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Question asked:

"… but how can I be a Christian without being religious?"

• Fritz Ridenour (Youth editor, "Gospel Light", 1971 in his book: "Hoe om 'n Christen te wees en nie net Godsdienstig nie") said that Christianity is far more than religiousness, because it exists in the fact that God came down to man. It is not about man reaching to God, but God finding man.
• My wife understands that Christianity is about a living interactive relationship between God and man, while religiousness is about trying to live a set of rules, usually made by man himself.

Let us see what the Bible says through the pen of the apostle Paul: (Romans 3 & 5)

(Read Romans 3 and 5 and comments by Bible Gateway…)

God provided for our salvation

Jesus Christ died in our place on the cross. God allowed His only Son to take our sins upon Himself, so we can be righteous before Him. Romans 3:24 speaks of God's grace through Jesus Christ as Redeemer, (without earning righteousness). This means that we are righteous before God through the completed work of Jesus on the cross. Not man, but someone else (Christ), paid the bill on man's behalf. Man cannot add to that - it is grace and grace alone.

 

Biblical Truths:

(Romans 6:23; John 10:28-29; Isaiah 1:18; 1 Peter 2:24; Galatians 3:13; I John 4:10; 1 John 2:2; Ephesians 1:7; etc.)

• <!--[if !supportLists]-->The punishment for the guilt of sin is taken away.
• <!--[if !supportLists]-->Because Christ payed for the sins of man, the debt is taken away and the account is on a "0" balance.
• <!--[if !supportLists]-->Because Christ is our personal Saviour and Lord, we are completely set free and our debts are taken away - we are not on parole, trying to pay for our guilt.
• <!--[if !supportLists]-->God count the born again Christian as if he has never sinned.<!--[endif]-->

 

Application:

• Religious institutions and acts cannot restore our relationship with God.
• To trust Christ only (faith) means to be a Christian without being religious.

 

"Does it mean that I can now live as I like, nullify the law by faith?"

According to Romans 3:31 - "Not at all!"

• Because God sets one free, one becomes a NEW creature, and the old things are of the past.

• Only when we trust Jesus, we can truly be obedient to Him.
• The moment one becomes a born again Child of God, you are under new jurisdiction.
  
  • The self is not on the throne any more. Christ takes the position on the centre of your life and the Holy Spirit is in control.
• The strive for the wrong is under control of the Holy Spirit. Hudson Taylor, the missionary who brought the Christian light to China, said in his dairy that he was converted from 'darkness' to 'light'.
  He said:  "… the things I used former to delight, now gives me no pleasure, while reading the Word,prayer in the means of grace, which was formerly deceitful to me, is now my delight."

 

"And what if I fall in the trap of sin again?"

As all good soldiers who are prepared for battle, we must be ready for spiritual conflict.
We, who have become spiritually alive and committed to our Lord, must expect resistance from the enemy. The Bible explains that there are three forces - the world, the flesh and the devil - which constantly wage war against the believer:

• The world - loving this evil world and all that it offers you (John 2:15-17)
• The flesh - conflict and temptation (Galatians 5:17)
• The Devil - 1 Peter 5:8, 9 says: "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour".

As long as we live, these enemies will keep on bombarding us. The solution towards a life of fullness is situated in Christ himself - through a simple process, called Spiritual Breathing.

(Read more about the term Spiritual Breathing…)

Our Prayer for You

According to Romans 5:10

"For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son."

Lord, it is my prayer that the reader of this letter will not only be saved through Your promise of faith in Christ as Saviour, but will also have a living interactive relationship with You, growing towards holiness, to be more and more like Jesus.

Amen

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Consider investing financially in our Ministry -
this is our source of provision in spreading the
Good news through this unique Ministry!

 

Until the whole world knows,

 

Pieter Brits

Director: There is Hope Ministrie
Internet, Mentoring & Training

Ministry Information:

Office (08h00-16h00): 028 271 5124
Email:  hope@hope365.co.za
Evangelism Page #1:  www.hope365.co.za
Evangelism Page #2:  www.KnowingGod.co.za
Brits family Page:       www.GodLovesYou.co.za

Look out for TIHM's 'NEWSFLASH' / 'Prayer for you' every 3-4 weeks!
We aim to keep it interesting, instructive and instrumental to aid you inyour Spiritual growth, as child of God.

 
You are welcome to Forward this letter to Christian friends.
Please include my address, pieter@hope365.co.za, so I can add it in future communications from 'There is Hope Ministries'
(Only if not forwarded before!)

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Bible verses from Romans 3:19-31 (New Living Translation)

Impossible to be made right with God by doing what the law commands.

