Religion Or The Gospel
Jesus answered and said unto them,“This is the work of God,
that you believe on Him whom He has sent.”
John 6:29
Nature religion and worship also called naturism such as the Druids in Europe, for example, were concerned with the natural world and its powers, and considered trees sacred, particularly the oak. Natural religion does not come from God, but from the natural world. False religions cut away parts of God’s revelation, add ideas of their own, and come out with various viewpoints that differ from God’s revelation in the Bible. “In the beginning …” (Genesis 1:1) is God’s revelation to the world He created. God’s original design has always had imitators and counterfeits.
Many people say, “I’m not very religious,” but in spite of some of their personal objections, people are religious beings. The Bible, anthropology, sociology, and other sciences teach us that people long for some sort of religious experience. Few terms in the language of man have been so distorted and misunderstood as that of “religion.” Eighteenth-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant described religion as “morality or moral action.” Hegel, the philosopher who influenced Hitler’s thinking, said religion was “a kind of knowing.”
“Religion” has many meanings for many people. It can mean the sadistic symbolism of the occult; it can also suggest quiet meditation within the comforting walls of a church. It can be defined as having two magnetic poles, the Biblical and the naturalistic. The Biblical pole is described in the teachings of the Bible. The naturalistic pole is explained in all the man-made religions. In humanistic systems, there are always certain elements of truth. Many of these religions have borrowed from Judeo-Christianity; many incorporate their own fables. Other religions have in fragments what Christianity has as a whole.
However, anyone who desires God’s truth can find it only through Jesus Christ, who is truth. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). True religion is Gospel Centred, and a Gospel-centred life is a Jesus-centred life, because only the Lord Jesus can save us, and give us a place in Heaven; And, the Good-News is found only in God's word, the Bible.
Bible Reading
John 3:27-36.
Prayer
Father God, lead me in the way of everlasting truth. In Christ's name I pray. Amen.
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