to the influence of his/her fallen nature. When we are out of fellowship with God, we are predisposed to think and conduct ourselves as any 1Cor. 2: 14 "natural man" would.
"But a natural man (under the influence of the fallen nature) does not accept (or apply) the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, he does not understand (or apply) them, because they are spiritually appraised (1Cor. 2: 12 NASB italics mine.)"
Man-made religion of any variety has never been, is not now, and never will be the means to either obtain or salvation. Man-made religion of any variety has never, is not now, and never will be an acceptable substitute for the post salvation spiritual life of discipleship and ambassadorship.
In conclusion, genuine Christianity is not about changing Man-made religions. Genuine Christianity is about not being getting deceived by religion in the first place, and making the necessary adjustments when we do.