| Jesus Christ was Antireligious |
Created Date: 25-Sep-2019 |
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We are Required to have a Relationship with God |
Last updated: 28-May-2022 |
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| This is an excerpt from the
Worship topic: We are created for fellowship with God. We are destined to share love, value as a person, and a belonging with and towards God. Because of God, we in Eternity will also will be able to share love and fellowship with one another as God intended with Him in Eternity. God's act of creating us for fellowship with Him, means that He loves us, and He wants all of us to be a companion for eternity. When we are Born-Again, we are changed from our fallen state from the separation caused by Adam and Eve, to the 100% absolute marking by the Holy Spirit to be in fellowship with Him for eternity. If we were not created as eternal beings then we cannot be in fellowship with God as God is Eternal. We are called by God to chose Him so that we can be with Him in Eternity, that involves us having the choice where the alternative is to be separated from Him for eternity.
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| Matthew 23:25 | “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. |
| Matthew 3:7 | But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? |
| 1 | Nothing to do with following Traditions, | {Traditions can be for teaching.} |
| 2 | Nothing to do with following Rituals | {Required in Old Testament Dispensation's Law.} |
| 3 | Nothing to do with going to Church, | {Ten Commandments' 4th Commandment.} |
| 4 | Nothing to do with Tithing or being Charitable, and | |
| 5 | Absolutely never doing penance. |
because even non-Christians are doing all of these without a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Most likely all of us have been in Church and seen someone who has been going to Church for years, and then that person goes up to the Alter to finally accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. Everything before, for that person, was being done mechanically, socially, curiosity or to see if God was real.
These first four points are still worthy, have merit, have enjoyment, can be done and are good when Jesus Christ is the focus. Note that the fifth item has never been Biblically correct. There are forms of making restitution for damage, sins or crimes done but this is not a form of penance.
When we have a relationship with Jesus Christ:
Our relationship with Jesus Christ is our focus as we live our lives. Consider these points on being religious.
| Romans 6:14 | For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace. |
| 1 John 4:13 | By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. |
| Acts 5:32 | "And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him." |
The list above is absolutely not true! God from the very beginning of Creation has shown His desire was a fellowship based on love, where we will enjoy life.
| 2 Corinthians 9:8 | And God is able to make all grace abound unto you; that ye, having always all sufficiency in everything, may abound unto every good work: |
| John 10:10 | The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. |
| Ephesians 3:20 | Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, |
The Christian should be the person that everyone recognizes that they are without:
The Christian should be someone that other people enjoy being around and having as a friend. Many Christians do not realize that we are to also have a friendship with God so that enjoys being with us.
The non-Believer should know the Christian can:
The actions, speech and appearance of a Christian in life may be the initial exposure to Christianity that cause someone to want to learn more about Christianity, when not a single verse in the scriptures is mentioned.
As stated at the start of this topic, many Biblical Scholars have said that Jesus Christ was the most anti-religious person who ever walked the earth. It is very clear that this statement is referring to the example Jesus Christ gave us and taught us about the relationship with Him is personal and heart felt.
Jesus Christ was never about making bad people become good people. We all are sinful and when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior then the Holy Spirit will indwell inside us to help us which will lead us to being better in our lives.
| John 3:16-17 | 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. |
Not one person is capable of living perfectly by the laws that were given to Moses, where many of us know the Ten Commandments as an example. The purpose of the law, as described in Romans 7:7-13, was to show us that we are sinners and incapable of fulfilling every bit to be righteous, which is why we needed a Savior.
In the Old Testament period, people were righteous in God's view by having Faith, believing in God. Rituals were required under obedience but the rituals were be done with reverence, joy and thankfulness. Israel always required a Savior and when people in the Old Testament period died, they were still not capable of going to Heaven until Jesus Christ paid the price for the world's sins.
The rituals and ordnances of the law given to Israel were designed to make Israel cognizant of evil and to point to the future fulfillment of the rituals and laws that pointed to Jesus Christ.
| Romans 7:7-13 | 7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. 13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. 14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. |
| Genesis 15:6 | God is speaking to Abram: 6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. |
In history, there are the two well-known Greek Philosophers Plato and Socrates. Plato is attributed to speaking to Socrates about God and said
"It may be that God can forgive sins but I do not see how."
Plato is showing us that he understood the problem where he could not figure out an answer. We have the answer through Jesus Christ.
Paraphrasing the well-known and beloved Biblical Scholar, Walter Martin, who said that there are two ways to get to heaven.
