When many people ask me about myself, after my name, Christian is likely not too far behind it. I assume it spooks some people out, others feel the need to place a defensive stance, and others, due to their limited knowledge of what it entails, are impartial to the word. Those who are more familiar with it classify it as a religion.

“Ah, so you do this and don’t do that. You have this practice or tradition.” All to which I would challenge by saying that Biblical Christianity and Religious Christianity are two vastly different things.

Religious Christianity can be placed in a similar bracket with any other religion at the surface level. Do good, be a “good person,” get good results. Easy enough, right? Likely, you go to church every Sunday and maybe do a charity drive. A “good person.”  But what if I told you that that’s not accurate to true Biblical Christianity at all, matter of fact, those solely religious-based practices are mocked by Jesus himself in the bible (Matthew 23:23- “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb garden but ignore the most important aspects of the law – justice, mercy and faith….”), and that is exactly why Biblical Christianity separates itself from all other religions.

Before I move on, I must tell you the core of my faith, not my religion, my faith in a nutshell. Christian was a derogatory term given to the people who followed Jesus Christ of Nazareth, a Jewish man who claimed to be the Christ, the Son of God. You see, the bible paints this beautiful, historically proven, and factual account of the only living God. He chose Israel as the people He would use to spread his name throughout the earth so that all His creation would serve Him by taking care of the earth and each other as he designed. To reveal Himself to Israel, He freed them from slavery, gave them constant victory over wars, and provided land and everything they needed miraculously so that they and the world would know that He was the Lord.

In response, the Israelites kept choosing to serve foreign idols, gods of wood and stone and gold or other men; things that they could see tangibly, because though the acts of God were always clear, they always preferred to run to material things to idolize. This is where Christianity places other religions for context. We view them as groups who worship idols of gold, statues, precious metals and jewels, money, power, themselves or celebrities; anything that was created by God that man has assigned undue exultation to. Here is what God told His servant to tell the people of Israel in Jeremiah 10:5: “Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.”

Still, Israel asked Him for human kings to worship, and over time, God saw that their hearts were drawn to do things that harm themselves and others. Things that He explicitly told them not to do multiple times, and I mean multiple times, do not do.

Over time, He gives them over to their foreign idols, who can neither speak, nor hear, nor see; gods who people said required human and animal sacrifices and rituals from them to make them “good”, religions.  Steadfast in His pursuit of them, though, God sends messengers after messengers called prophets, warning the people about what will happen to them if they continue like this, all of which comes to pass as said. They are sold to Babylon, their city was destroyed, they were conquered by Rome, a whole mess really. Remember, this is historically accurate as well, so you can do your research and see for yourself.

The prophets tell the people that they will be taken captive, and their land will be destroyed because the Lord is removing his protective covering hand over them, because they rejected Him. But He leaves them a promise. He told them Because I love you, and I love the world, and I hate what sin does to the world and the people I love, I am sending my son as a sacrifice to atone for all your sins in the past. After this, humans and God would no longer be separated, because sin is actively choosing to do the things God hates, which separates us from Him. With our sins covered, His spirit would live in us and be with us if we just believe that Jesus is His son who came to die for us and turn from sin. A pretty good deal in my opinion.

The best part of the account is that after Jesus was killed publicly, over 500 people saw Jesus in person again days later, as was prophesied 400 years prior. These people went on to be killed, trying to tell the world to believe and have a new life with the living God. Christians. A God that speaks to you, that actively answers your wants and needs, but most importantly, is the only God that you don’t have to DO any works for him to love you or bless you. He loved you so much that all he wanted was for you to accept Him so that you and He could have a close, intimate, and personal relationship.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

And that’s what I did, I believed that Jesus is the son of God, and my world got colors for the first time, and it gets brighter every day. I was the angriest, most depressed adolescent you could imagine, and God has changed my heart to the point where I’m unrecognizable to myself. Someone jovial and calm, literally a miracle in itself.

I serve a God who speaks to me and listens to my cries. I serve a God who created everything in existence and tells me exactly who he created me to be, so I don’t ever have to be confused or lean on society to do it for me. I serve a God that doesn’t require chants or offerings or rituals, because all He truly wants is my heart and for me to love Him and love people. Not only that, but He helps me not to sin. He at no point leaves me alone and says you have to be able to do everything and be everything to be saved or loved, He only says to accept His salvation, it is His gift to humanity because he loves us.

So, I go to church because I love Him too, and I pray my own custom prayers to him because we have a relationship, and I give to the needy because the longer I spend time with Him, the more He changes my heart to love people like he does, and hate the things that he hates like death and lies.

I used to think of people who made Christianity their whole personality cringy, truly! But I cannot fully emphasize to anyone the ethereal bliss that comes from a genuine relationship with your creator. He saved me from myself and from the things I did that hurt myself and people. So, no more rage, suicidal ideation, pride, or self-loathing (I promise you I’m not perfect, so much improved).

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1: 8-9

And many think “it’s her lifestyle choice, and I love that for her; she needs it.” But to them I say I didn’t need him because I was weak, or in a low place, I needed him because I was human, and I believe it’s impossible to be complete, whole, deeply and abundantly fulfilled in life, free from the shame of our sins and blessed with childlike joy always without him.

So, if you’ve read this far, I have one challenge for you: be curious. I am a Christian because I was curious enough to challenge my family’s beliefs and see how substantial they were.

Never accept anything as a fact unless you’ve tested the evidence. Ask fundamental questions about creation, life, religions, morality, and ensure that if you’re basing your life on it, it can be strongly challenged and is able to stand the test of time. If you come to a different solid conclusion, I’ll buy you a coffee! But don’t spend your whole life not knowing and not caring about why you are even here.

Controversial, words yes, but I promise, I wouldn’t tell you about my God if I didn’t know that he loved you too, so very much.