Assalaam `alaikum

Dear Friend,

"Let's not talk about religion." Have you ever heard that? Why is that? Well, most times it's because people feel that religion separates people. It causes hard feelings and disrupts friendships. But does true religion do that? Doesn't genuine religion treat others as they want to be treated? Yes, it is fair to admit that religion does cause hard feelings sometimes and it does disrupt friendships, but why is that? I have found that some times it's because someone risks "losing their honour" because they are presented with new evidence making them realize that something they held to be true or something their parents and family believed isn't completely true. Some times information is shared in an inappropriate way--the process of sharing information needs to be done kindly and truthfully and humbly. In the process it is also important to think about God's view of honour and realize that his honour is the ultimate honour, lest we continue to follow the traditions we have been taught and stand in dishonour before God on the day of judgment.

So how will we honour God? When the prophet Jesus lived on this earth, he taught the need to honour each other by loving our neighbor as ourselves. Later in the Injil, one of the apostles recorded that there is no law against living in obedience and submission to the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is not the breath of God nor the angel Jibra'el but the very essence of God which causes his character and desires to work in human beings. Following this Spirit is what it means to follow Jesus Christ. This honours God by bringing us back into the relationship that mankind was created in. Many times when people think about "religion" they think of a set of laws that one follows in order to make themselves acceptable to God. That may be some people's idea of "religion" but that is not what it means to be part of God's kingdom or to have true religion. True religion must be empowered by the Holy Spirit of God. It is a changing power in our lives. When it is in force it naturally fulfills the law that God gives and brings him honour.

Many times "religion" is equated with forcing one's beliefs on others or adhering to facts so rigidly that in the end, they bring harm to their fellow human beings. Of course that is wrong and dishonours God. True religion is naturally concerned about truth. However, when one person claims to know the truth, others may think he is claiming to be better than they. Many times this creates hard feelings. But does it have to? I believe these hard feelings partly come because many people see religion as the way to be acceptable to God instead of recognizing that true religion is living what we believe because we have been made acceptable to God. So how can we be made acceptable before God so we can stand before him in honour? Believing in Jesus Christ is trusting him to make us acceptable to God, not on our own merit, but on his and then humbly living in the light of this. So to have true faith in Jesus is to admit that I'm not better than anyone. The only way for me to have true faith in Jesus is to admit that my sin causes me to fall just as far short of God's law as anyone else. Only then can I exercise true faith and true religion.

Believing in what Jesus Christ has done for mankind is not boasting, but is thankfully dealing with the truth in a way that agrees with reality. Belief in Jesus Christ is just as much an attitude as an action. The Bible teaches that the news of the death of Jesus Christ has eternal consequences for you and me. For this reason I share this with you. I trust that it will not create hard feelings. I consider myself an undeserving but grateful recipient sharing the good news with his friends. I wasn't born with faith in Jesus; you may not have been either. So, I want to give you a reasonable opportunity to investigate further and find out why Jesus and those who follow him think it is reasonable that all should hear this wonderful news and rejoice in it.

Sincerely,
Your friend, a servant of truth and friendship

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NIV®
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