Lose Your Religion

"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ…that I may know Him." (Philippians 3:8, 10)

Sometimes we have to lose our religion and be willing to suffer the loss of the esteem of others in order to have the true excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus and what he has done for mankind. Religious men teach that their particular thoughts and doctrines are the truth, and one is welcomed within that religion as long as he or she accepts that teaching.

The few who are willing to abandon misleading religious doctrines will gain the knowledge of Christ Jesus. They will be... 

"...set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God" (Romans 8:21)

That is how Paul came to know Christ. The esteem he had within Judaism was lost when he began to follow and teach what Christ Jesus was revealing to him. Over the last 2000 years, religious men have merged the Judaism Paul had gladly "counted loss" with the teaching of grace that Jesus gave to Paul.  The result is no gospel at all and the freedom which that truth had provided has been lost - the freedom to know Christ as the loving, merciful, and gracious Savior that he is.  The same Savior who will eventually reconcile all creation to God who will then become All in All.

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery..." (Galatians 5:1)