What does it mean to be delivered from religion? What’s so wrong with being a “religious person?”
Jesus didn’t come to start any religion. He came to start a personal relationship with us, as we see with His time on earth spent day by day with those He called and those He ministered to personally when He reappeared to them after His death.
Religion is man-made and is why there are so many different religions with their hierarchies of rules and regulations for worship.
Jesus has not called us to Himself in order to change the religious and worldly systems of our day; rather to come out of them, stop trusting in them and supporting them. Jesus has called us to His unshakeable glorious eternal Kingdom where He is KING of kings.
People (even Christians) can fall into the trap of serving a religion thinking they are serving God. Jesus said that in His Father’s House are many ROOMS, not many religions.
Religion is a HUGE stumbling block that most never get up from. When we walk with Jesus, we can’t stumble over a thing. Our eternal life is not rooted in any religion, but in a personal day by day humble relationship with the Lord Jesus.
Religion isn’t able to meet your 'spiritual' need. Religion wants your time and money. Religion draws people to people based on what people want to believe about God, which may be partly true or not true at all.
Until the LORD touches us and begins His fellowship with us, we will not see religion for what it really is: false and leading people to a fixed end they never hoped for, or imagined could exist.
Much has been done out of religion both for and against humanity. The works of religion are different from the works of God. Anyone can do good works on their own, but the works of God can only be done in and by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. God’s Holy Spirit is not in any religion.
Satan has a store-house stocked with any kind of religion that pleases your flesh and pride, and your unholy imagination of what eternity is. Satan has a religion for what you want out of THIS life, if ‘this life’ is all you are concerned for. But it will all end with great regret!
Every organized church that Jesus plants has His specific purpose and if they are not accomplishing His purpose they are nothing more than a religion. You can start out on the right path, but get side-tracked, heading in the wrong direction. It’s not just how you start, but how you finish with the LORD that reveals genuine faith, hope and love.
All of the Holy Spirit’s gifts and functions are what make up the BODY of the HEAD, which is Christ Jesus in His fullness of purpose. If Christ’s Spirit is not allowed to fully thrive with all His gifts and functions – He will leave that place. He will take those with Him who are willing to be all they were meant to be. Believers can continue meeting and doing what they’ve been doing and not even realize that the Holy Spirit has left.
If the words of Christ are not the words you hunger for, how long do you think you can go without His food? That kind of starvation results in weakness, sickness, depression and fears of all kinds.
We start at Christ's Cross with humble repentance, but we must keep going with Him in personal fellowship and humble obedience till we are home with Him forever. Sadly, most give up and shrink back for various reasons. Jesus said in one of His parables (about the Sower and the seed of the kingdom) that only one of four, where the seed was sown (in hearts), continued on to receive the Lord’s kingdom.
The Holy Spirit draws us to God’s Word and into His perfect will. Religion has its own will. Religion does not hold people accountable for disobeying the Lord or His Word.
In the Lord’s own rebuke to His church of Laodicea (Revelation 3), where He stands at their door knocking to come in, you have to ask yourself - why was the Head of the Body, outside their walls? What can then be said of what they are doing inside and accomplishing outside?
RELIGION keeps Jesus Christ outside. Reminds me of what Jesus did when He entered the synagogue where He was angry at what His own people were doing in His Father’s House of prayer. He went through it as a whirlwind of wrath!
You can be “in Christ” and not be a member of any ‘organized’ church. The ‘organized church’ does not fit the members of Christ together. The Lord fits us together for His high purpose. His Spirit-filled Body is world-wide with a united faith; one like Jesus had and passed on to His first church.
Satan has people believing all kinds of lies about what faith is. There is only one Lord, one Spirit and one faith. Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our genuine faith from God.
As God’s servant John the Apostle said: “I am writing to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about ALL things and as that anointing is REAL, not counterfeit – just as it has taught you, remain in Him. Continue in Christ, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.” 1 John 2:26-28
