Expert: Dr. Ronald E. Shultz - 11/10/2003

Question
Dr. Shultz

I am a student at Fontbonne University in St. Louis Mo. In my Exploring Religion class I have a task to contact a religious expert online and get a response for the following questions. You help in this matter will be appreciated. The questions are as follows:

a. Define religion;
b. Practically, what is religion?
c. What makes a person religious?
d. What is the true nature of God, man, and creation?
e. What is the ultimate end of man (besides death)?
f. What is considered most "holy or sacred" of this person's faith?  

Answer
a.   Define religion; Religion is man trying to work into the good favor of the god of his/her choice in order to obtain various blessings in this life and the next or maybe the next and next if they are believers in reincarnation.

b.   Practically, what is religion?  It is the physical expression by rites, rituals, etc of the faith of the individual.    

2356  threskeia (thrace-ki'-ah);
from a derivative of 2357; ceremonial observance:
KJV-- religion, worshipping.

4576  sebomai (seb'-om-ahee);
middle voice of an apparently primary verb; to revere, i.e. adore:
KJV-- devout, religious, worship.


c. What makes a person religious?  A religious person may be one who has the internal faith but does not put it into action or one who is involved in numerous acts expressing their faith. Since all religion is fleshly and antithetical to God and thus the enemy of God then whether the faith is of the heart alone or works based is insignificant as it is ineffectual to gain the favor of the one true God.  What all non-authentic Christians and non-Christians worship are either fantasies or devils and hence are damning to the adherent.

d. What is the true nature of God, man, and creation?  The true nature of God is spiritual in His essence and relational to man.  The chief end of man is to love God and to serve Him forever. This can only happen when a person enters the relationship that was lost by sin via the new birth, which places the person into a familial relationship with God.  Creation was where man was placed in order to learn of God and to work in concert with God within the framework of an intimate relationship not through philosophies, creeds, or dogmas issued by men.  True righteousness is cooperating with God and/or His created reality within the parameters of that relationship and His will that is revealed through the Bible and His daily illumination of that will/Word via the ministry of the Holy Spirit who teaches us what His Son decreed/revealed while in the flesh among us as well as What God revealed through the prophets and apostles.

e. What is the ultimate end of man (besides death)?  To those who have been born-again or saved by the grace of God through the substitutionary death of His Son on the Cross, proved to be accepted by God in that Christ rose from the dead three days later and has ascended to the right hand of the Father where He makes intercession for the saved, their end is to live with God forever in a place and state of being incomprehensible to our current feeble minds.  To those who die in their sin, they will be confined to a literal lake of fire to be tormented forever.  This end was only created for the devil and the fallen angels, but man chooses to go there by taking allegiance with the devil when they reject the offer of God to be saved.

f. What is considered most "holy or sacred" of this person's faith?  Now that we have spoken generically, I understand this question to be personable.  The most holy “thing” in my faith is my relationship to Christ for without it nothing else matters.  In relation to that is the Word of God, the Bible as preserved in the AV/KJV.  The Spirit via the Word enhances my relationship.  God is holy and sacred in and of Himself so He, His Son and His Spirit, which are of one essence hold a sacred place in my faith.  I have no places or relics, charms, statues or anything like that sort of thing that I consider sacred.  The local meetinghouse is sanctified for the Lord's use but the people are the real church and they are sacred in that God lives in them.  

I hope this is of some use for your assignment.