At the core of most world religions is the desire to appease their deity, to somehow attain favor in the afterlife. Followers live in fear of upsetting their gods, so day after day they labor to earn their salvation through good works and religious practice.
While these religions are focused on pursuing and appeasing God, Christianity is focused on God’s pursuit of man. In Christianity, salvation cannot be earned. Rather, it is received as a gracious and merciful gift.
The essence of Christianity is not human effort. Instead, it is God’s grace. The concept of grace is unique to Christianity. It is not found in any other religious belief system.
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