Frustration in Religion

 When religion frustrates me I return to the basics I learned from my parents.

"All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 KJV)

"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23 KJV)

How "sin" is dealt with is not that complicated. The bible tells me sin is dealt with as follows: The flesh and blood "mortal" bodies that all humanity are born with "in Adam" will be destroyed in death and returned to the "soil" from which it came. It is replaced by a glorified "immortal" spiritual body that all humanity will have "in Christ" at the consummation of the ages.

"As in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22 KJV)

Jesus was the first to come out of death into immortal life but the rest of us will follow. That is the good news that even a child can comprehend - efforts to expand this good news into various details is ALWAYS confusing to most people, which is why most of them walk away from an exposition of those details "in a fog" saying "what the hell is he talking about".

"Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." (Mark 10:15 KJV)

He Who Wins Souls Is Wise - Oh Really, Who is That?

"Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all humanity. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God... And now I commend you to God and to the word of His GRACE, which is able to build you up and to GIVE you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified." (Acts 20:26-32)

The revival was over. We had listened to a dynamic speaker for two weeks. During that time there were over 90 decisions for Christ and many other rededications. At one service, everyone there walked the aisle to make one decision or another or to pray at the altar, myself included. At the end of the last service, we had been challenged to "go win the world to Christ, one person at a time, bcause he who wins souls is wise". Everyone was saying Amen and left fully intending to be a part of a great renewal. The evangelist received a big love offering and off he went to his next scheduled revival.

Sound familiar? 

Problem was that two weeks later no one was out "winning souls", and all was back to normal. This has been repeated over and over again in institutional protestant churches since the 1730's yet the percentage of the world's population that refer to themselves as "Christian" remains the same, maybe less. 

WHY I asked myself?

WARNING!: Stop reading if you are a Christian prone to getting defensive when your views are challenged.

I asked an evangelical pastor WHY and his response was that God's people are disobedient to their commission from the Lord. 

He was right, but he did not have a clue why he was right in my opinion. 

So, here are my thoughts after meditating on the problem.

The gospel message being presented in our churches and on the mission fields is flawed. It has been changed from a glorious declaration of the Salvation of ALL sinful men to a mere "offer” to save "if" people jump through certain hoops. After 40 years of study, I cannot find anywhere in the bible that says we should go "offer" salvation or "win the world to Christ". 

The Salvation of humanity is not a game we are playing which can be won or lost by hard work and obedience. Nevertheless,  if you like the game analogy consider this - the GAME HAS ALREADY BEEN WON! And that pastor friend, myself, you, Paul, nor Billy Graham had any part in the victory. God guaranteed the salvation of humanity "before the foundation of the world".  

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glorious GRACE, which He has FREELY GIVENus in the Beloved One (Jesus)." (Epesians 1:3-6)

Salvation is a done deal for humanity. It will be complete at the end of the ages when sinful humanity have ALL become a new creation in Christ Jesus, old things will have passed away - all things will have become new.

"So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away.  Behold, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:16-18)

Those of us who realize we are saved have a commission and ministry to TELL people about their salvation and reconciliation, not play a game to WIN or LOSE their souls! 

I know what some of you are thinking, the preacher told us  "he who wins souls is wise" and he read it right out of the Bible. 

Yep, and the last time I looked, Jesus is the ONLY wise man who has ever lived that had the power to win souls - and HE won them ALL at the cross. The first part of that verse is that the fruit of a righteous man is a tree of life. Jesus is also the only righteous man who ever lived - and his fruit is the "tree of life" for the souls he won - ALL SOULS...

"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls." (Proverbs 11:30)

What we should be telling those who have never heard is "You have been saved by the Love and Grace of God through the wisdom and righteousness of His Son Jesus".

So, I am telling you now - believe it, rejoice, and go tell your family and friends the GOOD NEWS! 

Then live your life like you appreciate what God through Jesus has done for humanity.  Do what God requires, not what some priest of pastor requires. Here it is...

"What can we bring to the LORD? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer him thousands of ramsand ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:6-8)

There you have it, 1) Do what is Right 2) Love Mercy, and 3) Walk Humbly with your God

If you want to play games that is OK, but play golf or some other game.

