The Marks of the Religious (minded) Man: Faithless

 

making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” Mark 7:13 NKJ 

Don’t let others spoil your faith and joy with their philosophies, their wrong and shallow answers built on men’s thoughts and ideas, instead of on what Christ has said. Colossians 2:8 TLB

They act as if they worshipped God, yet they do not let God's power work in their lives. Keep away from people like that. 2 Timothy 3:5 WE

 What is religion? What is the religious tradition of men? Religion is man coming to God upon His own terms. It's human philospohy, emotional reasoning, and the system of ritual and human effort. 

 Religion builds its trust and hope in man's experience instead of what God actually said in His Word. Religion has a form and fashion or appearance of Godliness, but it is powerless. Religion doesn't transform; it just goes through ritual to satisfy rules and expectations.

 We are examining these marks of the religious man. Remember that no man is our enemy. The enemy is a system of wrong believing created by the spirit of error and not the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth. 

 The first mark of the religious-minded Man is powerless. Religion is powerless to save and transform. Religion is powerless to transform and renew. Jesus is powerful, and He is the victorious reigning King!

 The next mark of the religious-minded man is Faithless. Faithless religion substitutes faith with performance.  It replaces trust in God’s grace with confidence in man’s effort. It boasts more in human achievement than in Christ’s finished work.

  Faithless religion believes salvation is by grace, but living victoriously is by works. Once one receives Jesus, religion shifts the focus from Christ’s sufficiency to man’s striving. It begins to measure righteousness by behavior instead of believing.

  In John 9, we see a vivid image of faithless religion. The religious leaders were "investigating" the healing miracle of the blind man. Instead of rejoicing at the Goodness of God in healing, they hardened themselves. They chose to reject this miracle, clinging instead to their traditions. 

Faithless religion always hardens itself against the work of Grace. Jesus perfectly purchased Redemption through the Finished Work. It's a completed work. Yet faithless religion downplays this, favoring performance and achievement over Grace.

 Faithless religion also doesn't take God at His Word. Faithless religion acts like God's Word is not true. Faithless religion believes God's Word intellectually but not practically.

 Faithless religion talks about God, but doesn't draw near to Him. Faithless religion talks about God but doesn't trust Him. Faithless religion talks about God but lacks the expectancy that He will do what He said He would. 

 Faithless religion prays but doesn't trust that God will respond. Faithless religion prays intellectually, asking for God to provide, but doesn't believe that He actually will. Faithless religion claims there is power in prayer, but doesn't believe Faith can actually change situations and circumstances. 

 Faith takes God at His Word. Faith isn't the currency of Heaven. Jesus' shed blood and perfect work of Redemption, and the Finished Work of Grace, is what procured and purchased our salvation, provision, blessing, wholeness, deliverance, healing, Righteousness, and eternal security. Faith is the means by which we receive these things that Grace procured and provided. 

  Faith sees God's promises, provision, and plentious Redemption in the unseen realm. Faith sees the unseen and doesn't focus on the seen. Faith believes. Faith takes God at His Word, Faith acts like His Word is true, and is fully persuaded. Faith speaks. Faith is in agreement with what God said. Faith receives. Faith receives what Grace freely purchased and provided.

 Faithless religion doesn't see. Faithless religion looks at the seen, being ignorant of the unseen. Faithless religion doesn't believe. It doesn't take God at His Word, not being persuaded of what God said. Faithless religion doesn't agree with God. It disagrees with what God said about the circumstance or situation.

 In summation, Faith is the hand by which we reach out and receive all God has for us. Faith isn't about striving or earning. Faith is about resting and freely receiving. Grace says it is done, just receive it. Faithless religion says perform to be found acceptable. Grace says Faith in Jesus is what made you accepted and approved. 

Image by Vicki Hamilton from Pixabay

The Marks of the Religious (minded) Man: Powerless

 

making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” Mark 7:13 NKJ 

Don’t let others spoil your faith and joy with their philosophies, their wrong and shallow answers built on men’s thoughts and ideas, instead of on what Christ has said. Colossians 2:8 TLB

They act as if they worshipped God, yet they do not let God's power work in their lives. Keep away from people like that. 2 Timothy 3:5 WE

 Religious tradition makes God's Word ineffectual. Religion weakens and renders the Church impotent in a fallen world. We have defined religion as a man-centered philosophy rooted in rigid rules, rituals, and rites. 

