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I started out believing I was a Christian because I was raised in church. At age 11 I was both baptized in Jesus name by choice and I received the in dwelling of God's Holy Spirit. I became an avid reader of the bible and I began to understand things that in my understanding were contrary to the teaching I was receiving. In the organization I was in, outward appearance was the show the world viewed of your saint-hood. My understanding of the word I was reading was that the world would know us by how we loved one another. I was taught about the punishment for sin, but when I read the bible it read that God loved us when we were yet sinners and Christ died for us so that we may be free from the bondage of sin. I understood that to mean that I don't stop sinning because I accept Christ as my savior but I now have power to overcome those things that seem natural but are not acceptable to God. I read and understood the bible for myself and saw that religion is an action but Christianity is an attitude. Religion is when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, take care of the motherless, fatherless, poor, widows. Christianity is when we open our home and invite them to eat with us and share love with them. Religion is when we attend church. Christianity is when we praise and worship God as we are driving down the highway just because he's God. Christianity is when we attend church, we fellowship with those we don't know more than those we do. Religion is a duty. Christianity is a desire to seek the lord first believing that he will give us the desire of our heart if we keep his commandments. Religion is what I do. Christianity is how and why I do. I love God because he first loved me. I share the love of God with others because I believe everyone needs to know they are loved. I sacrifice my time and energy in ministry at my church because I want those who come in to our service, whether they have a relationship with God or they don't know him at all, feel the love of God surrounding them and embracing them so that they will seek him and develop a relationship with him. I understand there is a difference between religion and Christianity, but I also believe they can work hand in hand to help develop a true relationship with God.

Learn more about this author, Liwana Woolridge.
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