That little box called religion

Mention the name of Jesus and he is usually relegated to that little religious box which really isn't big enough to contain him.

He is unique and supernatural. He turned water into wine; made the blind to see, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear. He is still doing that today through those who take him at his word and have the faith to believe in and practise what he said.

Unfortunately they are too few, and Christianity has become just another "religion." In the main it has none of the aforesaid signs and wonders that Jesus, the disciples and apostles did. Christ not only said he represented God, and was from God, but proved it by those signs, wonders and miracles. Christianity was always intended to be a supernatural faith.

Some (so-called) Christians say that was only for the Early Church. However, only one supernatural event happening in the 21st century gives the lie to that theory. There have been many such events in the area of healing alone, when medical science has not been able to achieve it.

Jesus is the only one among many "religious figures" who willingly went to death on a cross to atone for our sins. There are biblical witnesses to Jesus rising from the dead. His promise is that believers will do the same.

He says that will happen simply because of trust and faith in him; and (contrary to popular belief) not by any good works that any of us might do. Good works are admirable, but in doing them we still never reach God´s perfect, holy standard. The Bible says we are all sinners, we all fall short, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. That bursts our pride like a pin to a balloon. It is only by faith in Christ we meet God´s terms.

Jesus is God reaching down to man and meeting him, not man striving to reach up to God, which is the case with other "faiths."

There is no striving, no effort required in terms of physical works to obtain eternal life. Salvation is by God´s grace alone, though the Bible does say that faith without accompanying works is dead. Jesus said why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do as I say?

Millions around the world have responded to Jesus´ claims, yet millions of others will not. They won´t because faith doesn´t fit into the mindset of living by the five senses - hearing, sight, smell, taste, touch. To trust in those alone is living in the carnal realm.

There is a spiritual realm, but we will never experience it until we believe. People say show me God and I will believe, but God says believe and I will show you.

God doesn´t fit into our human limitations and thinking. There is so much beyond our control – our length of life, the weather; the seasons; the stars, sun, moon, sky, clouds.

It is surely much easier to believe there is a Master Designer than to believe in evolution or a "big bang."