Obviously, point #1 was meant rhetorically as impossible and spoke with extreme reverence of God, but it drove home the point which was the intention that we all absolutely need a Savior, who is Jesus Christ.
Our God is beyond description and absolutely nothing can describe the Omniscient, Presence, Power, Love, Grace, Mercy and so much more. After all of these unconceivable attributes, there is one very important fact that we must understand first with the highest priority. It is the fact that God wants a relationship and fellowship with us that involves Him showing His great LOVE for us as given to us in Ephesians 2:4-7.
| The following is an excerpt from the
Purpose of All History
topic: The purpose of all history can be stated is how can God, who is:
show Perfect Love to a world that is destined to eternal separation from God without a Savior? The answer is given to us in Ephesians 2:4-7, and is often called the purpose of God in all of history and the purpose of eternity future:
In the next verses 8 through 10, we will understand that it was by nothing we could have done to inherit entrance into Heaven into the presence of God without accepting the provision made through Jesus Christ on the Cross.
When we are in eternity future, the rewards of Heaven earned will lead us to a greater love of God for eternity for the chances and opportunities provided by God through His Grace. |
When we begin to recognize God in our daily existence, we are capable of comprehending the following with a greater sense of awe, purpose and thankfulness:
Additionally, when we will feel His presence in our lives, then our relationship with God and others will grow. All is required is to simply:
Jesus summarized this process in many beautiful scriptures. These are this author's two favorite references:
| Matthew 22:37-38 | 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment.' |
| John 13:34 | "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." |
No, we are no longer under the law and rituals of the Old Testament that pointed to the fulfillment that we have in Jesus Christ. The Book of Romans is the treatise on this area of being free from observing rituals, traditions, temple sacrifices and much more.
We are now under a higher accountability because we have the infilling of the Holy Spirit with the admonition of Matthew 22:36-40. Understanding Jesus Christ's commandment, then we know not to murder, not to commit adultery not to steel along with others in the Ten Commandments.
| Matthew 22:36-40 | 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment.' 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.” |
We know from the scriptures, such as Malachi 3:6, that God changes not, and by living in a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, will guide our lives to be pleasing to God and in harmony with other Christians. We now are under a greater Law of the Holy Spirit in our lives that will help us and guide us as Jesus Christ told us, John 14:16-24.
| Malachi 3:6 | “For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. |
| Mathew 5:17-18 | 17
Think not that I came to destroy the law or the
prophets: I came not to destroy,
but to fulfill.
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For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or
one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be
accomplished. (A "tittle" is like an apostrophe or dot, where the comment in this verse means every little point will be fulfilled.) |
| John 14:16-24 | 16 I will ask the Father, and
He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you
forever; 17 the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not
see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19 After a little while, the world no longer is going to see Me, but you are going to see Me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I in you. 21 The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him.” |
The Mosaic Laws, in the Old Testament were part of that Dispensational era, and they were designed to show:
Those in the Old Testament period, who had Faith unto Righteousness, went to Upper Sheol until Jesus Christ could come and take them from there after the event of the Cross.
When we sin, there is remedy by confession, repenting and seeking guidance through the name of Jesus Christ in our prayers. This allows forgiveness, which may involve consequences but this is where Grace and Mercy come into effect.
This has been the method that God has always used since the beginning with Adam and Eve until the present, where the only enhancement was, we can now pray through our intercessor Jesus Christ. In the Old Testaments era, Faith was still required but individuals had to recognize God through:
Jesus Christ became our High Priest that was after the order of Melchizedek, but even superior.
| Hebrews 7:25 | Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through Him (Jesus Christ), seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. |
| Hebrews 4:14-16 | 14 Having then a great high priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us there fore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time of need. |
We are no longer under the law of the Old Testament's Mosaic Laws and our life is under a greater new law from the Holy Spirit who guides us.
We all are a work-in-progress which means that we will never be perfect and without sin until we receive our new body at the Judgment Seat of Christ. In the interim, all Christians should be ambassadors, 3rd Commandment of the Ten, for the Kingdom of God which means reflecting a difference in our lives. Our lives should be demonstrating:
We need to reflect the two well-known points, where the answer should be yes:
The Christian should recognize that the good revelations and benefits of being a Christian are sort of a paradox, that gives us many rewards in the life and reward in eternity, but there is still struggles and suffering in this life that will contribute to our eternity.
What to read next?
What is Salvation? We have eternal life. Evolution is not real. When a Christian suffers is there benefits from it. Rewards in heaven. Do we Tithe? What does the 3rd Commandment tell us? What is Grace and Mercy? Is there an Age of Accountability? Is there a place of unending punishment and exile form God?