June 11/2020 5:03 am / 7.21 am / 7.44 am 9.44 am / June 12, 2020 6.44 am/5.44 pm
Religion says do and Christ said done! Really! That is what some people whom are Christians say or quote at times. Catchy phrase! What was done is the price was paid in full when Christ said it is finished on the cross and gave up his ghost. His earthly mission was finished but he will come back again of course. Some believers think/say you get saved by grace alone through faith alone and then you don't have to follow organized religion or a set of rules. I am not advocating to follow organized religion but I can see something amiss or hypocritical of modern biblical Christianity. Some say you just follow Jesus and that is all. Since Jefferson Bethke did a video poem that got a lot of attention this idea has become popular in a sense and there is a profound article I came across that sheds light on this issue. There are some issues in modern biblical Christianity that appear to be taken out of place and so I study them here as I have done in the past. So having a look at them. Now the reference link is below but I am going to have the authors conclusion Kevin Deyoung here first which is profound and it will/does fit better into prospective once the article is read in its entirety.
Reference ((here))
Where did we get this word Religion? What does the bible say about religion. What is true religion ((none defiled religion)) if it exits at all. Continuing to examine this word/concept being religion/practices. God knows the heart. What does God/Christ says about religion prior to the information below.
Romans 8.1 kjv “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (DO) "According to the philologist Max Müller in the 19th century, the root of the English word religion, the Latin religio, was originally used to mean only reverence for God or the gods, careful pondering of divine things, piety (which Cicero further derived to mean diligence)."
"In light of this definition, the Bible does speak of organized religion, but in many cases the purpose and impact of “organized religion” are not something that God is pleased with. GotQuestions.org" "In light of this “religion” would be something similar to “belief in God or gods to be worshiped, usually expressed in conduct and ritual; any specific system of belief, worship, etc., often involving a code of ethics.
John 3:3 King James Version (KJV)
"3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Full water Baptism. 1 Repent or perish. Get saved HERE SEE Ye Must Be Born Again! Corinthians 5 kjv
James 1:27 kjv“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” (DO)
Matthew 6.1 “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 6.1 “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 6.6 “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
2 Corinthians 3.6 kjv “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
This is important (DO) who teaches but Christ being God.
Romans 8:4-6 King James Version (KJV)
"4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Do) 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."
Matthew 6.7 "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”
Matthew 6.14 "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:”
Matthew 6.24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
Religion or Relationship?
The Pharisees appeared Outwardly righteous but inwardly full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Exam yourselves to see if you are in the faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5
Just some information from an article and I will provide the full detailed article link as well. This article is profound. The full article is HERE
Just some information from an article and I will provide the full detailed article link as well. This article is profound. The full article is HERE
"For the first three-hundred years of its existence, the Church of Jesus Christ met almost exclusively in private homes, as opposed to large buildings specially designed for religious services (Acts 20:20; Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon v.2; 2 John v.10). Howard Snyder notes that "Christians did not begin to build church buildings until about A.D. 200. This fact suggests that, whatever else church buildings are good for, they are not essential either for numerical growth or spiritual depth. The early church possessed both these qualities, and the church's greatest period of vitality and growth until recent times was during the first two centuries A.D. In other words, the church grew fastest when it did not have the help or hindrance of church buildings" (The Problem of Wineskins, p.69)."
To speak of a "church building" is to apply a wrong and misleading name since, according to the New Testament, God's "building" or "temple" is not a pile of bricks but, instead, the people of God – "You are God's field, God's building" (1 Corinthians 3:9,16-17; 6:19; Hebrews 3:6; 1 Peter 2:5).
There is nothing wrong about meeting in a building per se. However, if a group chooses to do so it must be careful to not erect a structure or procure internal furnishings which stifle mutual edification and participation from the saints (e.g., pulpit, pews, a rigid "order of worship," etc.)