 We are examining the marks of the religious man-or rather, the religious-minded man. Our focus is the mindset of religion, not people, for no one is our enemy. We do not wrestle with flesh and blood. 

  In John 9, we see a perfect portrait of powerless religion. This is the story of the blind man made whole. They brought him before the Pharisees. The Pharisees were enraged because this work of Jesus violated their rules and the way they had always done things.

 Notice they were angry because Jesus broke their rules. They were cold and callous to the plight of the man; he was born blind, and that impacted all aspects of his life. That was of no concern to them, only that the rules be observed and never broken, no matter the reason.

 The reality is their cold religion was powerless to render help, healing, and wholeness. This leads us to identify one of the marks of a religious-minded man. Religion is powerless. The 6th mark of the religious-minded is "powerless."

 Religion is powerless. Religion has a form of godliness but has no power. Religion serves a god that is comfortable for the intellectually led and emotionally inclined-a deity shaped from human logic and limited compassion.

The Jesus of powerless religion's only ability is to forgive one of their past sins and allow the sinner to become born again. Apart from that, Jesus can't help you. While being forgiven of past sins and getting born again are vitally important, it is not truly good news if that's all He can do.

 What about your future sins? Are these left up to you to work for or beg for forgiveness? What about your life in the here and now? Are you on your own in this life? 

 Powerless religion seems to insinuate and proclaim this as fact, and if you ask for more in this life, then religion labels you a heretic and someone who seeks not God but happiness this side of Heaven. They call into question the sincerity of Faith and commitment to God for anyone who believes there is more for us in this life than just suffering and squeezing by in life, as if expecting goodness from God is somehow greed, covetousness, or discontentment! 

 One of the marks of the religious-minded man is powerlessness. Jesus can't help you is really what they believe and express in matters apart from initial belief in Christ. Powerless religion is a religious expression without any revelation. Jesus is a mere historical figure who used to work miracles, heal the sick and infirm, set captives free, and transform lives. Today, that is not what Jesus does, and if you have a need apart from accepting Jesus as Savior, well, sorry, Jesus doesn't do that anymore. He can't help you with that!

 That’s not just bad theology — this is the heart of powerless religion 

It’s a Christianity that preaches a historical Jesus, not a living Christ.
It knows about some of His words but not His presence.
It can quote the stories as historical events, but it has forgotten the Spirit that makes them real.

Powerless religion looks into the eyes of the broken, a sick mother, a grieving father — and says, “Sorry, that was for Bible times.”
But the Gospel of Grace says the same Jesus who opened blind eyes still mends broken hearts — the same Spirit who raised Him from the dead still gives life today.

 Powerless religion sees God's Word for the most part as a history book. A collection of events that detailed what God used to do. An account of a Savior who only intervened in people's lives to coldly prove He was, in fact, God in the flesh, not because of compassion and mercy, compelling Him to show up in people's situations and change them to bring about healing, wholeness, and restoration. 

 Powerless religion serves a savior that can't save completely, only partially. Powerless religion preaches a partial Jesus.

He can forgive, but He can’t restore.
He can pardon, but He can’t empower.
He can cleanse the record, but not redeem the life.

This brand of religion presents a Christ who died for sins — but not for sickness.
A cross that covers the past — but not the present or future.
A redemption that opens heaven for receiving the new birth alone — but leaves hell’s grip on earth untouched.

It’s a gospel that says:

• “He can save your soul, but your body’s on its own.”

• “He can forgive your sin, but not break your addiction.”

• “He can bless you spiritually, but not touch your finances.”

• “He can comfort your pain, but not cure it.”

Powerless religion presents a powerless Savior — one good enough to pity you, but not strong enough to help you. But the real Jesus not only came to forgive sin — He also came to undo its effects on earth and in the lives who trust in Him! 

