Contrary To The Natural Course

All people on the face of the earth are all endowed with a basic, inherent knowledge of right and wrong. In other words, everyone knows they shouldn't steal, rape or murder their fellow man. We will call this, "natural religion". By natural, I mean that we don't need a bible, koran, or any other book or religion to teach us right from wrong. Natural religion is an internal knowledge that we hold, that that isn't dependent on outside sources.

Natural religion goes further though. We also know without a bible or a koran that we shouldn't be selfish and live merely to please ourselves, especially while ignoring the needs of others. When we see someone that needs help, we instinctively feel compelled to help them. When we see someone in need and decide to go against our conscience and fulfill some selfish desire, then we experience guilt.

All of the religions of the world follow after the natural course. All religions follow after natural religion. Much of what all religions teach is truth, because what they teach is naturally and inherently in every person. Therefore most religion makes sense to people. It makes sense that we need to do the right thing to please God. It makes sense that we shouldn't harm anyone and treat each other with respect. It makes sense to help our neighbor when he is in need. It also makes sense due to natural religion, that we need to do something to make things right with God. All men naturally feel shut out from God. We don't need a book or religion to tell us that.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is contrary to all religion. It is anti-religion. Religion leaves men drowning in their guilt trying to please God and gain eternal life by doing the commandments of God. It leaves men grasping one commandment after another, as a knot in a rope, trying to get to God. It is FUTILE and worse than useless.
The truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ is this... All have sinned against a holy God and are already guilty. All sinners are already in a condemned state and on their way to hell. Trying to earn eternal life after having violated our own conscience, is useless. It's way too late to make it right. We owe God the equivalent of a billion spiritual dollars and we are morally bankrupt. This is when the greatest news comes. God gave His Son to die and shed His blood in order to pay the penalty for our sin. This He did by Himself. Having paid the price with His own blood (that's what God requires for sin), Jesus didn't stay dead though. After submitting Himself to the due penalty for our sin, which is death, and having gone to hell where sinners go, God raised Him from the dead and placed Him at His right hand never to die again. The justice of God was satisfied. His wrath was quenched through the payment made by Jesus.

Now, God is willing to forgive sinners and call them completely righteous, freely, on the basis of what Jesus did for us, and not what we do for Him. On the basis of Christ's overcoming life, His death on the cross and resurrection, God is willing and offering us a free gift of salvation. We can now be completely forgiven and accepted by God under one condition... If we place our faith and trust on the finished work of Jesus Christ and rely ONLY on His merits getting us to heaven, not ours. This is contrary to the natural course of things. This is AMAZING!.. That God should call a guilty hell-deserving sinner, COMPLETELY RIGHTEOUS, and do it as a free gift! Why? Because He counted Jesus a sinner when He was not. This offer is unlike any religion in that it is offered to the UNGODLY SINNER (While he is still in his sin!) WHO DOESN'T WORK FOR HIS SALVATION BUT BELIEVES with all his heart that what Jesus did is enough to get him into heaven. This separates true Christianity from all religions. This is contrary to everything we have ever known and thought. That being right with God free from all of our good works and is reliant upon ONE thing... Faith in Christ.