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Rituals versus Relationship
Most religions that exist today teach that people have to do certain tasks such as performing good works, performing rituals and duties, praying and meditating, etc. to make themselves worthy to reach an elevated state of being or to be at peace with their deity. Christianity is different in that it is all about having a personal relationship with God.

The bible tells us in Romans 8:15-16:
“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

Christianity is not a life of following rules and traditions taught by men, but one of loving God and walking in a relationship with him in the understanding that he adopts us as his children. We adhere to God’s teachings and obey God’s commands because we are His children and we love Him.

The Grace of God
The Bible teaches that there is nothing that people can do to make themselves acceptable to the Almighty God. But, that God, in his own goodness and grace, has made a way for man to be reunited in relationship with him.

It says in Ephesians 2:8-10:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

We have no ablity to save ourselves, but salvation comes by God’s grace, through faith in his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Religion, on the other hand, tells us that it is our works that make us acceptable to God.

The Christian Life
A person needs to acknowledge this fact and believe in the work of what Jesus did on the cross to be saved from eternal death. The life a Christian lives is not one of following laws and rules in order to be made acceptable, but is one of understanding that Jesus has already lived a perfect life on their behalf and that life of intimacy and loving God naturally follows.

1 Peter 3:18:
“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God”

Even if a Christian should stumble in this walk with God, they have peace in the fact that their sins have been forgiven once and for all and can continue to look forward to living a life that pleases God. Christians repent and are genuinely sorry for their sins and change their lives based on this confidence.