"But the angel said to them, do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a SAVIOR has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord." (Luke 2:10)

Our Destination Is Worth The Journey

"For we are aware that the entire creation is groaning and travailing together until now. Yet not only so, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruit of the spirit, we ourselves also, are groaning in ourselves, awaiting the sonship, the deliverance of our body." (Romans 8:22-23 CLNT)

"It is better to travel well than to arrive." - Buddha

Such is the opinion of false religion and its leaders who set their minds on this life because they fear or are ignorant of the next. The Buddha has millions of followers who he has taught to focus on the journey rather than the destination. Quite frankly, Christianity is not much different. It focuses most of its attention on the journey because they fear the destination.

But that is the religion of men. The truth of the God is not focused on our failures and suffering along the way, but the "glory" of our destination...

"For I am reckoning that the sufferings of the current era do not deserve the glory about to be revealed for us. For the premonition of the creation is awaiting the unveiling of the sons of God. For to vanity was the creation subjected, not voluntarily, but because of Him Who subjects it, in expectation that the creation itself, also, shall be freed from the slavery of corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God." (Romans 8:18-21 CLNT)

Theologically Constructed Boxes

"Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."(2 Corinthians 3:17)

Ponder the above outside of some religiously constructed box because the bible is not the instruction book for some religion, it declares itself to be the very word of God, and if it is, which I have chosen to believe, then we should let the words in it speak for themselves to us without commentary from religious gurus.

So, “the Lord is Spirit”, and

“He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:27-28)

So every day we are living and moving and having our being in God.  And where God is there is liberty - again - “liberty”, not bondage to some religious man made box of doctrines.

“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you...did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? ... 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 3:1-4; 5:1)

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)

Friendship With God

"For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." (Romans 5:10-11 NLT)

I was a City Councilman at one time when a disgruntled man came to a meeting and expressed his displeasure by telling us that he hoped “we would all burn in hell”. At least he was honest in expressing his feelings. 

Mankind does not have the capacity to love those we deem our enemies, in spite of the pious, self-righteous rhetoric of some folks. We generally prefer to “nuke” our enemies. There is nothing wrong with expressing our feelings. I like an honest view.

The problem is assuming that God feels the same way about His enemies.

However, unlike us, God actually LOVES His "enemies" , SAVES them, and calls them FRIENDS.

Religion makes friendship with God a matter of submitting to a god or gods they have created. But to realize that you are a friend of God, you just may have to free yourself from the religious dogma of men. And as Christ Jesus put it….

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:32)

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the GRACE of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ…” (Galatians 1:6-8)

A truth that benefits everyone, no matter how good it is, is rarely popular. The good news of the reconciliation and salvation of all is a good example. For some reason, believers inevitable fall away from the reality of this Grace into some form of law keeping which separates those worthy of salvation from the unworthy. Instead of growing in Grace, they retreat to the bondage of the Law. They continue to call it Grace, but it is a mixture of Law and Grace, another gospel altogether…which is no gospel at all. Mankind does not want anything for FREE, they want to believe they had some part, however small, in obtaining it. The ultimate Salvation and Reconciliation of all to God is the prime example….But it is free regardless of what religious men say.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

I ran across this quote from A. W. Tozer which seemed pretty well on point today.

“Popular Judaism slew the prophets and crucified Christ. Popular Christianity killed the reformers, jailed the Quakers and drove John Wesley into the streets. When it comes to religion, the crowds are always wrong. At any time there are a few who see, and the rest are blinded. To stand by the truth of God against the current religious vogue is always unpopular and may be downright dangerous... Christianity's scramble for popularity today is an unconscious acknowledgment of spiritual decline.”

I have not found it dangerous yet…just lonely.

“For if the dead are not raised…your faith is worthless…Then those also who have fallen asleep…have perished…. If we have hope in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:16-19)

People are born and live with various problems…ALL have problems. You’re particular problem does not dictate you are more to be pitied than someone else. Many Christians deal with their mental and physical state by seeking and hoping for some miracle from God to cure them….and some get temporary relief and attribute it to prayer …but we all will eventually check out of this present evil age!

Some can’t deal with their problems…so they check out early. Don’t feel sorry for them, and don’t condemn them. They just play the hand that was dealt to them. I have found that there is only one thing that gives HOPE…the biblical promise of life after death, where there is no more tears, pain, sorrow... or pity.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away…and God Himself will be among them…and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away…these words are faithful and true." (Revelation 21:1-5)

The above says God “will be” with them. So in a sense He is not with us now. For now we can only….

