Just say NO to religion!

It's easy to see that there are many, many religions in the world. But... God never intended for mankind to live by religion! Christ didn't even come to start the Christian religion. The word "religion" itself appears in the Bible only four or five times, usually with a negative connotation. The Apostle Paul talked about his past religious life that he converted from (see Acts 25:19, 26:5). He converted from religion to LIFE. In Colossians 2:20-23 he talked about the do's and dont's that people try to live by (he called them the "principles of the world"), and he said "these things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion... but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."

Paul talked in great detail about his former life in the Old Covenant religion, and how he came to the realization that, in my own words, all of his Old Covenant religious training really showed him that all the religion in the world would never and could never please God! Religion is not what God wants from us or for us. James is the only one who used the word "religion" in a positive light, in James 1:26-27, and I believe he was simply showing an example of what Life looks like when expressed outwardly.

When God created Adam and Eve, did He say, "be fruitful and multiply... and make sure you're very religious people?" Of course not! He gave them a choice, though. The choice, if you'll let me word it this way, was a choice between life and religion. The Tree of Life was there for them to eat freely from, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was there as well. The latter tree - the tree that opened them up to religion (the knowledge of right and wrong) - is the one He didn't want them to eat from. But they ate from that religion tree... and forfeited LIFE. Their first act of religion? They tried to cover their 'shame' with fig leaves.

Since that fateful day, there has never been ONE ACT of religion that has ever brought man closer to God. There is no act of religion that has ever restored man to Life. Why doesn't God want our religion? Because it doesn't work! Our very best religion is filthy to Him (Isaiah 64:6). God Himself is the one who brought us near to Himself... not through religion, but through the death and resurrection of a Person - Jesus. Through Jesus, God restored us to Life... after having killed us to religion.

God created you, not for religion, but for Life. He loves you, and He doesn't desire your "sacrifices and offerings" (Hebrews 10:8). He wants YOU... just because He loves you!

Which tree do you choose?

You can choose to live from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or from the Tree of Life.

But you can't choose both!

Which ONE will it be?