Question: Do you know the difference between a born-again
believer and a religious person? Jesus
had a few things to say about that in the Word of God!! I can remember back a few years ago
witnessing to a co-worker and him making this statement, “I know more about
religion than you will ever know.” I
believed him then, but that wasn’t what I was interested in. Religion to me is no more than an outward show
of what a person has accomplished in their own life by their own effort and
good works. It is more works based and
trusting self to meet their end goal. It
is sort of like saying, look at me and marvel at what I have accomplished and
before I leave don’t forget to slap me on the back to show me your support so
everyone will see.
Please read Matthew 23:1-7, “Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, saying The
scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid
you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they
say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay
them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of
their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make
broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love
the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and
greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.” These
religious hypocrites did everything for an outward show, like I said basically
saying look how great I am.
Now please read the seven woes that the Lord spoke of in Matthew
23:13-33, “But woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye
neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and
for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater
damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea
and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more
the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say,
Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear
by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is
greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever
shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift
that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the
gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by
the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by
the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall
swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth
thereon. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of
mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law,
judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the
other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of
the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou
blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that
the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear
beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all
uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye
are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the
sepulchres of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our
fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them
which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye
serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”
Jesus loved these people, but He couldn’t seem to get their
attention. Their hearts were hard and
unyielding; most were too set in their own ways and content with their own
righteousness, which was nothing but pride and arrogance.
Please read in that same chapter verses 37-39, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest
the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have
gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her
wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I
say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he
that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
Jesus loved these people but they would not receive Him or believe in
Him!!
I could go on and on, but I think that is enough said about
the religious people who stand on their own righteousness and their own works.
Now, about the true born-again believers who stand not on
their own righteousness or on their own works or their own merits but are
covered by the righteousness of Christ their Savior and their Lord!! They have been sanctified by their Lord and
set apart for good works that will bring glory to their Lord and Savior.
Please read Ephesians 2:1-10, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according
to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times
past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the
mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is
rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead
in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and
hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of
his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of
works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in
them.”
You might ask how is Jesus their Lord and Savior? Please read Ephesians 1:1-14, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the
will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ
Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus
Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath
blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According
as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure
of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us
accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; wherein he hath
abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in
one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth;
even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his
own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in
Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed
with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until
the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
The Word of God says that we have all sinned and fell short
of the glory of God, there is none righteous, no not one. It also says our righteousness is of filthy rags.
David said he was born in sin and shaped
in iniquity. All our religious acts and good
works could never get us in right standing with God!!
First it takes God drawing us to Jesus His only begotten Son.
It takes the conviction of the Holy
Spirit and true repentance and confession which means being sorry for your sins
and turning from them to God and it takes faith. What is faith? Please read Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen.”
You might say it is believing in something with no evidence to back you
up.
Now just picture Jesus knocking on the door of your heart, wanting
to come in. Then you open the door and
ask Him to come in and be your Lord and Savior, this is kind of the way I picture
the verse in Revelation 3:20 which is spoken to the community (church), “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if
any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup
with him, and he with me.”
My prayer is that this will be a blessing and a help to all
who read it. May the good Lord bless you
and yours and may all of you have a super day!!
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