"Christianity isn't a religion, it's a relationship."
I am not 100% certain, but I suspect in one of my older blog entries that I have used this dumb statement. I know in the past, for certain, that I have spoke it when talking with others. The fact is, this statement is utterly untrue. I am not sure where this nonsense originated, but countless numbers of Christians regurgitate this foolishness without a single thought toward it. The fact is, Christianity is both a religion and a relationship. Any fool that avoids calling Christianity a religion because of his/her personal distaste for the word (and/or his/her lack of understanding as to the word) is merely illustrating his/her own ignorance. Read any historical Christian material and you will see that they had no problem identifying Christianity as a religion or referring to themselves as religious. Read Charles Spurgeon and you will see that he had no problem identifying Christianity as a religion or referring to himself as being religious. Christianity is a religion. In fact, it is the only true religion. All others are false, and every follower of any other religions will find themselves in Hell for having broken God's laws. Christianity is a God-made religion, whereas all other religions are man-made.
"I'm not a Christian, I'm a Jesus Follower."
I believe that I have addressed this dumb statement in an older blog entry. A Christian and a Jesus Follower are one in the same. Any fool who avoids calling him/herself a Christian because of the many false converts and hypocrites out there giving Christianity a bad name is merely illustrating his/her own ignorance. Do you not think there are false converts out there calling themselves Jesus Followers, too? Making up a new term to replace an old term does not change what that term is intended to mean. Changing B.C. and A.D. to B.C.E. and C.E. because you want to eliminate Christ from the equation does not change a thing; you merely provide a more accurate equation for Christ: Before Christ's Era and Christ's Era. Calling yourself a Christian or calling yourself a Jesus Follower, they both amount to the same thing. It is an attempt to split a single hair.
"I don't do anything religious."
Yes, you do. If you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs as a means of worship, you are doing something religious. If you partake of baptism and the Lord's Supper, which are both ordinances the Christian is commanded to do, you are doing something religious. Christians do a great many things that are religious, and there is nothing wrong with that. These religious things are part of our religion. What the Christian does not do is religious superstitions such as those found in the Catholic church or other false religions such as Islam, Mormonism, or the Jehovah's Witnesses.
"It's not about perfection, it's about direction."
This is an absolutely dumb statement, and one I am sad to say that I have repeated many times. When you sit down and think about it, this statement is entirely false. It is very much about perfection: "you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. 5:48); "You shall be holy, for I am holy" (1 Pet. 1:16). It is about direction, but it is also about perfection. God demands nothing less. Anyone who says otherwise has not read the New Testament very well or very closely. It is about perfection and it is about direction. God has set the standard as to holiness. We are to strive toward that goal. That standard is our direction. That standard is perfection. No genuine Christian who has been born again from above and knows the love of God is content to remain where they are. They run the race set before them. They read what the Bible says about the Christian and they strive to emulate it by becoming more Christ-like.
This statement is utter nonsense. The Gospel needs to be preached with words at all times. "How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? ... So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" (Rom. 10:14, 17). You cannot preach the Gospel without words. This statement is spewed by pseudo-Christians and cowardly Christians who do not want to obey Jesus.
"God helps those who help themselves."
No, He does not. This ridiculous saying is akin to "Cleanliness is next
to godliness." It is not biblical, and it is not found in the Bible. The
only place you will find it is in the Book of Opinions. This phrase is
usually used by the wealthy and/or crooked trying to justify their
actions. What this basically says is that those who cannot help
themselves, or are unable to help themselves, God leaves in a ditch
struggling by themselves; that God does not care about such people. This statement is contradicted by Proverbs 3:5, 28:26, and Jeremiah 17:5.
What do these even mean? I know how some people use them, and intend them, but they are completely wrong. Neither is true. You cannot be so focused on the one that you are of no good to the other. Jesus said, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matt. 6:33). That right there seems to be highly heavenly minded. It certainly does not mean that you are of no earthly good. In fact, you are probably going to be the most earthly good by doing so. Even Colossians 3:1-4, Hebrews 11:16 and 13:14 speak to the same thing.
This phrase is misleading at best, and destructive at worst. It implies that we must stop doing anything and everything, and let God do all the work. This is completely contrary to the teachings of Scripture. In the Bible, trusting God is never equated with doing nothing. It also encourages passivity in a Christian's life, to sit back and do nothing and simply allow things to happen, which again is contrary to the teachings of Scripture. A better phrase to use to encourage others would be, "Trust God and get going."
Not only is this prescription not found in the New Testament, but it is also nonsensical. First, the heart does nothing but pump blood throughout your body. The heart does not believe anything, think anything, or feel anything. All of that belongs to your mental faculties. Second, the Bible's prescription tells people to "repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15).
"Make a decision for Christ."
You do not "make a decision" for Christ, He makes a decision for you. You do not "choose" Christ, He chooses you. Christians really need to stop spewing these asinine clichés. It might help if they actually spent time reading their Bibles and paying attention to what the Bible says. All these cute clichés have done is fill the church with masses of false converts. How about you obey the Bible and preach the Gospel. Follow God's prescription. He knows better than you do.
"Just try Jesus."
You do not "try" Jesus. He is not a donut or a test drive. You either repent and believe the Gospel, trusting in the Person and work of Christ Jesus upon the cross at Calvary, or you do not. There is nothing to "try." You cannot "try" a rescue. You cannot "try" a resurrection. You cannot "try" regeneration. Jesus is not one option among many. He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). He is the only answer. Would you attempt to tell someone to "try" death? You are either dead, or you are not. There is no "trying" it. It is a stupid suggestion: "Try Jesus." If you are "trying" Jesus, you are wading into the Lake of Fire. You can be "hot" for Jesus, or you can be "cold" for Jesus, but you cannot be "lukewarm."
"Make Jesus your Lord and Saviour."
You do not "make" Jesus your Lord and Saviour. Either He is your Lord and Saviour, or He is not. And He is not one or the other. If He is Saviour of your life, then He is also Lord of your life. If He is not Lord of your life, then He is not Saviour of your life. Jesus will not save those whom He cannot rule. You either belong to Him completely, or not at all.