Religion has historically kept the truth from people and sat on its ivory throne high above the people and used its interpretation of scriptures to rule the masses. Religion is nothing more than man creating God in his own image, creating a god that can be manipulated and controlled like a puppet speaking whatever man wants him to speak, that isn’t a god at all. Religion is all about a list of do’s and don’ts; those never work. They are like New Year’s resolutions. What I am about to say here applies to anyone, anywhere, any denomination and whether you are a Christian or not it is still the truth. I am tired of sincere people who want to live for God who are rattled, confused and spiritually schizophrenic. It is time to unmask, decode and expose what is truth and what is an error. And it isn’t about religion. It goes back to the original sin if you think about it! Read Genesis 3. Notice what the enemy tempted Eve with: to be as gods. Eve wasn’t tempted by the offer of one more fruit in the garden to eat, she was tempted to be a god, to be in control, equal with God. And to this day, it is the same. People want to be gods. They want to have control over their destinies, they don’t want to bow to anyone and so we have a world that is ‘all-about-me’. Religion has got so out of control (and in debt to the bank, I might add) that they won’t ever admit they are wrong. They will continue to recreate themselves in a form that is pleasing to our flesh, our earthly desires and our selfishness. Sounds like Genesis 3:6! Don’t be fooled any longer. Dare to ask the true and living God to open your eyes and reveal His truth to you as only He can. Does that mean don’t attend church? No, you should attend and gather and study with a group of believers loving one another, learning together, admonishing one another. “16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16). “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25). An important part of what the Word just said is admonish one another. Do you know what that means? Let me help you out: ad·mon·ish—1. to caution, advise, or counsel against something. 2. to reprove or scold, especially in a mild and good-willed manner. 3. to urge to a duty; remind. So your gatherings should be more than hype, songs and condemnation. They should be life-giving, supporting and helping one another. But let me get one thing straight, you don’t go to church, YOU ARE THE CHURCH. Just semantics? No, I think it is an important distinction. People need to stop GOING to church and BE the church!
What does it mean to have a relationship with God vs. a religion?
You must have a personal relationship with God. That does not mean being religious. What does a relationship with anyone mean? It means you have a connection. It means you spend time with one another. It means you communicate with one another regularly. It means you relate with one another on a level that is personal and only understood by the two of you. But imagine that you both spoke different languages. Problem! In order to have a relationship one or both of you are going to have to learn the other’s language. That is one reason you must be ‘born again’ as Jesus called it (John 3:3). Here is the truth. Jesus explains it while speaking to Nicodemus in John 3:1-21. He metaphorically calls it being ‘born again’ because he is trying to emphasize that something needs to go through a rebirth. What is it that needs to be reborn? He explains in John 3:5-6, “5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” It is the human spirit that must be reborn. Humans are composed of body, soul and spirit. The body or flesh of course is that part of us that we can see, touch and feel that interacts with our physical world. The soul is the seat of the mind, will and emotions and also where we make choices, good or bad. It is also the bridge between the body and spirit. The spirit is that part of us that communicates with God. It is where our intuition and spiritual consciousness, as well as our conscience, dwells. It is the only part of us that can communicate with God. However, that being said, if your body, soul and spirit are unified as one your entire being becomes an instrument of praise to God. So, in other words, God knows when your praise comes from your heart (spirit) and when it is only words.
Walk in relationship to the Spirit
Relationship with God is probably the biggest part of what it is going to take to walk this walk in Christ. His Holy Spirit now guides and directs us. He speaks to us and leads us in the way we should go. If we listen to His still small voice within, He will love us, He will lead us, He will bring us an understanding of His Word. This is what apostle Paul calls ‘walking in the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:16, 25). When we walk in relationship with Him, we are listening to His voice and that voice of the flesh gets fainter and fainter. We will actually find ourselves making right choices and not ruled by our fleshly appetites. It is a daily choice though, sometimes a minute by minute choice! If you make bad choices based on your fleshly desires you are keeping that old nature alive (Romans 6:19). And this makes you double-minded and James said, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:18). It is so true. It is like you are trying to walk in two worlds. It is like you are schizophrenic or something. Don’t yield to that old nature. The devil also wants to bring you down and he can’t appeal or rule in your redeemed spirit so he will make his play to your flesh and tempt you to make fleshly, selfish, destructive choices. If you yield to the flesh God’s voice will grow fainter and fainter. That is just the way it is.
Having a relationship with someone you love isn’t that hard, is it?
Think about a good relationship you have with someone, someone really close, whether it is a mother, father, brother, sister, wife, whatever. Everyday do you have to remind yourself not to steal from that person, not to kill that person or in the case of a spouse do you have to remind yourself every day to not commit adultery or covet another person’s spouse? Do you have to remind yourself to spend time with them, call them every now and then on the phone, do nice things for them? Of course not. That is what I’m talking about! It is the same with a relationship with God. If you are having to force yourself to spend time with God and pray and you are constantly sinning something is wrong. You are not in a love relationship with Him. Hebrews 10:16 says, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.” What does that mean? It means if you are so in love with God and His ways no one will have to tell you right and wrong it will be written on your heart. Your desire will be to love and please Him. Not so you can get to heaven or escape hell but just because you love Him. Maybe some of you were raised up in a church where God was an angry bearded old man on a throne casting lightning bolts at all mankind just waiting to send you to hell. I can relate. That is the kind of church I was raised in. It has only been in the past few years that I have truly got to know this loving God that loved me so much that He didn’t ask me to be good enough, but while I was living in sin, He gave His Son and placed the judgment I deserved on Him. “8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Romans 5:8-9). Having a relationship with Him is also going to flow over into our relationships with others. And it is the same implication as I have said previously, if you love your fellow man then no one will have to tell you to not steal from them, etc. or do them wrong in any way. Relationship! God is all about relationship. Get into a relationship with Him and you will understand.
I think much of avoiding a life of pain is knowing who we are and not just thinking we know who we are. It is also very important to understand who we are in relationship with Christ. Many sincere churches have really confused this issue. I hope I can boil it down to how simple it really is.
Jesus was not the founder of the religion of Christianity.
He didn’t just come to start another religion. There were already thousands of religions. In fact, the only people who had a problem with him were religious people. His desire for coming to this earth was to reestablish the broken relationship of humanity to the heavenly Father. He prayed in John 17, pleading with the Father for us, that we would become one with him as he and the Father were one. Read the entire chapter of John 17. He wasn’t just praying for his twelve disciples. He makes it very clear that he was also praying for us when he says “20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” He wants us to enjoy the same relationship he has with his heavenly Father. Take time to ponder the question and consider whether you are in a religion or a relationship with God.
I hope from what you have read so far you are beginning to realize the love and reality of who God is. He SO wants to have a relationship with His children. And as you connect to Him through speaking to Him (prayer), studying His Word and just in general spending time in His presence you will learn an important truth. A truth that will sustain you like no other. That truth is who you are in relation to Christ.
I hope you enjoyed this article as well as the other articles I have written. Take time to explore the many topics in this blog and be sure to share with others.
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