More Than A Religious Cliché · Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27)

There’re those who say "nice" things about us Christians; they tell us Christianity is the best religion in the world. It’s kind of them to say such nice words about Christianity, but Christianity isn’t a religion at all. As long as many assume Christianity to be a religion, they miss the blessing and impact of the transcendent life in Christ to which we’ve been called. 

The Bible never presents Christianity as a religion. The reason many tend to equate Christianity with religion is because of some of the activities in Christianity which are consistent with religion. There may be religion in Christianity; James 1:27 clarifies that for us: "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." 

The foregoing scripture doesn’t make Christianity a religion. For example, that you have a kitchen in your house doesn’t make your whole house a kitchen. In religion, man is in search of a "God"; he wants to serve and relate with "God," because he believes there’s a God. So, he wants to pray to, and worship, that "God." Therefore, in pursuit of his dream to serve that "God," whoever "that God" may be, he carries out so many different activities; that’s religion. 

The difference in Christianity is about the man Jesus; it’s about His life that was poured out, so man, instead of searching for God, can be an associate of the God-kind. That’s Christianity; it’s the life of Christ in a human being. 

Now, when we say, "Christianity is the life of Christ in a human person," it isn’t a mere religious cliché, neither does it merely relate to some piousness in the way we do what we do; no! We’re talking about the actual supplanting of the human life by the supernatural life of Christ; it is the infusion of Christ into the human person; the outworking of divinity in a human vessel; the unveiling of the Christ-life in a believing one. Having this clear understanding about Christianity sets you on course to live triumphantly every day, because you’ve come to know that greater is He that’s in you, than he that’s in the world.

Prayer 

Dear Father, thank you for the reality of the divine life in Christ Jesus, who has defeated death and has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Now, I live a joyful, exuberant, and glorious life in Christ; a life of absolute liberty, victory and dominion over Satan and circumstances, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

further study: Colossians 1:26-27; 1 John 4:4; 1 John 5:4

: Mark 15:1-20 Numbers 32-33

: Acts 27:1-8 Psalm 73