 Powerless religion has entombed Jesus in a museum. Where His works are mere exhibits, serving as a reminder of what He once did, but no longer does today. They are memorials of a God who once changed circumstances and outcomes for the blessing and betterment of His people, but of course, that was not for the actual blessing, but merely to show He was a sovereign God who was capable of powerful acts and nothing more. 

 Has powerless religion ensnared you and your thinking? Has Christianity merely become an intellectual encounter, rather than a truly life-changing event? Break free from the shackles of powerless Christianity and know you serve a risen Savior who conquered death, hell, and the grave and rendered the enemy powerless and ineffective against His Church, the Body of Christ. 

 Do you have any experiences with powerless Religion you wish to share? Comment below and let your testimony inspire others.

Image by Laz Georgoulas from Pixabay

The Marks of the Religious (minded) Man: What is Religion?

 

making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” Mark 7:13 NKJ 

Don’t let others spoil your faith and joy with their philosophies, their wrong and shallow answers built on men’s thoughts and ideas, instead of on what Christ has said. Colossians 2:8 TLB

They act as if they worshipped God, yet they do not let God's power work in their lives. Keep away from people like that. 2 Timothy 3:5 WE

 If you have followed this site for any length of time, you have seen how much religious traditions are challenged. Often, the articles written have the purpose of allaying these man-made traditions. With this in mind, it seemed good to do an actual study on what religion and tradition really are. What the traits or marks of religious mindedness actually are.

  What we must also be mindful of is who are enemy actually is. Our enemy is not with flesh and blood. No man is our enemy. That is, we wrestle not against flesh and blood but with the enemy, the spirit of error. Now, men may count themselves as our enemy, but that doesn't mean we have to count them as our enemies.

 Jesus said they will know us by our love for one another. That love is referring to how we, as the Body of Christ, love each other. We need not fight each other, but love each other and come together under the banner of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our one goal is to tell a crying, dying world that there is hope, and it is found in receiving Jesus as Savior and receiving the gift of eternal life. 

 Let's begin understanding what the traits or marks of religious-mindedness are by looking at the words of Jesus and Paul the Apostle. Jesus said religious tradition makes the Word of God of no effect. Other translations render this as making void God's Word or nullifying it. 

 Grasp what Jesus is actually declaring. The religious tradition of men makes the Word of God void, nullified, and of no effect. He is saying religious tradition makes the Word of God powerless in the life of one entangled in the religious traditions of men. 

 Paul also gives us notice about the dangers of religious tradition. The Holy Spirit, through Paul, breathed a warning about philosophies and practices rooted in the religious traditions of men. They spoil or defraud us from a genuine Faith and a sincere relationship with the Father.

 Lighting candles, holding religious artifacts, or religious items, like beads, shawls, or head coverings, don't make us more spiritual. They don't make us more approved. Observing certain days over others, practicing rituals, clanging bells, or chimes, or shaving your head bald, does not make you better accepted by God our Father. 

 The Holy Spirit also said through Paul that religion has a form of Godliness but completely denies its power. Religious traditions deny the power of God to save the worst of us. Religion denies the power of God to transform hearts and lives, and instead relies on rigid rules, restrictions, and regulations to bring about behavior modification. 

Religion denies the power of God to change situations and circumstances. Religion says God used to intervene in the lives of His people during "Bible days". He doesn't do that now, though. He, in fact, creates circumstances to mold us and better us through painful suffering. 

 Religion is man's attempt to reach God. Religion is man-centered; it's a system based on following rules that they make for you to appear pious. Religion is a man-made philosophy that keeps God in boxes designed by men. Religion forms and fashions and serves a god that they can understand emotionally and intellectually. 

 In this series, we will examine the marks of the religious man. In John 9, we see the perfect illustration of all these marks of the religious-minded. We want to detect religion and show the way out.

 The Gospel is the Good News. The Gospel is the power of God. It is life and wholeness to all those who believe. The Gospel brings new life, power from on High, and a life of victory on this side of Heaven. Religion is powerless, rooted in men's strength and fleeting and fading. The Gospel frees where religion binds, stay with us as we examine these marks of religious mindedness. 

 What are your experiences with religious tradition? Do you think it is good to challenge the traditions of men? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay