Resting In The Right Religion
“And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” 1 Corinthians 15:17 (KJV)
Have you ever been asked, “How do you know that you have the right religion?” I am sure that you have heard the position that all religions should be respected and are equal. I strongly submit to you that the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ separates our religion from all others.
If you are resolutely committed to a religion that does not report a bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, your religion has been reduced to a set of ritualistic rules and tyrannical traditions. It is also empty, error-filled, fixed in falsehoods and situated in a satanic stronghold. Possessing the right religion is germane to being situated for salvation. In addition, the right religion rewards us with the right relationship with God.
To illustrate, consider the consciences of those who made considerable contributions to the constructs of the Constitution of the United States. You will discover that they enjoyed a uniform position on the need of God and His Word. Here is what the first president of the United States of America said about God and the Bible: “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.”
Consider another reference that is a contemporary to the American Constitution, the Webster’s dictionary. Noah Webster's publication, An American Dictionary of the English Language, is widely considered an important work for a substantial number of many modern readers. As a reference tool, it is invaluable to anyone studying the national documents and literature of the period. It is exceptional in equipping the reader with the understanding and the meaning of words that have possibly changed with the passage of time. It is also important to note that many of Noah Webster's word definitions contain references to the King James Bible.
For these reasons, I elected to turn to this superior resource established 192 years ago for our definition of the word religion. According to Webster’s dictionary (1828):
“Religion, in its most comprehensive sense, includes a belief in the being and perfections of God, in the revelation of his will to man, in man's obligation to obey his commands, in a state of reward and punishment, and in man's accountableness to God; and also true godliness or piety of life, with the practice of all moral duties. It therefore comprehends theology, as a system of doctrines or principles, as well as practical piety; for the practice of moral duties without a belief in a divine lawgiver, and without reference to his will or commands, is not religion.”
In comparison, consider a current definition of the word “religion” rendered by Dictionary.com in 2020. According to this source, religion is defined as:
“A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.”
I believe because of political correctness, this what we do not see in this contemporary definition:
A belief in the being and perfections of God,
A belief in the revelation of God’s will to man,
A belief in man's obligation to obey God’s commands,
A belief in a state of reward and punishment,
A belief in man's accountableness to God, or
A belief in man’s obligation to true godliness or piety of life, with the practice of all moral duties.
Most scholars estimate that there are around 4,200 active religions in the world and nearly 75% of the world's population practices one of the five most influential religions of the world: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. True followers of Jesus Christ are distinguished from other belief systems by remaining fixed in the foundation of our faith. We must reinforce our religion and relationship with God by being resolute and resting in the truth of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
For the Glory of God,
PBKSR