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Hi, I'm a guy believer of god so I wonder if anyone of you can answer me a question. What is really make you christian is it the religion which you belong or is your relationship with Jesus Christ?
Paul Weinstock

Hello Paul and welcome to Christians Unite forum.

The term you use, (religion) is a man made term. Just like denominations is another man made term, to show you are a member of religion. There are members of the church that really aren't members. The only question is, which do you follow?

My relationship with Christ is makes me a Christian. I follow NOT any religion, or denominations, but the Bible which is the Word of God.
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Edited to add: Paul this forum is a Christian Forum, not a denomination forum.

Moderator

Welcome Paul

We don't do denominations here, but no, catholics aren't Christians

Hello Paul,

As already said we don't do denominations here. It is not being Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist or any of the others that makes a person a Christian. It is a right relationship with God that makes one a Christian not anything other.

 

Acts 26:5; Gal. 1:13,14; James 1:26.27. The Bible states Judaism is a religion - Jesus was Jewish - therefore Jesus was religious. While our relationship with Christ IS what matters and makes us Christians, the term 'religion" is not just a man-made term. I think people go overboard with this idea.

In most denominations including Catholics, there will be some real Christians (ie real believers that are born again). [Just like in some churches, where the teachings are mostly wrong, there may be a few that are real believers]. When one is born again, there will be a relationship with God.

However, generally speaking I will not classify Catholics as real believers (although for some of them I will say that they are real believers --see above paragraph) due to the doctrines that they teach. First, the Christian bible (which contains 66 books) is different (has lesser books) from the Catholic bible (the numbering of the verses are different. But there are more important differences (ie many of the teachings of the Catholic church  are contrary to the Bible)  for example :

--Catholics teach that the final authority is the church and not the bible (and the bible is subject to the Church)
--Catholics teach about papal infability which is not in the bible
--The bible says not to have any statues and to pray to God only. But Catholics have statutes and pray to Mary.
--The bible never mentions purgatory while the Catholic Church mentions that there is purgatory
--Many others

You may want to look at the below to help you.
http://www.catholicconcerns.com/
http://www.bereanbeacon.org/

Lastly,my suggestion is to read the Christian bible  and compare it with the Cathecism of the Catholic Church. For me, although there are real born again believers in the  Catholic church, I will not go there because I do not  want to expose myself to wrong teachings.

There will always be wrong teachings here and there, that's why its so important to read the bible  to know when one is faced with wrong teaching.

Hello Paul,

WELCOME!


I hope that you enjoy Christians Unite, and I look forward to having fellowship with you.

I think that enough has already been said about denominations, so I won't belabor that point. I agree with the thoughts already given to you by others. Being a Christians means that the person belongs to CHRIST, and CHRIST is the HEAD over their lives.

If you read the Statement of Faith for Christians Unite, you'll get a good idea about what most of us believe. It's all from GOD'S WORD and centers on JESUS CHRIST, our LORD and SAVIOUR. There is a clear distinction between teaching from GOD'S WORD and the teachings from men, so GOD'S WORD is the ONLY TRUTH that is used to measure all. Likewise, GOD knows those who belong to HIM because the SEAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT is on their hearts, and THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD lives in their hearts. All truly SAVED people belong to a CHURCH not made with human hands - THE CHURCH WHICH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST. This is not a physical building - rather a SPIRITUAL BUILDING that is ETERNAL. ONLY CHRIST HIMSELF is the HEAD over HIS CHURCH, and 100% of the members are SAVED. "MEMBERS" is a most correct term since SAVED People are MEMBERS of CHRIST'S OWN BODY. The MEMBERS are IN CHRIST, and HE is IN them.

The name over the door of a SAVED PERSON'S local assembly means nothing, and the same is true for whatever denomination the local assembly claimed to be. The teachings and traditions of men didn't SAVE them, and neither did forms, ceremonies, rituals, sacraments, or other outward actions of men. ONLY JESUS CHRIST can rescue a lost person from the curse of sin and death, so JESUS CHRIST is the ONLY WAY to SALVATION. See the following post:

Love In Christ,
Tom

1:  Romans 3:10 NASB  as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."

2:  Romans 3:23  NASB  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

3:  Romans 5:12  NASB  Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned--

4:  Romans 6:23  NASB  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

5:  Romans 1:18  NASB  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

6:  Romans 3:20  NASB  because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

7:  Romans 3:27  NASB  Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

8:  Romans 5:8-9  NASB  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

9:  Romans 2:4  NASB  Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

10:  Romans 3:22  NASB  even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;

11:  Romans 3:28  NASB  For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

12:  Romans 10:9  NASB  that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

13:  Romans 4:21  NASB  and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

14:  Romans 4:24 NASB  but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

15:  Romans 5:1  NASB  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

16:  Romans 10:10  NASB  for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

17:  Romans 10:13  NASB  for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."

Jesus said, "Ye must be born again." That means a whole new life and new person. There is a change in you because of your relationship with Jesus Christ. We are not saved according to our denomination, but according to whether or not we have called on the Lord in repentance to forgive and save us. That is evidenced by a change in us, for we should now have a desire to live for the Lord and to please Him and not ourselves or others by following man-made religions and false teachings.