“…see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known…now faith, hope, love, abide these three…” (1 Corinthians 13:12-13)

Evil abides in this present age, but also “faith, hope and love”. I can’t prove the Bible is true and I can’t prove that there is a God. I have never heard from Him or seen Him in person…unlike some folks claim. 

But I do know what the Bible teaches because I read it, and if it is God’s Word, and I have chosen to believe that it is, then the present evil is temporary and the really good stuff is eternal and yet to come...therefore I have HOPE.

In a nutshell, here is what our Apostle Paul shared from house to house…

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of ALL MEN… This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who WILLS ALL MEN to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom FOR ALL, the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle, I am telling the truth, I am not lying, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth….It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of ALL MEN, especially of believers. PRESCRIBE AND TEACH THESE THINGS.” (1 Timothy 2:1-; 4:9-11)

I do not claim to be smart and I am sure not a theologian. But I have lived a few years and have studied the Bible and observed institutional Christianity most of that time. I am now almost 64 years old and here is a summary of my observations:

God raised up the Apostle Paul to proclaim the truth, the good news that in His Grace and Love God will save the whole world through His son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This “gospel” was received with joy by a few religious men, and many ordinary men who heard the truth…and they rejoiced as Paul shared it in homes, from house to house.

After Paul, Timothy, Titus, etc. died men started organizing these believing families into groups, built buildings to meet in, and hired employees to administer programs designed by these organizations. They started writing down their individual creeds, statements of faith and doctrine. The organization’s doctrine soon became the proclamation of “what the organization must do to save the world”, rather than ANNOUNCING THE GOOD NEWS OF WHAT GOD had done in Christ to save the world. The only portions of the Bible taught thereafter were those which could be interpreted to authenticate the organization’s dogma and doctrines.

By the fourth century, the truth that Paul was given to share was no longer being taught in organizational churches and it is still not taught there today. The organizations today are simply tax exempt entities doing some good things for people but no longer present the whole gospel that God gave Paul to proclaim to the world.

“Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do." (Exodus 19:7-8)

Man centered religion is based on Law and always focuses on what we have to "do”. The gospel of Grace, however, is focused on God and what he “has done”. When men get caught up in Law based religions (and ALL religions are Law based) they enthusiastically say as did Israel “all that the LORD has spoken we will do”. Of course they don’t and reap the consequences….death.

"You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them" (Leviticus 18:5)

In other words Christianity, as all other religions, tries to live by promises MAN makes “TO GOD”. That is the Old Covenant which fails to save mankind.

Those who understand the Grace of God in saving mankind live by promises GOD makes “TO MAN”. That is the New Covenant first revealed to Israel by Jeremiah where God changes their minds, saves them, and makes them new.

"I will make a new covenant…I will put My law in their minds" (Jeremiah 31:31, 33).

Paul revealed this would also happen for all mankind in due time.

“For by Grace are you saved…It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men…” (Ephesians 2:8; 1 Timothy 4:-9-10)

This glorious gospel is almost lost to Christianity it seems to me. We are all about religion…what we have “to do”…rather than about the good news…what God “has done” in Christ Jesus for ALL.

Jesus asked...

"...whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God...And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona.... 

But a few minutes later Jesus said to Peter...

But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me." (Matthew 16:15-23)

What happened? In just a few minutes Peter went from the blessed Saint to the offensive Satan, the enemy of the cross. Why? 

He stopped believing Jesus. He knew who Jesus "was", but did not believe what he "SAID".

Christians are not immune from what happened to Peter. Even faithful Christians can have a personal relationship with Jesus and yet deny the truth he gives in the Scripture...especially the truth given to Paul.

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." (1 Timothy 1:15)

"God was n Christ reconciling the world to Himself, and is not counting their sins against them" (2 Corinthians 5:19)

"...trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach..." (1 Timothy 4:7-16)

Here is something I have noticed about Christians over the years. We grow spiritually only as far as we are willing to believe the truth that God shows us along the way. When we are unwilling to believe the truth Christians stop growing spiritually. Eventually the living waters that gave us so much joy flow into the dead sea of bondage to manmade religious ritual from which Christ came to set us free.

"You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? ...it was for freedom that Christ set us free." (Galatians 3:1; 5:1:)