Jesus and Religion

                I am a sheep: Fleeing often (trying) on my own from the wolves which howl the zeal of religion and strip the glory of God from my life. Above my incompetent self is a shepherd who in abounding grace watches over me holding me up and cleansing me from my selfish inebriation. These wolves: religion, pull the wool over the eyes of many sheep and at times have duped them all. They pose as the ‘holiest’ members of the earth, though their righteousness is self-acclaimed. It is they who dim the fire of Jesus, having elevated their personal preferences to the level of God’s law. As Driscoll says in the sermon, though, Jesus says, They do not get to write a book, God wrote the book, it has all the rules we as sheep need, they cannot add their rules to my book, their rules are not my law, I do not acknowledge their rules I acknowledge my rules, my rules are THE law. These Pharisees, pose as religion, make themselves something to be desired even idolized and this is not the God we must worship. We can go through life at whatever stage, far from what religion would write our bounds, and still be rested in the grace of the Almighty. Yet, often, especially in this insidious South Charlotte bubble it is not this that we struggle, but rather much the opposite, we try and obey the letter of the law, to look good, to be this political representative of God, to be his defendant and act on behalf of the Creator, and in doing so, we blind ourselves from the wondrous opportunity to be blessed by being the guilty party with God as defendant and Him acting on our behalf. It’s this name brand Christianity idol that we present, and it is that, that rather we should run in fear of.

                Driscoll makes innumerable points, as to the fallacies of this idealized quote, unquote “religion”, describing it as, easily impressive, external rather than internal, inspirational rather than truth based. In effect, many fall in love with the motivational speech of these religion-ites eating up every word and making idols of the mouths they come out of. But Christianity is much more than the speech; it is a race, a race that will eventually and inevitably claim the lives of all mankind. It is the race, that brings us to the Creator, and no amount of smooth talking, “coaches” can propel you there, for they merely forestall your progress occasionally on accident, often in purpose. And as scary as it sounds that those that lead us to God, can also eventually deter us from him, it is all around us, through us, in us, and of us.

                Often these fallacies show up in life as Driscoll put it, with people being “really committed to all the wrong things”. I could stand and give a fiery speech that a nectarine should be the next governor of South Carolina, I could misconstrue and twist words of wise men, the words of the Bible; I could gather support, I could talk so smoothly that some would begin to believe, but no matter how you slice it, a nectarine can never, and should never be in political office. (I’ll take this moment to pause and pray you caught that pun)… in continuing, often this is the same crap we as an ignorant and fickle people buy into all the time. We get all dressed up and all riled up and impassioned over the silliest and most insignificant nuances of the faith while millions breathe still not knowing the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ. So, to what end do these things travel? To me, it seems a dastardly and graceless one, one far away from the Great Commission, and away from the true meanings and impacts of the Messiah and his coming.

                It is necessary, nevertheless to acknowledge and honor the good in the things of religion. There is, invariably a strong sense of protectionist ideals and a code of holiness, that, in their place hold a strong bearing on our lives, and can help lead us to righteousness. It is only, when these things are elevated to the level of the Heavenly Father’s law that there becomes a problem.

                Consequently, the wolves that prey and howl, though often having the goal of help and holiness, often can lead us away from that and on the path of self-righteousness where the blood of the Messiah is diminished and the words of men are become far too important and required in comparison to the law of the Supreme Creator. God’s grace is relentless, and our sin is overwhelming, so to think that by your own actions there is saving, there is sever incongruity. These Pharisees and religion-ites talk the talk and walk the walk (in front of people) but “all men sin and fall short of the Glory of God”

                “By his wounds we are healed”