The idea that Christians must meet in specially designed buildings is contrary to the New Testament which places no significance on where one chooses to worship (John 4:20-24; Acts 17:24). In fact, such an emphasis on buildings, temples, and external furnishings comes from an Old Testament economy and not from the New Covenant which attaches no importance to such matters
Issue: Full Dunk Biblical Baptism
Corinthians 1:17 — Paul Not Sent to Baptize
By Wayne Jackson
Reference: HERE
One of the arguments used by certain denominationalists in an attempt to negate the importance of baptism in the scheme of redemption is based upon Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 1:17:
“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel. . . "
For example, Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe, in their book, When Critics Ask, reason in this fashion. We are saved by the gospel (Romans 1:16), but “Paul separates baptism from the Gospel, saying, ‘Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel’. . . Therefore, baptism is not part of what saves us” (p. 428).
This reflects a total misunderstanding of this context.
In this setting Paul is addressing a problem in the church at Corinth. Some of those Christians were inordinately enamored with the person who had immersed them — even to the point of adopting the baptizer’s name as a religious appellation (vv. 12-13). In view of such a perversion, the apostle was thankful that he had personally immersed only a few of these people (vv. 14-16).
It was within that context that Paul said: “For Christ sent me not to baptize.” The word “baptize” here denotes “to administer the rite” of baptism (J.H. Thayer, Greek Lexicon, p. 94). Paul was not sent to be an administrator of baptism; his primary mission was to proclaim the gospel. But the inspired apostle was not disassociating baptism from the gospel; rather, he was suggesting that no special adoration was to be attached to the one administering the rite.
Underline the word “baptize” in this passage and observe: The act of baptizing. Emphasis is upon the administrator, not the act itself.
Since baptism puts one “into Christ” (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27), Paul is not going to suggest that baptism is no part of the gospel!
REFERENCE HERE
“If baptism is an essential requirement within the plan of salvation, why did Paul dismiss it as NOT being a part of the gospel (1 Cor. 1:17)?”
This is a common argument employed by certain denominational folks in an effort to negate the several compelling passages that associate baptism with the remission of sins. In 1 Corinthians 1:17, the inspired apostle wrote:
“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel.”
For example, two modern writers have argued in this vein. We are saved by the gospel (Rom. 1:16). Paul, however,
“separates baptism from the Gospel, saying, ‘Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel.’ Therefore, baptism is not a part of what saves us” (Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe, When Critics Ask. Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1992, p. 428).
This view reflects a total misunderstanding or misrepresentation of Paul’s instruction in this important passage. Note, please, the immediate context.
The apostle addressed the problem of factionalism in the church at Corinth. Some of those Christians were inordinately enamored with the person who had immersed them — even to the point of adopting the baptizer’s name as a religious title (see vv. 12-13) — a practice not dissimilar to the common habit of wearing human titles in the modern world of “Christendom.”
In view of such a perversion, Paul expressed thanksgiving that he had personally immersed only a few of these people (cf. vv. 14-16). It was within this context that he wrote: “For Christ sent me not to baptize.” Baptism was not the problem; it was the perverted practice of certain Corinthians that warranted rebuke. W.E. Vine noted that “in abstaining from baptizing all the converts the Apostle had not given occasion for undue adherence to himself” (First Corinthians — Local Church Problems. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1951, p. 20).
The word “baptize” here denotes “to administer the rite” of baptism (see J.H. Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T.&T. Clark, 1958, p. 94). Paul had not been commissioned to be primarily an administrator of baptism. The fact that he could remember only three names (cf. 1 Cor. 1:14-16) of those whom he had baptized, during an eighteen-month stay in the city (Acts 18:11), is clear evidence of that. His main function had been to proclaim the gospel.
The apostle was not disassociating himself from the importance of baptism as a component in the sacred plan of redemption (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Gal. 3:27; 1 Pet. 3:21); rather, he was contending that no special adoration was to be attached to the person administering the rite.
Since Paul himself was immersed in order to have his sins “washed away” (Acts 22:16), and inasmuch as he taught that by means of baptism one enters “into Christ” (Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:27), he certainly is not about to disavow the divine command as an element apart from the gospel.
It is an egregious fallacy to employ 1 Corinthians 1:17 in an attempt to nullify God’s holy commandment.
Read this passage below. As I am told the examples of scripture include baptism. Here is an example of the Apostle Paul's.
The Philippians Jailer Converted
"25 p About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer 6 called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, x “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God."
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, - Bible Gateway Acts 16:25-27 KJV.
