The religious are Calvinist, Catholics and others that attend an organized church. Religion is basically man's preoccupation with his own spirituality. It is about him and his works. You will not hear the Gospel in todays organized church, simply because there is to much freedom in the Gospel.
For a number of years I was a member of an organized church. The pastor didn't have a clue as to what the Gospel was until he received some literature from Verdict Publications. During the Saturday morning prayer meeting he made some copies of what he had received and passed it out to those that were there. There was about 10 of us that received the literature. He said, "I want you men to read this literature and tell me what you think of it". The literature was about the Gospel and justification by faith. Some of us believed what was written by Verdict, some didn't. The pastor believed and changed his message. The results were that the deacons had a secret meeting and decided to fire him. I left soon after that. The Gospel simply is not compatible with organized religion, never has been, never will be.
Paul's problems were not with unbelieving sinners. Paul's problems was with the religious. If you read Paul's epistles you will see that he was in continual defense of the Gospel and justification by faith apart from the works of the law. The words "Law" and "Religion" basically mean the same thing. When one is doing their religion they are doing the law. The law demands that you do something. the Gospel is not about doing something, the Gospel is about believing something. The religious live by laws and works. Christians live by faith, Romans 1:17.
The religious are in bondage to their religion. They really love their religion more than they love God and his Son Jesus Christ. The reason for this is because their religion is about them. The Calvinist will declare... "I have been predestinated". The Catholic will declare... "I am made holy by the Catholic church". It is always about them and their religion. The Pharisees were blinded by the law. The law was not only their religion, the law was their God. They frequently boasted about how religious they were. Some even tithed down to the mint in their gardens, Matthew 23:23. They were not really interested in God, if they were they would have received his Son Jesus Christ. Jesus was a threat to their religion so they murdered him.
The Gospel is a threat to the religious. They don't want it, nor do they believe it. The Gospel will wreck your religion. After I became grounded in the Gospel I saw no need for organized religion or any religion. Jesus saves and he saves to the uttermost, Hebrews 7:25. If you sincerely believe that there is no need for a religion.
For a number of years I was a member of an organized church. The pastor didn't have a clue as to what the Gospel was until he received some literature from Verdict Publications. During the Saturday morning prayer meeting he made some copies of what he had received and passed it out to those that were there. There was about 10 of us that received the literature. He said, "I want you men to read this literature and tell me what you think of it". The literature was about the Gospel and justification by faith. Some of us believed what was written by Verdict, some didn't. The pastor believed and changed his message. The results were that the deacons had a secret meeting and decided to fire him. I left soon after that. The Gospel simply is not compatible with organized religion, never has been, never will be.
Paul's problems were not with unbelieving sinners. Paul's problems was with the religious. If you read Paul's epistles you will see that he was in continual defense of the Gospel and justification by faith apart from the works of the law. The words "Law" and "Religion" basically mean the same thing. When one is doing their religion they are doing the law. The law demands that you do something. the Gospel is not about doing something, the Gospel is about believing something. The religious live by laws and works. Christians live by faith, Romans 1:17.
The religious are in bondage to their religion. They really love their religion more than they love God and his Son Jesus Christ. The reason for this is because their religion is about them. The Calvinist will declare... "I have been predestinated". The Catholic will declare... "I am made holy by the Catholic church". It is always about them and their religion. The Pharisees were blinded by the law. The law was not only their religion, the law was their God. They frequently boasted about how religious they were. Some even tithed down to the mint in their gardens, Matthew 23:23. They were not really interested in God, if they were they would have received his Son Jesus Christ. Jesus was a threat to their religion so they murdered him.
The Gospel is a threat to the religious. They don't want it, nor do they believe it. The Gospel will wreck your religion. After I became grounded in the Gospel I saw no need for organized religion or any religion. Jesus saves and he saves to the uttermost, Hebrews 7:25. If you sincerely believe that there is no need for a religion.
