Religion or Faith?

Jesus does not give us a long list of do’s and don’ts, or criteria for salvation; just that we believe and are baptized.

Often we talk with people about Jesus and how He has impacted on, and changed our lives. When I have done this it has sometimes resulted in me getting labelled as a person who is ‘religious’. I really don't mind this badge when it comes from a non-believer, as this is actually a badge of ignorance. In these situations I generally attempt to get across the sense of faith and the personal relationship that I have with God and how this is different to being ‘religious’.

James 1:27 tells us ‘Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world’. This is very interesting to me, it says nothing about which version of the Bible a person should read, which Church to attend, how often a person should pray or what a person can and can't eat. It speaks to a higher purpose, one that God finds acceptable.

Often we tend to add extra's to the grace and love that God has shown us at the cross of Calvary. We say that a person must be baptized to be saved, or say the sinner's prayer to be saved. While these things may be right and Jesus certainly does say in Mark 16:16 ‘Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned’. It is important to notice that Jesus says ‘whoever does not believe will be condemned’. Jesus does not say ‘anybody who is not this or that’, or who has ‘not achieved this in their lives’ will be condemned’. Jesus does not give us a long list of do’s and don’ts, or criteria for salvation; just that we believe and are baptized.

When Jesus walked this earth in the form of a man, He often challenged the religious leaders of the day. These leaders had a deep seated sense of religion even to the point of telling Jesus that they knew more about what God requires of them than He did. They simply did not recognise him and in those days Jews would make sacrificial offerings to God to atone for their sins. However once Jesus made his once and forever sacrifice these rituals and sacrificial offerings become meaningless – there was no reason to continue with them, as Jesus became the perfect sacrifice; Hebrews 10:14-18; ‘For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: ‘This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds’. Then he adds: ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more’. And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary’.

Anything that separates us from the divine love and grace of God is empty religion and has no place among God's elect. Let us be vigilant therefore not to allow the things of the world creep into our lives. 1 Peter 5:8; ‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’.

Author: Anonymous

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The Father's House

But the greatest security of all is to know our Heavenly Father, 'from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named' (Ephesians 3:15).

What is your comfort zone?  Do you have a favourite place to be?  A space where your heart and mind are most at rest, where you can take refuge from the pressures of the day.  Do you share that space? There are people with whom you can relax, in whose company there is no expectation of conversation, or with whom you are free to share silly ideas without recrimination.

We are made with an intrinsic need to belong, an inbuilt yearning that draws us back to family and home.  Even the footloose adventurer and the dysfunctional soul at some point long to return to their roots.  Travelling musicians have been especially prolific in writing songs about home: "And every stranger's face I see reminds me that I long to be, homeward bound, I wish I was, homeward bound." (Simon & Garfunkel). "And I'm surrounded by a million people, I still feel alone, and let me go home." (Michael Buble).  You can probably think of many more.

The Bible abounds with genealogies and lists of family names, because knowing who we are brings stability.  But the greatest security of all is to know our Heavenly Father, 'from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named' (Ephesians 3:15).
Did you know that Jesus, in addition to rescuing us from darkness and despair, has gone ahead to prepare a place perfectly suited to every one of us?
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." (John 14:1-3)

Here are some comments on what Jesus said:

• It was the day before his crucifixion, addressed to the few who had already given up everything to follow Him.  Until you have given your life to Christ none of the rest applies.

• Then a command; not to be disturbed by all that is going on around us.  A simple translation might be, 'don't get agitated'.  The only antidote to being agitated is to believe in Jesus.  It's not enough to believe in an impersonal God; we have to know and to trust in the Person of Jesus.

• There are two similar words for 'house', 'oikos' and 'oikia', one being a general term for a place to live, the other indicating an abode particular to an individual or family.  To stretch a point it could be the difference between 'house' and 'home'.  This is the latter.

• The 'rooms' ('mone') that Jesus has gone to prepare for us are permanent and perfect abiding places, bespoke designed for each and every believer.  Early English translators used the word 'mansion' to try to convey the meaning of this special and unique space.  Jesus uses the word again in verse 23 to describe God making His permanent home in us.  A mutual everlasting abiding - amazing!

How do we get to this place?  Jesus is coming back for us.  He is the Way.  Meanwhile He's working on a new heaven and a new earth, so that when we've passed through this temporary transit camp, having given our all in His service, we can take up Jesus' invitation, 'that where I am you may be also'. 

Here are the some of the words of the song that inspired these thoughts:
  
  In the Father's house, no-one stands alone

  I can come as I am

  I'm invited, I am known

  By your grace I'm saved

  By Your blood I'm reborn

  All I have is Yours

  Heaven hears my voice

  For the Father's house is home.

Author: John Plumb

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It's Time to Grow Up!

There is a huge difference between being childlike and childish: one blesses a church, the other drains a church. One is spiritual, the other is carnal.

