In which the story lines of the gospel and religion are followed. To the end.

Do you know the difference between the Gospel and religion?

Both are stories. Both are narratives.

Lots of people who reject Christianity and Christ reject Christianity and Christ based on the religion narrative.

That narrative looks something like this…

The story of religion, one that is looked at from history’s standpoint, is one usually marred with persecutions and oppressions and witch hunts.

The story is one dominated by men who massaged the Bible so that they could manipulate the masses, men who exploited the poor through  and men who waged crusades comprising aggression, paranoia, nostalgia and wishful thinking in so-called .

The story is one of interrogation, torture and execution at the stake for anyone accused of .

That’s religion’s story.

The Gospel story is vastly different.

It’s a narrative about God redeeming a rebellious people to himself.

The story starts with the creation of those people. And their eventual rejection of their Creator. And the doom that awaited those people because of the justice that is demanded by a holy, just and righteous God.

It’s a story about how that penalty of rejection must be paid. And how utterly impossible it was for man to pay it. And how God came down as a man to redeem these people because of their separation from him.

And how He was crucified, a substitution for our sins, that his righteousness might be imputed to us. That propitiation bridged the unbridgeable gap between God and man that we may stand before God and be found righteous in his sight.

It’s not difficult to distinguish the Gospel from religion. One is the redemptive history of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The other is man distorting that history for his gain.

You just have to know what story to tell. What story are you telling?

**Part of the Curmudgeon’s Guide to Sharing the Gospel series.**