Religions

When you buy a packet of flour, its labeled flour on the outside. So, do you expect flour or sugar out of the bag?

Should whats written on the outside describe what's inside? Do labels matter?

If I’m labeled a Christian, does that matter? Should it just be a name or should it also define the characteristics/contents of the label?

Christians however have several labels. Labels in form of the different religions.  

Ever wondered why we have many religions/denominations? Neighborhoods are filled with different churches at every corner.

Is it an open buffet whereby you choose what you want, and Is that the will of God?

Are all churches of God?

If by default you found your parents and family is a certain religion/denomination, does that make it right to stay in it and not question it's doctrines?

This has bothered me for a long time and since I want to be right, then I have to be in what Jesus was. I have to be what God told us to be. The Bible says: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

Acts 11:26 states:

And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

The term "christianity" does not exist in the Bible but was coined from the name, Christians. The  name Christians basically means Christ like. And so we have to understand, how was Christ, like. What were/are His characteristics?

Then from that we can determine what church Christ was in or what He told us to be.

We do believe that Jesus Christ is God and these Bible texts affirm the same.

Psalm 100:3 states that, “Know ye that the Lord he is God..."

In Acts 9:5 when the light from heaven blinded Saul, he asked, “Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:”

In Acts 7:59 while Stephen was being stoned, he called upon God saying, “Lord Jesus receive my Spirit.”

Philippians 2:10-11 states that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. 

Prophet Isaiah called Jesus the Evalasting Father and Prince of peace, and we do know that the Father and Prince of peace is God.

These are but a few amongst many more infallible proofs.

God, Jesus is holy. 

Holiness is the standard of God, the precepts of God, the way of God and the characteristics of God. Holiness is God.

Unfortunately, we have so many churches, denominations and religions all around the world causing confusion and all claiming to be holy yet God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Ephesians 4:4-6 tells me that we were meant to be one thing believing in the same one God:

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:10 continues to remind us to be one thing. The Spirit says:

"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."

The Spirit of God continues to speak through the Apostle in Galatians 3:28 saying: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

Im convinced that we were never meant to have a buffet of religions and denominations but God intended for us to be one thing, having one faith, all serving Him.

When I read further in the Bible, this is what I hear it saying about what God is and what He wants us to be:

“Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). 

There is no other way mentioned in the scriptures. If the Almighty God is Holy then we, the children of the Heavenly Father, are to be holy as He is holy. 

The religions of the world have never been in the scriptures. Christianity, Islam, Hinduism etc All the apostles and prophets preached the same message. How comes we have so many divisions?

In 1 Corinthians 14:26 the Bible asks: "How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying."

Holiness should be our firm belief, and it is God’s way, so it has to be our way of life. All other religions have men as founders, giving a beginning and an ending to their religions, but not Holiness. 

The Bible says: "according as He (God) hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." (Ephesians 1:4)

The founders of the different religions picked suitable lines, occasions/practices or coined phrases from the Bible to form church names. Others are even named after the founders themselves.

Jesus however said In Mathew 16:18: “and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

This tells me that the Church belongs to no man but the Lord Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ remains to be the founder of the true church. 

How great holiness is! Before creation was, Holiness was already here! It is ordained of God for everyone to be holy!

Holiness is not like the religion of men; it totally reflects the will of the One God! 

Sin is not justified in any form, but rather it is total obedience unto God. Holiness involves surrendering your will to God’s will, with submission and self-denial to every way that is against God. 

The scripture teaches us, “And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean” (Leviticus 10:10). The scriptures also say, “The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works” (Psalm 145:17). 

The prophets and apostles were Holy Men. They did not profess any other religion, nor should we. “For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches” (Romans 11:16).

Holiness is the way of God. It is our standard, for we are the branches. It is this kind of church which God is coming for. “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be HOLY and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27). 

From the Old Testament to the New, Holiness has always been God’s Way!

Isaiah 35:8, “And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.” 

Exodus 15:11, “Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” 

Leviticus 11:45, “For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” 

If we were told to be holy, then why label ourselves Catholics, SDA's, Baptists, Pentecostal, Jehovah Witnesses, Nation Of Islam, Anglican, Hebrew Israelites, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Mormons, Non Denominational??? etc shouldn't we label ourselves what God is?

These names don't exist in the Bible. All I see: it is written, "BE YE HOLY; FOR I AM HOLY." (1 Peter 1:16)

Luke 1:74-75, “That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.”

II Corinthians 7:1, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 

Ephesians 4:24, “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and TRUE HOLINESS.” 

Hebrews 12:14, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man

shall see the Lord.” 

The scriptures do not point to anything else for God’s people to follow, and with God’s help, we should lift up The Holy Standard of God.

Therefore, a holy church must have doctrines and practices that mirror the doctrines written in the Bible by the prophets and apostles.

The Bible  Says in 1 Timothy 4:1-3:

1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth"

Does your church/religion teach doctrines (of devils) contrary to what the Bible teaches?

The Bible is telling us in 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

I do not believe that it is wrong to ask certain questions especially about things regarding our salvation. We need to be concerned but unfortunately most people never bother because they were born in it, dont care or whatever/whoever they follow has given them comfort and reassurance or the devil has totally blinded them from truth.

The Bible in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 talk about testing stuff. It says:

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 

20 Do not despise prophecies, 

21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 

22 Abstain from every form of evil.

Proverbs 14:15 asserts: "The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going."

1 John 4:1 emphasizes that: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world"

2 Timothy 2:15 tells us: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

If at all we are in false churches, peddling lies and teaching false doctrine then we are at risk and the Bible warns us in Deuteronomy 32:16-23 saying:

16 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.

17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

18 Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.

19 And when the Lord saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters.

20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

21 They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

23 I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.

Are you in the right faith? 

Are you in the church of Christ?

Is God part of what you proclaim to be?

This is a contentious topic and I stand to be corrected if wrong. 🙏🙏