What destroys our fellowship with God is when our relationship becomes religion: full of Do's and Don'ts
Galatians 3:3 Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
We need to understand when we are practicing religion without a true relationship with the Father
Religion is the most destructive enemy to a believer. It's easier for you to receive help when you are sinning than when you are practicing religion because nothing looks wrong on the outward.
However, the Bible has shown as some signs of religion which is not fellowship.
One sign of religion is, it's straight and rigid.
Acts 26:5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
Religion doesn't allow the flow of the Holy Spirit. Everything is according to script. Our Christianity becomes more of a ceremony than communion.
This is why God always causes revivals. Religion is when you know that after opening prayer, is worship, then offering, then preaching, then benediction. So even when the Holy Spirit wants to change it, you will resist Him.
Most of us pray religious prayers. That's why they never get answers. Prayer is not a formula.
If the church announces that the service is 2 hours and it goes beyond that, then we are irritated.
Even our worship is all religious entertainment. Waiting to hear the latest hit and the ones you love hearing. That's not worship.
You can't even lift your hands, because you don't want to be seen as worshipping with your heart.
Religion is nice outwardly, but produces no results.
Nowadays, we even know how our men of God minister, so we are waiting for the time they'll start laying hands or prophesying. As for the rest of the service
Religion will let you see your offering as an investment in return, but a relationship will let you give because you love God.
The majority of our churches today are now religious entertainment centers. We are praying for the sick when the Holy Spirit has not instructed us to do so. Singing songs that make people dance, but without changing their hearts.
Even the most random person can imitate a pastor because all we do is a rehearsed performance for the congregation to clap and cheer on. Mercy!
The 2nd sign of religion is the following the traditions of the fathers.
Galatians 1:14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
There are certain thing that was well done in the churches because of the era the people were living in. It is not necessarily a practice in the faith.
For instance, in the early church days, there were no Bibles as we have today, but letters and so the people had only church gatherings to hear the word of God. But today everyone has access to the Bible, so you don't have to wait for Saturday or Sunday to hear the word of God.
Being zealous about the traditions of your fathers is religion and not Christianity.
In the area of dressing, a suit is not the official attire of a preacher. It's not biblical. The reason why Christians were suits is because the Europeans who brought the gospel here had that as their dressing.
Tradition may help you fellowship, but the moment you get stuck to it, it can distract you from the actual purpose you are after.
With communist they believe that if you change the man's surrounding, you change the man, but the free believe that, if you change the man, you'll change his surroundings.
God does not change from outside in but from inside out. Tradition is trying to change people from outside in. That's not biblical!
If you understand God from the inside, you will respond equally to the outside. Churches today are not investing in the hearts of men, they are only concerned about the outward aspect.
So you see a nice gentleman going to church, but his heart is governed by Hollywood actors and unbelievers. We need pure salvation where people change from the inside first.
When the Holy Spirit takes charge of your heart, nobody will have to advise you to dress decently, nobody will have to tell you to respect the elderly.
That's why Jesus called the Pharisees white washed tombs. Beautiful outside, rotten inside. That's all religion!
The 3rd sign of religion is to deceive your own heart.
James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion
Those who play religion always have an answer to justify their actions, even when it goes contrary to the Bible. They lie to everyone until they lie to themselves.
Religion will not allow you to seek forgiveness from God because you'll think it's a formula,
Sin = Punishment
So you'll think once God hasn't reacted to your sin, then God is not worried about it.
Religion will keep you bound in sin and it will explain to you the reasons why you had to commit that sin.
Religion fosters addiction to sin.
Religion will make you keep quiet about a particular sin because you yourself have become a lover of that sin.
If you are in fellowship with God, you will not want to destroy that relationship and any time you fall short, you will quickly repent.
Religion will equally make you feel that God will not forgive you as simple as that.
Because of that corrupt doctrine, you will not be bold to come before God to obtain mercy.
God is not a taskmaster, He is our Heavenly Father. A father doesn't disown his son for one mistake. No!
Religion will tell you otherwise.
We must come out of religious entertainment. Our songs today have not the Holy Spirit, our dances in the church are all to show our moves, your preaching is to prove how knowledgeable you are.
We have turned the church into a talent show. Contesting against one another.
The church is for the glorification of Jesus Christ and no one else.
I pray that during this season you'll break out of religion and build a strong and lasting relationship with God.
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