Jim Coonrod /Contributing writer
The distinction between religion and spirituality has come to change. Some will say it cannot be separated. Of course, one can undergo a very personal spiritual experience inspired by the persuasiveness of a speaker, a sermon, music, and the elegance of the surroundings, however, what is the drawing power? Is it God or man generated?
Religion is man-made and can be anything that a person practices or it desires. Religion makes us feel good, nice, accepted, and important. Religion focuses on outward behavior and gradually changes our inward feelings. Religion focuses on what I do and we become a new individual by practicing our religion.
In order to become a new person, we need Jesus. Only through an active ongoing relationship with Jesus can we become transformed and overcome the labels that bind us. When we have a relationship with Jesus, this relationship is inward. Religion focuses on what I do, while our relationship is about what Jesus did. Relationships transform our minds, desires, and purposes in life (Romans 12:2).
It is not enough just to claim to believe or say I am a Christian. There has to be a change and that comes from Jesus. A transformation comes from your heart and mind, initiated by grace through faith that changes our purposes. God’s Grace is not something earned or deserved. He gives grace and forgiveness to those who trust and accept him. Ephesians 2:8, 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
Many churches today have changed the meaning of grace, from God’s word that we are only “saved” by grace, into we are “accepted” by grace. Preachers and leaders of churches have offered grace “in advance” regardless of what a person does or lifestyle someone lives, instead of an award for a relationship with Jesus. In fact, this perversion of grace takes Jesus out of the relationship between heaven and a burning hell (Romans 5:1-2).
When we take Jesus out of the relationship the cross is replaced with a man-made gospel where doing good for their fellow man becomes the driving force. This gospel leads to social concerns replacing the work of Jesus who died and rose again to save sinners. The worldly knowledge, wisdom and perverted gospel preached and taught in many churches today, even in the media, is a lie, a false gospel.
Some church leaders in America today have become businessmen where they are vying for the customer instead of the authority of the gospel as it pertains to growth and accountability. The consumer has become the king, dictating what gospel is adhered to, instead of the Son of the Living God. Many church leaders have become servants of sin and corruption (2 Peter 2:19).
Our Christian faith is being attacked from all directions and the war on God is in full swing. Government passing laws and changing policies in support of many social programs. Church leaders changing the gospel from the pulpits to support these evil lifestyles for the sake of popularity, status, finances with the love of money, Prosperity Gospel, to be accepted by the world. Satan has entered through the front door of our religious churches and corrupting God’s Gospel.
We are at a crossroad in America to where being liked, praised, and accepted is the driving force behind religion which takes the spirituality, honor, and truth out of the God’s gospel. John warns us in Revelation 2:5, that we need to remember where we came from, repent, and do the first works or our candlestick will be removed.