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May 22, 2025

Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Thursday, May 22, 2025, and this is episode #5 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “Christianity is NOT a Religion!”

What I am about to say may surprise you, even stun you. But it is a truth with eternal consequences, a truth that is widely misunderstood but needs to be understood.

My statement is this: Christianity is NOT a religion. It is a relationship.

Let me say that again: Christianity is NOT a religion. It is a relationship.

Understanding the difference is crucial to understanding Christianity. You see, my friend, religion is all about earning one’s way to Heaven by doing good works. The American Heritage Dictionary defines “religion” as follows: “A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.” And the leader of every belief system except Christianity teaches that one must earn his way to Heaven by doing good works.

While we cannot explore every belief system in existence today, let’s look at the top most prominent ones outside of Christianity and what their leaders teach. I quote directly from websites on each of these belief systems:

1. Islam: The leader of Islam is Mohammed. Mohammed taught the following. I quote from an article titled “What’s the Road to Heaven according to Islam?” by Professor Shahul Hameed, President of the Kerala Islamic Mission, Calicut, India: I quote Professor Hameed: “. . . In Islam, both faith and good works are of equal importance; indeed they are two sides of the same coin.” (https://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-about-islam/road-heaven-islam/

2. Hinduism: This belief system teaches that a person’s karma, or the sum total of his good and bad deeds in his previous life, determines the level into which he will return in their next life. The ultimate goal is to be released from the rebirth cycle when one reaches moksha. Moksha is what the Hindus believe is ultimate salvation. It is a state of enlightenment achieved only through a series of good works done from one life to the next. Once a person reaches moskha, the rebirth cycle is broken and one goes to loka or Heaven. (https://hinduismfacts.org/reincarnation/salvation/)

3. Buddhism also teaches reincarnation but a continual reincarnation until one reaches nirvana, similar to the Hindu’s moksha. To the Buddhist, death is not an ending but simply the beginning of a new life. What one will become in the new life results from the works one has done in his previous life. This process continues until one becomes free from the cycle of death and rebirth and reaches nirvana, or heaven.

4. Judaism also teaches that salvation results from one’s works. At the same time, salvation for the Jew is collective and national, not personal and individual. Jewish teaching does, however, place responsibility for sin on the sinner. Judaism teaches that the individual can atone for his sin by repentance and by doing good works. He has no need of anyone to save him. He can save himself through repenting of his sin and doing good works to make up for them. (https://chosenpeople.com/salvation-as-interpreted-by-judaism/)

Did you notice that all four of the above belief systems involve good works as an essential part of salvation and going to Heaven?

Yet, when we come to Christianity, we see that good works have nothing to do with salvation and going to Heaven. Let’s read what the Bible says in the Book of Ephesians 2: 8-9 NLT:

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

Christianity teaches that no one can earn his way to Heaven. No one can do enough good works to qualify for Heaven. Why not? Because no human being can meet God’s perfect standard of justice for sin. Not a single one of us could ever pay God enough for our sin against Him.

But, there was One Who could!

And that one was Jesus Christ, God’s only Son.

Jesus is God. He loved us so much that He chose to take on human form so that He could pay the infinite price for our sin. Jesus was God and man combined in a human body.

As man, he could represent humanity. As God, He could pay the just price for our sin.

And that’s exactly what He did!

You see, my friend, God is perfectly holy and perfectly just. Therefore, He requires a perfect payment for sin. But how could man, who is imperfect, pay the perfect price for sin to a perfect God? Man could not.

Because of this dilemma, God paid the price for man. That is the depth of His love for humanity.

God paid that perfect price through Jesus Christ, Who was perfectly God and perfectly man. And salvation is the result!

Salvation is a gift. It becomes yours by simply believing that Jesus Christ is Who He says He is—the Son of God Who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the Cross, and rose from the dead. If you believe this, you, too, can be saved and go to Heaven when you die.

You might say, “But Dr. MaryAnn, that’s a bit far-fetched, isn’t it? To believe that Jesus Christ was really born of a virgin, that He really rose from the dead? How do you expect me to believe that?”

I would say to you, my friend, isn’t what you believe far-fetched as well? It takes more faith to believe the teachings of the false religions than it does to believe the truths of Christianity. You see, the founders of Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism are all still dead. Jesus Christ is the only founder of a belief system who is alive today! There is both historical and scientific proof to the fact that He rose from the dead.

Let me ask you one final question: Is your belief system working for you? Is it bringing you hope, joy, peace, and love? Is it healing your body? Is it removing fear and anxiety from your life? Is it providing for your family?

Christianity does all of these things because Christianity is centered on the Person of Jesus Christ who is Love Personified.

When I embraced Jesus Christ nearly 55 years ago, I became a new person on the inside. In all of my years of walking with Jesus, He has never failed me. And He never will.

If you are weary, depressed, and even in despair, know that God loves you and God knows you. He wants you to know Him as well. He wants to demonstrate His love for you, but He will not force Himself upon you. God does not coerce; God invites.

And He is extending His personal invitation to you today to believe Him and to receive Him into your life. Will you accept His invitation?

If your heart says yes, then pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I cannot save myself. I repent of my sin. I believe that You are the Son of God Who died for me and Who rose from the dead. I invite you now into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Make of me what You created me to be. In Your Name. I pray. Amen.

If you sincerely prayed this prayer from your heart, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at drmaryannn@maryanndiorio.com, and I will send you a free PDF e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again.

In case you are not aware, I write heart-mending fiction that deals with the deepest issues of life. In my stories you will find characters just like you who struggle with what look like impossible problems and situations. Check out my books at my online bookstore at shop.maryanndiorio.com. That’s shop.maryanndiorio.com. 

Winning with the Word is available on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast venues as well as on YouTube. Check out my YouTube channel at youtube.com/drmaryanndiorio.

Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word.

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Source Cited: 

“What’s the Road to Heaven according to Islam?” by Professor Shahul Hameed
https://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-about-islam/road-heaven-islam/

“What 7 Religions Think Happens After You Die” by Amanda Chatel
https://www.bustle.com/articles/55208-do-hindus-believe-in-heaven-what-7-major-religions-believe-about-death-and-the-afterlife

“Salvation” by Rahul
https://hinduismfacts.org/reincarnation/salvation/

“Salvation as Interpreted by Judaism” by David Sedaca
https://chosenpeople.com/salvation-as-interpreted-by-judaism/
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Copyright 2025 by MaryAnn DIorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.