The first is sin. Now sin isn't just a way for God to kill our fun by making up random rules. God is the one who created us and created the world and knows us well. He's knows what's good for us and what's not good for us. Sin isn't just a random rule, but it's the way we live our life that is destructive to our spirit. Bitterness isn't just sin because God declared it, but because when we hold on to a grudge, our soul slowly shrivels. Drunkenness is sin because it decreases our self-control and leads to more destructive behaviors. God wants us to be free from sin because He knows it's what's best for us.
When we sin, we feel guilty. God placed that feeling in us to help us. But some people, when they feel that guilt, they try to feel better with religion. They think if they do something good they can make up for the bad. But when we do this, we get on an endless cycle of sin and trying to make up for it with religious activity (attending church, doing good things, reading the Bible, etc.)
Now there's nothing inherently wrong with religious activity. I believe we need to be a part of the church because life is just too hard to do on our own. I think it's helpful to sit and hear sermons. We should help the poor. But these aren't things we do so God will love us. We do them because God already does love us.
Jesus came to free us from religion--to get us off the sin/religion cycle by dying for us, taking away our guilt and giving us freedom. Jesus gives us freedom from our past, freedom from guilt, and freedom from sin. When we understand this, we don't have to use religion to earn God's love. Everything we do is a response to God's love for us. A church full of people like this is a church that gives life!
No comments:
Post a Comment