Religion Vs. Spirituality

[herald2]

In Psalm 119, the word, "Word," is used interchangeably with, "law," "commandments," "judgments," "precepts," "statutes," "testimonies."

God's Word is His law.

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh.

And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments and do them."Ezek 36:26,27. When His Spirit is within us, we are empowered by His Spirit to obey His Word/His law.

Jesus said, "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.

MANY will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity." (lawlessness) Matt 7:21-23.

"And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.He that saith, I KNOW HIM and keepeth not His commandments is a liar, and the Truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His Word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby we do know that we are in Him." 1 John 2:3-5.

Jesus said, "My sheep hear My Voice (His Word), and I KNOW THEM and they follow Me." John 10:27.

Jesus said, "He that rejecteth Me and receiveth not My Words, hath one that judgeth him, the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." John 12:48.

The Apostle John wrote, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." Rom 2:12,13.

Jesus answered and said unto him (Nicodemus) Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God...Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit...Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." John 3:3-7.

Religion is going to church, performing the traditions and thinking that you have eternal life. When you invite His Spirit to live within you, you will have eternal life - because He is eternal life.

"But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers, only, deceiving yourselves." Ja 1:22.

[Guest lovinghim4ever]

Religion is going to church, performing the traditions and thinking that you have eternal life.

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this,

to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction,

and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27).

[OnetrueGod]

Being part of religion and being spiritual are not mutually exclusive. It doesn't have to be one Vs. another, but both working hand in hand to compliment and edify the other.

I do believe there are some who "go through the motions" and practice rote mindless observances of religious tradition and ritual without any thought about God, His love, or serving Him with spiritual guidance.

However that will be God's call in the end, not mine. I can't really judge another, for I can't see in his/her heart as the Lord can. It may surprize us who will be in heaven...and who isn't. My 2 cents.

[Guest lovinghim4ever]

Being part of religion and being spiritual are not mutually exclusive. It doesn't have to be one Vs. another, but both working hand in hand to compliment and edify the other.

I do believe there are some who "go through the motions" and practice rote mindless observances of religious tradition and ritual without any thought about God, His love, or serving Him with spiritual guidance.

However that will be God's call in the end, not mine. I can't really judge another, for I can't see in his/her heart as the Lord can. It may surprize us who will be in heaven...and who isn't. My 2 cents.

A good two cents!

[Albert Finch]

1 John 2:17,18 - The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come.

Religion idolizes concepts and avoids personal experience. It is the antichrist spirit that has given rise to religious spirits. Being led by the Holy Spirit is an ongoing God encounter. A religious spirit is a demonic presence that works to get us to substitute being led by our intellect instead of the Spirit of God.

Galatians 5:25 - If the Spirit is the source of our life, let the Spirit also direct our course.

John 4:24 - God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Albert Finch

http://www.thekeys2kingdom.com

[OnetrueGod]

1 John 2:17,18 - The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come.

Religion idolizes concepts and avoids personal experience. It is the antichrist spirit that has given rise to religious spirits. Being led by the Holy Spirit is an ongoing God encounter. A religious spirit is a demonic presence that works to get us to substitute being led by our intellect instead of the Spirit of God.

Galatians 5:25 - If the Spirit is the source of our life, let the Spirit also direct our course.

John 4:24 - God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Albert Finch

http://www.thekeys2kingdom.com

Religion can idolize concepts and often times does...but it doesn't have to. One's religion needs to be guided by the Holy Spirit and not by the blind following of a certasin religion's concept's. I suppose it is semantics depending how you define "religion". The Holy Spirit does teach and allow personal experiences and concepts...both. Just because a religion follows a concept does not necessarily mean it is not led by the Holy Spirit.

However, I agree with your basic summation, if we look at the some followers of "religion" vs. the followers of God. I still do not believe thay are mtually exclusive, although often they are excluded from each other by people.

[Albert Finch]

Luke 24:5,6 - Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen.

Jesus is not among the dead, lifeless religions of the world. He is where the action is: saving the lost, healing the sick and raising the dead.

If He is alive, then His Word is alive.

Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The same supernatural power that raised Him from death is in His word.

We were brought forth from death in trespasses and sin by the very same Word of His power - the Word of God which lives and abides forever!

Ephesians 2:5,6 - Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

We are just as alive as He is. His life is living in us now. Not after we get to heaven - NOW! Maybe now we can begin to see what the Holy Spirit is telling us in 1 John 4:17: "......as he is, SO ARE WE in this world" - NOW. Now we are the sons and daughters of the Living God. 1 John 5:1 tells us "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God."

Albert Finch

http://www.thekeys2kingdom.com

Edited August 6, 2009 by Albert Finch

[OnetrueGod]

Religion is going to church, performing the traditions and thinking that you have eternal life.

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this,

to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction,

and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27).

Lovinghim4ever has the right idea here with his quote from James... There is pure religion and there is "dead and lifeless" religion as you claim. What makes pure religion is allowing the love and compassion of our savior to permeate our lives and becoming Spirit lead servants of God. Seeking out the lost, the opressed, the sick, the downtrodden and being there to care for and lift them up. That religion is alive!

Not the cold institutional based "houses of Doctrine" that are no more than warehouses of lifeless doctrinal reteric. As you say religion must have life!

[Guest AllHeart]

Religion, the uncircumcised heart.....a person who places himself at the centre of his life wanted God to meet his needs, wants, comfy life, no hastles, no stress and gets annoyed at God when these things happen. Usually becomes a Christian because THEY WANT to go to Heaven, but it is still all about them.

True Spirituality, the circumcised heart, a heart fully given over to God, 100% nothing held back and made alive because a true recognision of who God is has arisen in their hearts.There is an understanding that their life is nothing, meaningless and God becomes their life. There is an understanding that just like Job, we have nothing, we own nothing, we did not create life and have no right to it and gladly hand over the reigns of life to the rightfull owner.Everything is now God centre, everything is all about Him and the person with God centred willingling, wholeheartedly, daily gives God their 100% love and devotion without question.

[Butch4HIM]

In Psalm 119, the word, "Word," is used interchangeably with, "law," "commandments," "judgments," "precepts," "statutes," "testimonies."

God's Word is His law.

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh.

And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments and do them."Ezek 36:26,27. When His Spirit is within us, we are empowered by His Spirit to obey His Word/His law.

Jesus said, "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.

MANY will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity." (lawlessness) Matt 7:21-23.

"And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.He that saith, I KNOW HIM and keepeth not His commandments is a liar, and the Truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His Word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby we do know that we are in Him." 1 John 2:3-5.

Jesus said, "My sheep hear My Voice (His Word), and I KNOW THEM and they follow Me." John 10:27.

Jesus said, "He that rejecteth Me and receiveth not My Words, hath one that judgeth him, the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." John 12:48.

The Apostle John wrote, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." Rom 2:12,13.

Jesus answered and said unto him (Nicodemus) Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God...Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit...Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." John 3:3-7.

Religion is going to church, performing the traditions and thinking that you have eternal life. When you invite His Spirit to live within you, you will have eternal life - because He is eternal life.

"But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers, only, deceiving yourselves." Ja 1:22.

The issue isn't so much Religion vs. Spirituality as it is RELIGION versus RELATIONSHIP.

Does one have a real relationship with the Son of God? That is the key question!

Without that relationship there is no entrance to eternal life.