How Does Jesus Feel About Organized Religion?
Many try to excuse their personal disdain for “church” and “organized religion” by extolling their personal “praise” for Jesus.
One reason many individuals are sour towards “organized religion” is that they care very little for others who “stick their nose” into their “personal business.” In others words, they do not want to be held accountable to any spiritual standard and there by express their attitude toward any type of discipline, whether personal or congregational ,by saying Jesus is okay, but organized religion is unneccessary or even undesired by God.
Other reasons and beliefs are given and held to when it comes to explaining a person’s point of view toward “organized religion” but when the truth is told, many individuals fall into the given categories above.
In light of these facts it’s now time to answer the question, “How does Jesus feel about organized religion?”
Much to the chagrin of others I’m positive that Jesus is aligned with the “pro-organized religion” group. Grant it Jesus took serious issue with various religious leaders during His earthly ministry. But Jesus’ issue wasn’t with “organized religion” itself – it was with “unorganized religion” being led by the traditions and commandments of men and not the Word of God from the heart (Matthew 15:1-20).
Right about now some may be saying or thinking, “Eugene, you haven’t proven that Jesus cares for any thing close to what people call organized religion today (i.e. the church). So I’ll make the rest of this article quick and to the point!
If you think Jesus doesn’t care for ”organized religion” then you need to realize it was Jesus who did the organizing when it came to His church and the religion called Christianity that’s found in the Bible! Always has and always will regardless of what any man or woman thinks or teaches.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” (Colossians 1:15-18, NKJV)
preachercarter 3:02 pm on October 20, 2012 Permalink |
So many truly don’t understand what “religion” truly is. In fact to use paraphrase the biblical narrative in James true religion is actually service to our fellowman which is part of worship. As such those that declare that they have no need for organized religion are really making excuses to sin.
http://thechristianperspective.intuitwebsites.com/index.html
Joseph Richardson 3:40 pm on October 20, 2012 Permalink |
Given that Jesus founded a Church (Matthew 16:18), I’m pretty sure He’s in favor of it. :)
Robert E. Barger 1:43 pm on October 22, 2012 Permalink |
Organized religion
Phil 2:12
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
2 Timothy 2:15
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
The problem with your concept of organized religion is that it is not lead by the Spirit of God. We are commanded to “study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman not to be ashamed”. These two scriptures above tell us that this is a personal thing, not a group thing. A personal relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ is what God desires. When we get mixed up with the organized church, we lose the personal relationship that God desires. We are to prove all things by two or three scriptures saying the same thing. Most people that have been fooled into joining the organized church has been taught that they are saved without any renewing of the mind, or on going repentance. There is a growing process that must take place in us to go from the old man of sin to the new man that is just like God the Father when it is completed in us. This is why Jesus died to give us the knowledge of the truth that will make us free.
All the way through the Bible we are shown that there is a backside of the desert experience that each of us must go through to “see God” and it only comes through us fasting, praying and studying to know God. There is an “order” but that’s why we have been given the gift of the Holy Ghost, to convict us of our sin and bring all things to our remembrance of everything Jesus said.
The organized church is the same system that Jesus said He was going to tear down. This is a system made up of scribes and Pharisees than, and now.
Matthew 23:15
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Eugene Adkins 8:00 pm on October 22, 2012 Permalink |
Robert, are you so blind that you do not even realize that the very book which you quote from to try and defend your position of “unorganized religion” begins by saying, “To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:” (Philippians 1:1).
Now Robert, does that sound like a letter written by an apostle and written to a church that believed in organized or unorganized religion to you? If you don’t understand what the responsibility of a bishop is then read 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1 and Acts 20. How can a bishop/elder/overseer have the God-given responsibilites they have if there’s no such thing as the organized religion that you claim doesn’t exist?
People who resist the truth of organized religion remind me of the warning Paul gave to the Ephesian elders when he said, “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.” (Acts 20:29-30)
If you go back and read the scripture referenced in the above article you will see that Jesus is the Head of the church thus proving two things: 1) as the head of the church, Jesus believes in organized religion and 2) the existience of the church proves this.
Keep studying my friend.
preachercarter 2:12 pm on October 23, 2012 Permalink
Well said Eugene!
Robert E. Barger 1:58 pm on October 25, 2012 Permalink
Eugene,
Have you ever meet a bishop or deacon that operates in th power of God as Paul the apostle? Manifesting the gifts of the Spirit as wrote in Mark 16:15-18 & 1 Corinthians 12:1-31. If these gifts are not there, they are not true bishops ans deacons.
Eugene Adkins 2:27 pm on October 25, 2012 Permalink
Robert, I went back and looked at the qualifications that PAUL gave for a man to be an elder and deacon and you know what…strangely the qualifications you just tried to give aren’t there!
I guess you’re smarter than the Holy Spirit??? Besides your comment being false, it also has nothing to do with the post. Keep studying though!
Robert E. Barger 2:51 pm on October 25, 2012 Permalink
Eugene,
The scriptures are the sourse of all truth. When we study the scriptures we find that there is the” true Church”, and than there is the so called church that only believes part of the scriptures. To be “in” the true church you must have the Holy Ghost (Not Holy Spirit, the two are different!) In Mark 16 Jesus tells us that these signs shall follow them “that believe”. If you do not believe yo will not have these signs following you. The Holy Ghost is a “gift from God” to them that believe and repent. If you do not believe, or if you do nor repent, you will not recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost. In Acts 8, we have an example of a person who asks for the Holy Ghost, but cannot recieve it because he is in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. (Acts 8:23) In 1 Corinthians 12:3 we are told that if you do not have the Holy Ghost, you cannot call Jesus Lord! (Authorized King James 1611) In Hebrews chapters three & four we are told that God hates unbelief and if we do not believe what God has said, we have called Him a liar! 1 John 1 John 5:9 &10. Authorized King James Verison 1611.
In Matthew 28:19-20 Authorized King James 1611, Jesus commands us to go ye therefour into all the world and “teach the gospel” baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This is a spiritual baptism, not water baptism. Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is liken unto a woman that hide leaven in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened. Matthew 13:33 This is what Jesus was taking about in Matthew 28:19-20 and what He told Nicodemus in John 3:1-5. John 3:3 Born again to “see” (THe Holy GHost) John 3:5 born again of’ the water’ (Having the mind renewed by the washing of the water of the Word) and born again of the “Spirit of the Father” (Love) to” enter’ into the kingdom.
Eugene Adkins 6:10 pm on October 25, 2012 Permalink
Robert,
After your first reply I proved you wrong.
After your second reply (which was off topic by a mile) I proved you wrong.
Now with your third reply (which is off topic by a couple hundred miles) I can still prove you wrong (with 2, 3 or 25 witnesses mind you) but sadly I don’t think it will do any good since you keep getting further off topic showing that your attention span is too short to have a logical discussion.
Twisting the scriptures is not the same as rightly dividing them, and since you have proved to only add to them (see your own comment about what you think is a true elder/deacon instead of what the scriptures say) I believe I will end this conversation for now.
And by the way, Jesus still approves of “organized religion.”