I grew up thinking that religion was good. Then...I found out it was bad. Then, I found out it was good, and so on (you get the picture). The problem is the definition of what religion is.
What is religion? The secular world says that religion is:
1. The service and worship of God or the supernatural
2. A commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
3. A personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
4. Scrupulous conformity : concientiousness
5. A cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.
Now, if that is truly what a "religion" is, then everything must be "religious," especially definition number five! Even atheists who do not believe in my God will have to believe that there is no God. How can they know there is or isn't a God unless they were God or a god in and of themselves? There's no way to actually "know" that! It's impossible! No one can "know" there is or isn't a God. Is all comes by faith. Sorry, I don't have enough faith to be an Atheist. Therefore, Atheism is and must be a religion because it is by "faith" that they believe and "know" that there is no God.
So, what is religion? Christianity claims that a "religion" or being "religious" is this:
1. An organized system or institution of belief based upon the traditions of men instead of the pursuit of friendship with God. In other words, religion is "the act of playing church, exchanging internal truths for external performance; substituting spiritual realities with carnal rituals." Moreover, it is basically living a lie. You look good on the outside but inside you are like dead mens bones. Being religious is exactly as the Pharisees were in Jesus' day. If you study what the Pharisees or Sadducees did, then you will understand their "religiousity."
Going to church does not make you "feel good" or make you "righteous." If anything, without a true relationship with Christ, church is boring, a waste of time, unimportant, irrelevant and in most cases, many people can become complacent and self-righteous. Many times I wanted to just sleep in and make excuses not to go. But, I knew that underneath my "feelings," I really wanted to be there and needed to be there. Why? Because I love God and if I love God I will love others. Love is what is important in life. Love is what fulfills the Law of the Prophets.
In addition, I love others because God loved me first. I wouldn't know how to love others if God hadn't loved me in the beginning. Jesus said, "If you love me, you would obey my commandments." Well, what were His commandments? His commandments were to love God first with all your heart, mind, soul & strength. And to love others as I love myself. So, if I loved God, I will love others and show it by giving myself for my brothers and sisters in Christ. Love is my motivation and my obedience proves it. To whom? To God and that's all that matters.
Can religion save you? Can you earn favor with God by being good? Do you deserve special favor because you dress in your Sunday best? No! God does not look at external performance or the clothes you wear. When God looks at a man or woman, He sees the heart of man (your attitude, your relationship with Him and others); the clothes and external performance are ignored.
In a church building there is the "body of Christ." No, it's not the building that is the church but the people who inhabit it; they are the church and the spiritual "body of Christ."
Therefore, religion does no one any good. Please, understand the definition of what "religion" is; Religion is trying to be good, dressing your best to impress man, doing good deeds without any purpose or with the wrong heart or intentions, tithing grudgingly (if you believe that you should) or with anticipation expecting to earn favor or extra blessings from God, and feeling good about making it to that early moring service and bragging to everyone that you got up early to make it to that 9am service.
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