Religion has actually convinced people that there is a invisible man living in the sky watching everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever until the end of time! But he loves you. He loves you, and he needs money. He always needs money. He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money.
George Carlin
I heard a radio pastor the other day speaking with approval of those who find themselves "Deeply Religious." In his words, these deeply religious believers are the ones who keep the faith of those around them alive. As I listened, I thought that a better title for these mainstream church goers might be "Deeply in the weeds." For those who might think differently, consider this prospect. Who has ever been saved by religion? Now, I agree that many have come to acquaint themselves with knowing the Lord and Jesus through immersing themselves in religion, but how many have been saved by religion itself? Having grown up in the mainstream church, I'm well aware that having faith and believing are key points to the religious lifestyle. I remember rising from the pool the morning of my baptism with the thought that I was now saved. Was it this tradition that saved me? Did John the baptizer save those he baptized? Or, as John declared, did he simply pave the way for One greater than himself {Johns Account 26-30}? As the baptizer declared, "He must be growing, yet mine is to be inferior." Knowing this, we can say that it is definitely not the tradition of baptism by which one is saved. For Jesus has proclaimed, "I am the way the truth and the life, no one is coming to the Father except through me" {Johns Account 14:6}. So, it is not by being religious that we are saved. We are saved when we trust in the work of Christ Jesus {Paul to the Ephesians 1:7}. Religion has led us to believe that it is due to our own efforts that we have achieved salvation. We believe. We profess Jesus. We accept Him into our hearts. But the apostle Paul proclaims that it is not by our own efforts, but due to the love and grace of the Father {Paul to the Ephesians 2:8-9}. If you continue in this religious belief, then you might just be deep in the weeds.
For in grace, through faith, are you saved, and this is not out of you; it is God's approach present, not of works, lest anyone should be boasting.
Paul to the Ephesians 2: 8-9, Concordant New Testament
I personally would hate to see the after affects of those who, through their own efforts, achieved their own salvation. Can you imagine the arrogance? Knowing that they were saved, and rubbing this knowing in the faces of those who weren't. Of course, this has nothing to do with the love and grace of the Father, but of the arrogance of man. It is for this reason that God loved us enough to save us {First Epistle of John 4:10}. To be in the weeds is to hold onto the belief that my own efforts are leading to my salvation. The mainstream church is known for telling us that we can "Punch our ticket" for salvation if we only believe and live the right life. But this goes against the declaration of Jesus Who has proclaimed that it is He who is the way to the Father. It is Christ Jesus who has paved the way for the love of God to be manifested. It is through the love and grace of the Father that we are saved {First Epistle of John 4:16}. God saved you, not the church. Sure, the church can TELL us of how it is that the Lord has loved and saved us. I am thankful that I grew up in this knowledge. I am thankful that I was raised knowing of Gods love for me. I believe that this knowing kept me from getting too deep into the weeds of mainstream church theology. I knew that I wanted to live my life in the Father and not simply punch my ticket for heaven. The truth of the Lord that is so often overlooked is that WE DO live our lives in union with Him {Johns Account 14:20}. Yet sometimes we need to dig ourselves through the weeds in order to see it.
~Scott~
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