During his service, he noticed that many of the practices of the Catholic Church didn’t seem to line up with true Biblical teachings.
For example, he disagreed with the practice of requiring peasants to buy icons so their deceased relatives may be released from Purgatory.
He was also concerned with translating the Bible so that the commoner could read and understand God’s word for himself. Up until that time, the Bible was written only in Latin and could therefore only be understood by the monks and priests. The commoner had to take the priest at his word when he said, “God’s word says, ...”
Over time, others got involved and now there are many different denominations under the umbrella of Protestantism.
Despite the many differences among the various denominations, the underlying theme is this – Jesus Christ is the true Son of God.
He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on a cross for the sins of the world and rose again on the third day.
This is the crux of Christianity. It is no fairy tale. Jesus Christ really did walk on this earth 2,000 years ago, and he is alive and well today.
Many would deny it, claiming that the disciples stole his body, but if that were the case, why would they have endured torture and cruel deaths for proclaiming the message of Christ? Wouldn’t it have been easier to admit that they stole the body and avoid a death like upside-down crucifixion?
Having said that, I wish to depart from the general theme of religion. The denominations of Protestantism may seem confusing to most people, and rightly so.
The reason for this confusion is because the message of Christ has become so ritualistic over the past 2,000 years.
In many cases it has truly become a religion. Through history, groups couldn’t agree with each other, so they broke away and formed their own denominations under the same cloak of Christianity. An example of this is the Church of England.
Despite all this, it is my earnest prayer that people will come to realize that Christianity is not a religion — it is a confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and a personal relationship with him, using the Bible as a guide. It is no more difficult than that.
They end up focusing on the ritual and lose the relationship. This is not how it should be.
Christianity should be about the relationship. How does one build a strong relationship with the creator of the universe? Through daily meditation on God’s word and ceaseless prayer.
If you want a stronger relationship with someone, you’ve got to spend more
time with that person, right? The same principle applies to a relationship with
God.
This requires more than a simple, “Lord, bless this food. Amen,” and
“God, watch over me as I sleep. Amen.”
It may seem like there are many rules and regulations in Christianity. This is not the case.
After a person accepts Christ as Lord and Savior, God puts his love in his or her heart. As a result, that person may, out of love, choose to live a certain lifestyle so that he or she will not displease God.
For example, if a man chooses to give up swearing after accepting Christ, it is simply because he begins to feel that swearing may not be pleasing to God.
It is NOT because somewhere it’s written, “Thou shalt not swear.” The only “rules” are those within God’s word and what the Holy Spirit impresses on our hearts.
However, in order to hear God’s voice clearly, we must have a solid relationship with him.
A large tome could not hold what is left to be explained. Space constraints prevent me from doing so here.
Nevertheless, consider these words, and let God reveal himself to you in his time.