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
The Gospel is the Good News pledged by Jesus in His victorious, overcoming, and triumphant Finished Work. The Gospel, the Faith, has always been a simple, loving message of the Father's great Love for man. When they fell, He had a plan to restore, redeem, and rescue man from this sinful fallen state.
Jesus, God Almighty in the flesh, took upon Himself the sentence, the punishment, the sin of all humanity, and paid the price. He presented this once for all sacrifice to the Father, and the Father, being pleased once for all time, declared all who simply believe, Righteous, accepted, approved, and completely forgiven!
This is the Christian Faith. This is the simplicity in Christ. Now, mankind muddies the waters by wanting to add their own contributions. They add intellect, human reasoning, emotions, skepticism, and their own efforts, works, and deeds. This is the anatomy of religious tradition.
We have been examining the anatomy of man-made religious tradition. Religion is powerless. It can't transform lives, nor can it manifest the power of the Spirit. Religion is Faithless; it staggers at the promises of God in unbelief and substitutes Faith with works. Religious tradition is knowledgeless; it is ignorant of God's Goodness and gives rise to inconsistencies in its thinking. Religious tradition is loveless. It focuses on rules, not compassion or relationships.
As we continue this look at religion, let's examine the next mark of religious tradition. Religion is Graceless. Religion focuses on our works and performance, placing our achievements at the center of it all. It isn't Jesus' work that brings the anointing, that prepares for successful ministry; no, it is our work that accomplishes this.
Looking again at our illustration of religion in John 9, we see Graceless religion in action. What really stands out in this event are these words of the religious;
28 Then they insulted him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses. As for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.” John 9:28-29 MEV
This is the essence of religion. They follow after the Law more than Jesus. They focus on their work to earn what only God provided freely. Legalism or trying to deserve what God provides only causes frustration. Why? The Law is contrary to Grace and Faith.
Now the Law is good and holy and just, but it can't make us good or holy or just. The Law is only a mirror exposing our flaws and shortcomings. Its purpose is to simply show us the need for a Savior.
You see, Moses gave us rules to live by, but Jesus the Anointed offered us gifts of grace and truth. John 1:17 VOICE
For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 AMPC
The Gospel is the Good News of Grace. We are not provided for by our efforts, or our sinlessness, or even our giving alone. We are saved, blessed, healed, and provided for by Grace through Faith! It's His Grace, not our works.
When we rely on our own performance or goodness, we will quickly come to the end of ourselves. We will lose momentum and "burn out." We will feel a heavy burden and sense that the Christian life is too hard, and we will want to give up.
God didn't design us to live this way. God designed a relationship, not a religion, but a relationship rooted in Jesus' work alone. The New Covenant was cut between the Father and the Son, and when we believe, we are active participants in this Covenant.
Focus not on sins, shortcomings, failures, and flaws. Focus on the Finished Work. When we get our eyes on Jesus, we take our eyes off ourselves. Putting our focus on Jesus puts Him back in the center of it all. Then, as we focus on Him, we can allow Him to mature us.
Come celebrate Jesus and not a dead, wearisome religion. Rejoice in all Jesus has done for us. With such amazing good news, we can't contain it and we will desire to share it with others.
Religion is Graceless, but Jesus is Graceful. Grace is the Gospel. Grace is the Good News. Jesus is the person of Grace. Embrace the Grace, and relinquish religion, and joy unspeakable will be the result in our lives.
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