Power in the Word of God: The Best Religion that pleases God

There are many religions in this world. To name a few we have, Baha'i, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Rastafarian, Judaism, Shinto, Sikhism, Taoism, Wicca, Zoroastrianism, and Druidism. It shouldn’t be a surprise to know that every religion including Christianity is manmade. Christianity is based on the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. The disciples of Jesus were called Christians for the first time when they were in Antioch. They were called Christians by people who were not Christians themselves. They were called Christians by men and not by God.

Acts 11:25-26 (New King James Version) “Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

The Christian religion has grown so large to the extent that there are now more than 30,000 denominations. Which of these denominations is God pleased with? I will define religion as man’s way of reaching out to God. Man does this by following rules and regulations. They add a bit of the teachings of Jesus, a few add the teachings of Moses, and some include a bit of the word of God that suits them.

These principles are good in themselves because they discipline the flesh but they do not have the power to change the desires of man. Sets of rules and regulations cannot please God. The Christian religion began according to the move and the will of God. However, within a short period men began to add their own ideas and methods. Religion is the work of the flesh and by the work of the flesh, no man can please God.

Romans 8:8 (New King James Version) “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

When man ties himself down by religion, he is unconsciously putting himself under the law. If the law given by God to the children of Israel was difficult to keep, how much more the law imposed by men to reach out to God? The children of Israel were under the law for thousands of years and God was not pleased with many of them.

Romans 3:20 (New King James Version) “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

The Law was given by God so that man will eventually come to the understanding that he needs help from God, to live a life pleasing and acceptable to Him. The law was given as a deflection to the saviour and this is Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:24 (New King James Version) “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

Man’s effort cannot be acceptable to God until man comes under the grace available through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is God coming down to man and not man trying to reach out to God. There isn’t complete truth in any religion. Religion is like adding yeast to dough. The yeast mixes with the whole dough and changes its consistency. God is divine and so we need divine ability to relate to Him. Grace can be defined as the divine ability given by God to do things outside our ability.

John 1:17 (New King James Version) “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

There is now no religion that can locate God. God can only be located by his Spirit. Who knows what is in your mind except your spirit that resides within you. Likewise the things of God can only be discerned by the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 2:11 (New King James Version) “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.”

How can we connect with the Spirit of God to reveal the things of God to us? The spirit of God comes to dwell in whosoever believes that Jesus Christ died for their sins and that Jesus Christ rose from the dead so that they will be justified before God. We are only justified through faith in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:38-39 (New King James Version) “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

To conclude, when the Holy Spirit resides in you then he begins to guide you and reveal the mind of God to you even as you ask Him. You will then be led by the Spirit of God and not by the dictates of your flesh. The Holy Spirit cannot be contained because he moves freely according to the will of God. It is a constant flow and you receive from Him as you learn to rely and depend on Him.

1 Corinthians 2:12 (New King James Version) “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”