His sheep don't shrink in the rain

I took this pic of sheep on a rainy day yesterday and thought after, how come their wool doesn't shrink?
The technical answer is in this article but basically it grows with the sheep.Also on the sheep it has oils to stop it getting waterlogged and therefore heavy.
Man takes the wool, stretches it then has to pre-shrink it to have a useful covering.

Like the word of God that grows with us if we are "sheep" and is kept fresh and uninfected by the Holy Spirit, but religion takes it, stretches then reduces it, and it becomes heavy to wear.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 1

heldbygrace

I love this image :smile:

. And I think this is what you mean. I don’t like it when people call Christianity a religion. Religions are sets of rules and practices, Christianity is a relationship. We are not called to practicers or ‘club members’ of Christianity, we are called to be Gods children. I am proud to say I am completely in love with Jesus and I know, as Hillsong so beautifully put in ‘Good Grace’, that ‘God is madly in love with’ me. <3

So beautifully said

Debate & Current Affairs Helper

Original post by MiriamL

I love this image :smile:

Christianity is by definition a religion.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/religion

Reply 4

NJA

Original post by Vapordave

Christianity is by definition a religion.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/religion

Christianity has some commonality with religion but to those that truly have Christ's Spirit it is a new nature, a new life, a new identity . . . religion by comparison (and experience) isn't, it is striving to change using the old nature, Christianity is waking up to what you received when you were born again.

Reply 5

vapordave

Debate & Current Affairs Helper

Original post by NJA

Okay? You can call it what you want but you believe in a deity which means it is a religion...

Reply 6

JustOneMoreThing

Original post by MiriamL

I love this image :smile:

Christianity is both a set of principles and rules you have to follow, the relationship follows the obeyance, it's not a stand alone item.

Reply 7

SuperiorPotato

Wow that's a very good way to put it

Reply 8

heldbygrace

Original post by JustOneMoreThing

Christianity is both a set of principles and rules you have to follow, the relationship follows the obeyance, it's not a stand alone item.

You don’t have to follow them to achieve eternal life though. The only thing you need to do to achieve eternal life is to repent of your sins and declare Christ your saviour. I didn’t want to bring other religions into this, but you don’t have to pray a certain amount of times a day or only eat certain foods to receive salvation. In Christianity, there is no action you can take to make yourself worthy of heaven, because Jesus did it all. All you have to do it recognise he has done it for you. You follow Gods command out of respect and love, not to gain eternal life. I believe that the obeyance follows the relationship, because the relationship comes first

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 9

JustOneMoreThing

Original post by MiriamL

You can’t possibly have the relationship with God if you don’t follow his commands, which is why the relationship is only valid if it’s based on the checklist handed out.

You become a Christian by announcing Christ as your saviour, that’s not enough to be considered a practicing Christian unless you follow the commandments and all the other rules and principles.

Which is why Christianity is a religion.

Reply 10

CoolCavy

Volunteer Team

Not to rain on your parade or anything but sheep have been artificially bred to retain their wool (so people can then shear it off and sell it) :redface:

. The Merino sheep is the most extreme example of this

Reply 11

NJA

Original post by JustOneMoreThing

Natural man cannot keep the principles, that's why he needs to be born again when and then earn to draw on the spirit he has received, to have a relationship with God . . . that will give him the love the insight and the power be different . . . so at the end of the day it's not our zeal or our love for god it's his zeal and His love for us which we access through his Spirit