When it comes to religions, Christianity can appear pretty “untidy” and counterintuitive, when viewed from the outside.

That’s because Christianity doesn’t conform to most people’s preconceived notions about how “religion” should be.

Most people prefer a religion that is predictable, controllable and restricted in reach. They want it limited to Sundays, or “holy days,” and it must never interfere with “real life” on the outside of the Church’s four walls.

More like a philosophy or creed, man-made religion is tailored to fit the lives of its adherents without poking around too much in their personal lives.

Christianity, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is seldom predictable and almost never formal, seeing itself as a family, not a factory.

In healthy families, it’s hard to hide behind rote ceremonies and repetitive practices — parents and siblings won’t allow it.

Families challenge one another, require more than just turning up on holidays; they expect transparency, honesty, vulnerability.

That’s why true, vibrant Christianity seems “messy” at times, just like families are messy.

All religions have “issues.”

Now that doesn’t mean other religions possess fewer quirks, contradictions and ironies. A Jewish rabbi recently published an amusing story in The Wall Street Journal to emphasize the point:

“Heshie Finkleman is talking with his friend, Shmuel Koenigsberg, after a recent trip to Warsaw. ‘In Warsaw,’ Heshie reports, ‘I met a Jew who had memorized vast stretches of the Talmud. I met a Jew who was an atheist. I met a Jew who ran a very successful furniture business. I met a Jew who was a strong socialist. I met a Jew who gave vast sums to charity. I met a Jew who was cynical about the way charities spend their money.’

‘Well,’ said Shmuel, ‘none of this is surprising. Warsaw after all is a big city.’ ‘You don’t understand,’ Heshie replied, ‘I’m talking about the same Jew.’”

You could say the same about most of the other religious traditions as well.

Getting Real

What confuses people about true biblical Christianity is that is less a religion, and more of a personal relationship with God.

And that’s what makes it unique and drives its members to their knees in dependence on the connecting/enabling power of the Holy Spirit.

No two people experience relationships the same — we all have widely varied backgrounds and we come to God (or more correctly, He comes to us) by different roads.

Christianity stands apart from other religions with respect to how a person gains entrance in the first place.

Most of the others are rules-based (vis-à-vis grace) and either require their members to adhere to “the Law” (that is the 10 commandments plus 613 additional laws and regulations) or, various similar codes of behavior just to “gain entrance.”

Trouble is, it doesn’t work …

In Believer’s Bible Commentary, the late Bible commentator Bill MacDonald wrote:

“As C.H. Mackintosh says, ‘The Law demands strength from one who has none and curses him if he cannot display it. The Gospel (grace) gives strength to one who has none and blesses him in the exhibition of it.’”

“’Run, John, and live,’ the Law commands,
But gives me neither legs nor hands;
Far better news the Gospel brings,
It bids me fly and gives me wings.”

Dogs bark, ducks quack, and sinners sin. Putting lipstick on human striving “in the flesh” doesn’t change a thing.

Now for the counter-intuitive bit.

So, what’s the secret to Christianity’s survival? God is not limited by human shortcomings.

As MacDonald pointed out, “God often uses weak, despised, poor instruments to accomplish His work in order that the glory will be His and not man’s.”

He doesn’t care what OUR résumé looks like, in view of His own record of accomplishments.

Religion says, “Do, do, do,” Christianity says, “Done, done, done.” It’s all grace.

William R. Newell, in his book Romans Verse by Verse, lists some of the otherworldly truths about grace and its intended effects upon man’s heart:

• To preach devotion first and blessing second, is to reverse God’s order and preach Law, not Grace. The Law made man’s blessing depend on devotion; Grace confers undeserved, unconditional blessing: our devotion may follow, but does not always do so in proper measure.
• The discovery by the creature that he is truly the object of Divine Grace, works the utmost humility: for the receiver of Grace is brought to know his own absolute unworthiness, and his complete inability to attain worthiness: yet he finds himself blessed — on another principle, outside of himself!
• Grace, once bestowed is not withdrawn: for God knew all the human exigencies beforehand; His action was independent of them, not dependent upon them.
• To believe, and to consent to be loved while unworthy, is the great secret.

How About You?

Why not let God meet you where you are. Come empty handed and just watch what happens.