¹⁹ Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.  ²⁰ For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

 

Christ took our punishment.
²¹ But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.  ²² We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

 

²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.  ²⁴ Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous.  He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.  ²⁵ For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin.  People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,  ²⁶ for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time.  God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

 

Discharge is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.
²⁷ Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.  ²⁸ So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

 

²⁹ After all, is God the God of the Jews only?  Isn't he also the God of the
Gentiles?  Of course he is.  ³⁰ There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.  ³¹ Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law?   Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

 

Comments on Romans 3:9-31 (Bible Gateway)

All mankind are sinners.
Here again is shown that all mankind are under the guilt of sin, as a burden; and under the government and dominion of sin, as enslaved to it, to work wickedness.  This is made plain by several passages of Scripture from the Old Testament, which describe the corrupt and depraved state of all men, till grace restrain or change them. Great as our advantages are, these texts describe multitudes who call themselves Christians.  Their principles and conduct prove that there is no fear of God before their eyes.  And where no fear of God is, no good is to be looked for.  (Romans 3:19)

 

Both Jews and Gentiles cannot be justified by their own deeds.
It is in vain to seek for justification by the works of the law.  All must plead guilty.   Guilty before God, is a dreadful word; but no man can be justified by a law which condemns him for breaking it. The corruption in our nature, will for ever stop any justification by our own works. (Ro 3:21-26)

 

Both Jews and Gentiles cannot be justified by their own deeds.
It is in vain to seek for justification by the works of the law. All must plead guilty. Guilty before God, is a dreadful word; but no man can be justified by a law which condemns him for breaking it. The corruption in our nature, will for ever stop any justification by our own works. (Ro 3:21-26)

 

Bible verses from Romans 5:1-11 (New Living Translation)

Faith brings joy.

¹ Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.   ²
Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.

 

³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that
they help us develop endurance.  ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens ourr confident hope of salvation. ⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment.  For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

 

Christ came at just the right time
⁶ When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 
⁷ Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.  ⁸ Bt God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  ⁹ And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. ¹⁰⁺¹¹ So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.  For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.

 

 

Comments on Romans 5:1-11 (Bible Gateway)

Believers are united to Christ, that they may bring forth fruit unto God.
So long as a man continues under the law as a covenant, and seeks justification by his own obedience, he continues the slave of sin in some form.   Nothing but the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, can make any sinner free from the law of sin and death.  Believers are delivered from that power of the law, which condemns for the sins committed by them.  And they are delivered from that power of the law which stirs up and provokes the sin that dwells in them. Understand this not of the law as a rule, but as a covenant of works. In profession and privilege, we are under a covenant of grace, and not under a covenant of works; under the gospel of Christ, not under the law of Moses. The difference is spoken of under the similitude or figure of being married to a new husband.   The second marriage is to Christ. By death we are freed from obligation to the law as a covenant, as the wife is from her vows to her husband. In our believing powerfully and effectually, we are dead to the law, and have no more to do with it than the dead servant, who is freed from his master, has to do with his master's yoke.  The day of our believing, is the day of being united to the Lord Jesus. We enter upon a life of dependence on him, and duty to him.  Good works are from union with Christ; as the fruitfulness of the vine is the product of its being united to its roots; there is no fruit to God, till we are united to Christ.  The law, and the greatest efforts of one under the law, still in the lesh, under the power of corrupt principles, cannot set the heart right with regard to the love of God, overcome worldly lusts, or give truth and sincerity in the inward parts, or any thing that comes by the special sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit.  Nothing more than a formal obedience to the outward letter of any precept, can be performed by us, without the renewing, new-creating grace of the new covenant.  (Romans 7:7-13)

 

(Back to letter…)

Spiritual Breathing

(By faith you can continue to experience God's love and forgiveness.)

If you become aware of an area of your life (an attitude or an action) that is displeasing the Lord, even though you are walking with Him and sincerely desiring to serve Him, simply thank God that He has forgiven your sins - past, present and future - on the basis of Christ's death on the cross.
Claim His love and forgiveness by faith and continue to have fellowship with Him.

If you retake the throne of your life through sin - a definite act of disobedience - breathe spiritually.

Spiritual breathing (exhaling the impure and inhaling the pure) is an exercise in faith
that enables you to continue to experience God's love and forgiveness.

1. Exhale - confess your sin - agree with God concerning your sin and thank Him for His forgiveness of it, according to 1 John 1:9 and Hebrews 10:1-25. 
   Confession involves repentance - a change in attitude and action.
2. Inhale - surrender the control of your life to Christ, and appropriate (receive) the fullness of the Holy Spirit by faith.

Trust that He now directs and empowers you; according to the command of Ephesians 5:18 & the promise of 1 John 5:14, 15.

(Back to letter…)

Consider investing financially in our Ministry -
this is our source of provision in spreading the
Good news through this unique Ministry!

(Back to letter…)