Truly and honestly people play Paul against Jesus Christ. We know & acknowledge the grace God has extended/provided and we know one must put their faith and trust in the lord Jesus Christ. There are so many instructions and examples of Christ that are things to do. Do you go to work and leave early and expect your full paycheque. Do you honor your parents? Do you love your wives as Christ loved the Church? If you do drive drunk will there be problems or consequences? The lord provide examples so people know so on judgment day they wont miss out. He said he will tell many they were workers on iniquity and he does not know them. Lawless. These were believers and they could have followed another Jesus/Gospel. How do we know that. It say they cast of demons and did many wonderful works in his name. Perhaps they did the works, went about their own righteousness and did not obey the gospel/Christ. Perhaps they did not pick up their crosses. Perhaps they believed in titles/even Christ without substance/obedience. Perhaps they were hypocrites. Perhaps they were wordily! Perhaps they did not do his father WILL. The great clue/example is the pharisees.
Sure you can say/think as a saved believer I am saved by grace and I will enter the Kingdom regardless. Why "I am saved by grace through faith". I have faith he will grant me entrance into his Kingdom because once I was saved I am not required to obey the messiah/obey the gospel. In other words I am not required to do anything else. Few be there that find it in their lifetimes? Why?? Ponder!!! Do backsliders exist? Does God know your hearts? The disciple is not above his master. Repent without conviction. Another modern day teaching. To repent is defined as feel or express sincere regret or remorse about ones wrongdoing or sin.
(Do) Luke 10-25-37 The Parable of the Good Samaritan here
When it's done to/for the least of them it's done unto the Lord.
Worship the lord - DO
Love your nab-our as yourselves - Do
Love God with all your heart, mind & Soul - Do
Get Saved - Do
Study the gospel - Do
Preach the gospel - Do
Pray - Do
Spread the word about Jesus - Do
Put on the whole armor of God - Do
Put on the whole armor of God - Do
Matthew 24:13-14 King James Version (KJV)
I am not advocating religion here but here is some good information in this video teaching by Ray Comfort & Kirk Cameron on Evangelism Forever. This video demonstrates/sheds light on some problems with modern evangelism. See : HERE See since its "grace alone" believer are saved by through faith it can become that something like tying your shoelaces is seen as works and that is just an example. Then this manifests into many things and slowly you become a Pharisee. Or the opposite can happen for people who hate rules. They just live a deceived life under grace. Carelessness. Sure if we jump to music there is music that is inappropriate for worship let alone the Christian believer. What does it mean to seek his righteousness.. go ponder that one! He is the master being the head teacher. He is the example and the life. He is the mold we must be made into eventually as its one body of believers. Sometimes in scripture God/Christ is providing a challenge or testing people. There is not even one good. But Christ said incredible words about John the baptist or Elijah. Since we are not under law (Amen) then people also as believers are thinking to live as they please. A great modern day right OFF is everything has been nailed to the cross and we are FREE! Satin was found PRIDE in him and he fell as lighting from Heaven. Eve & Adam disobeyed their maker. Sin entered into the world. But shall we go on sinning. Since Christians use the book of Romans to justify certain things I will remind you whom that book was addressed to. Was it the Romans perhaps. Here Paul was writing to the Romans because this is the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans.
Romans 6:1-11 King James Version (KJV)
"6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
Paul finished the good fight and endured. What about you? The lord Jesus Christ said where two (2) or three (3) are gathered in my name there I am. This blog covered what God see's as true none defiled religion. It also covered error's in biblical Christianity. Sometimes Christians are being addressed and sometimes none believers including born again Christians. Not born again by corruptible seed but incorruptible seed. There is a way "that seems right" unto a man/woman but in the end its not the right way. As I am reminded at times the correct meaning of the word "Church" is "Ecclesia". The Church or assembly is the people, or the congregation. It can be viewed as a governmental assembly as well. "As a whole, Christians have departed from the pattern laid down in the book of Acts." Did others write about this deviation.. yes... New Testament warnings of deviations from the faith.. "Furthermore, the Bible indicates that toward the end of the first century, many departed from the faith. As Jude wrote: “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." See HERE God is not the author of confusion as written. The bible says not to condemn. When talking about being Pharisees this is not to imply one to take that out of context or be Luke warm.
Praise the name of Jesus. Amen
Praise the name of Jesus. Amen
King James Bible Maththew 24.13
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Get Saved Link HERE
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