Spiritual growth and maturity is an essential characteristic of a true Christian, yet infant behaviour seems rampant in so many churches. It was A. W. Tozer who said that the visible Church of Christ includes at least four classes of people: First, average people who come to church regularly but are never converted. They enjoy church, their friends are there, but they have never passed from death to life. Second, those who have trained to be Christians, but are not. They have learned the language, give the impression they are a Christian and others think of them as such. Third, there are those who are true Christians, but carnal and are still as they were when first saved. Finally, there are true Christians but ‘unfortunately these seem to be the minority in most churches’.

Tozer’s comments make sad reading, but his challenge cannot be ignored. A similar picture is found in the New Testament where Paul refers to the Corinthians as ‘mere infants’ and ‘spiritual babes’; 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 ‘Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready’. The writer to the Hebrews speaks of believers being ‘slow to learn’; Hebrews 5:11-12 ‘We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food’! There is a huge difference between being childlike and childish: one blesses a church, the other drains a church. One is spiritual, the other is carnal.

There is something very tragic about an adult being childish. John Ortberg tells of a man called Denny who regularly attended church all his life, yet didn’t like the music and called in the local authority about the volume. Everyone guessed who had complained and laughed it off. However, Ortberg said it was no laughing matter as this guy was 60 years of age, his children couldn’t tolerate him, he stayed cranky and no one expected him to be any different. Those comments remind me of some words from Juan Carolos Ortiz, who said, ‘We have a phenomenon in the church today which I call the Eternal babyhood of the believer. We have members of our churches who, after years of hearing messages are just the same. They continually need a minister to keep after them, changing their diapers, putting talcum on them, and checking their milk isn’t too hot’. Perpetual infancy is not allowed in the Kingdom of God! Childish behaviour has to be addressed and confronted.

Immature, childish believers have these unhealthy traits:

•    Self-centered – everything has to revolve around them.

•    Influenced by their feelings – one minute they’re happy, the next they’re screaming!

•    Easily attracted by externals – a new sound or rattle quickly gets their attention.

•    Prefer play to work – unproductive apart from making work for others.

•    Don’t take responsibility for their actions and behaviour.

•    Live on a restricted diet, preferring to be spoon-fed and dependent.

Pastoring isn’t pampering! Growing as a Christian is a command not an option. Spiritual growth is a matter of attitude, not age. God has provided everything we need for growth, and maturity should be our burning ambition. If you’re wearing a small jacket, make sure you’re growing out of it!

Author: Alan Hewitt

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Can a Nation be changed?

God has always used a refined and restored remnant to do His greatest work, and He is ready to transform our nation.

Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all?  Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols! (Jeremiah 2:11)
So said the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah about his chosen people, expressing his shock and horror and dismay at their abandoning of the fountain of living water, replacing it with broken and stagnant human alternatives.

Despite years of persistent prophetic warnings their stubborn refusal to turn back to the one true God, who had given them land and law, peace and prosperity, led to defeat, destruction and deportation at the hands of the ruthless Babylonians.  "Israel has become a slave, carried away as plunder." (Jeremiah 2:14)
Now in a foreign land Jeremiah writes to the people, encouraging them to seek the welfare and pray for their place of exile, because in so doing they will find their own welfare. (ch 29).  But despair is prevalent.  Psalm 137 finds them sulking rather than singing the songs of Zion, weeping by the rivers of Babylon over what was lost in the past rather than considering the possibilities of the present.

All of this took place in the 6th century BC, a period of world-wide transition from worshipping capricious, sacrifice-demanding gods such as Baal, Molech and Chemosh, to the 'softer' religions of Buddha, Confucius and Zoroaster, and later to the humanist philosophy of Ancient Greece.  So it was a time of lost opportunity; the people who had the truth pining in exile when they could and should have been proclaiming the One who is worthy of worship, who made heaven and earth, and who blesses those who turn to Him.

We could look back in condemnation, or we could consider our own situation.  Britain, along with the developed western nations, is today in a post-Christian era.  Earlier success, stability and status can all be connected to revival, repentance and reformation.  A proper fear of God led to high moral standards, stable family and community, a work ethic, compassion in our institutions, and therefore a safe and secure society.  All of this is steadily eroding as many gods are once again worshipped in our land, perhaps the most insidious being Mammon (god of money).  And we are paying the price as anarchy stalks our streets and lanes.

So what shall we do?  Moan and mope at our demise?  Retreat into dying Christian enclaves?  No way!  God has always used a refined and restored remnant to do His greatest work, and He is ready to transform our nation.  How? With ordinary people doing ordinary jobs in ordinary places, but in the extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit.  
This move of God in our nation is coming from the 'grassroots', from the unnamed 'nobodies', from a people who care for nothing but the glory of God and the name of Jesus, a people prepared to pray until something happens.  And it will happen in small pockets of blessing until a tipping point of grace is reached and our nation will be transformed.

We pray the words of Matt Redman's song: 
'Can a Nation be Changed'?

• Let this nation be changed
• Let this nation be saved
• Let this nation be turned back to You
• We're on our knees
• We're on our knees again.

Be blessed today as you seek to invest every action, word and thought into the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus.



Author: John Plumb

May God bless and enrich your life

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this site with friends, family and others.