GOD HATES RELIGION!!!-- There was a time in my life had I heard a person say this, I would have viewed these words as blasphemy.   I would have attributed this seemingly sacrilegious statement, to sheer spiritual ignorance, bordering on demonic possession.  This was especially  true during the time when I began to sense that the voice of God was calling out to me.   Looking back to that specific time in my life,  when I share with others how miserable I was, most people fail to grasp what was the main source of my misery.  The main source of my misery was not what my carnal conduct was doing to me. but what a small still inner voice, was saying to me.  In fact I was really enjoying my carnal lifestyle.  I enjoyed the partying, the drugs, the sex, and obtaining worldly possessions.   What caused much of my misery, was the voice which kept speaking to me, in the midst of all of my carnal pursuits.   Looking back to that time in my life, with the scriptural knowledge I now have:  I find several verses in scripture, which were applicable, to my situation.  First of all the Bible tells us that there is short term pleasure in sin (I am a witness). ²⁴By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;   ²⁵Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;  Heb 11:24-25.   The Bible also tells us that there is a season in our lives, when the voice of God lovingly calls out to us, (I am also a witness to this) .  The apostle Paul stresses this fact twice, in one chapter  ⁷Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,  ⁸Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:  ¹⁵While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.  Heb 3:7-15.   There did come a time when I began to sense that the voice of God was speaking to me, (perhaps you are experiencing this in your life now).  When I began to sense the call of God on my life, I interpreted this to mean, that God was calling me to a greater degree of morality and religious conduct.  Thus during that time in my life when I was seeking to be more religious, the audacity of someone telling me that God hated religion were in my mind fighting words.  To hear someone say that God hates religion, would have been totally unacceptable in my mind.  (click on the next tab button to advance the slides below).

As I said in a earlier portion of this study,  I mistakenly thought that God was most interested in seeing me do religious things.  Therefore I sought to improve my religious activity.  Of course there still was the matter of my carnal pursuits, for the worldly pleasures I associated with fulfillment.  But try as I might my efforts at being religious left me flat on my face. It was during this time in my life that I simply gave up on trying to be religious enough to be acceptable to God.  I also realized that all of my carnal pursuits could never give me real fullness in life. I simply broke down before God, cried out to him for help with all my heart, and told him the truth.  It was then that  I finally understood  what God really wanted from me.  It was not merely  religious conduct (no matter how noble it appeared on the surface).  It was at that moment that I finally realized what God wanted all along.  He wanted a real relationship with me, the real me.   All this time I had been offering him new and improved religious conduct, thinking that was what he wanted from me.  I was blind to the fact that it was not my religious conduct he was most interested in, rather IT WAS ME.   This is what he had been trying to show me all  along.  I also realized that the fulfillment I had been trying to find and give to myself, was really in the relationship he was offering me. It was right then that I decided, that I also wanted a real relationship with him.  Therefore I determined within myself to tell him the whole truth about me.    I finally understood this verse  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Jn 3:16. What was happening in me, was truly amazing, my faith was going through a metamorphosis. The same faith, I (in my mind) had directed toward me, thinking I could give myself fulfillment, And the same faith I had used to believe that I could become religious enough to obtain salvation:  I was now using to believe, that if I really believed on Christ, he would really, really!! save me (did you get that?).  I began to tell God that I BELIEVED. While I  was yet expressing my faith and gratitude to God, something wonderful happened,  I actually experienced the presence of God acknowledging my faith, and filling my very being (The real inner me) with his spirit.  It was at this moment that I knew that I had just met Christ and entered a real relationship with him. Religion teaches us to hide our sinful attitude behind a mask of goodness, righteousness, and secular humanism.  When all we have is religious conduct, Religion alone fills the same role as many of our modern day self-help gurus.  Just as these self help gurus promote a path to enlightenment and peace, which is predicated on a mindset of self esteem and self forth, so it is with religion, (all religion).  Religion points us down the path of happiness , self-esteem, and true self worth, without ever having to enter into a real relationship with God.  Religion allows us to comfortably hide behind our mask, as we bask in the glow of our , self worth, self esteem, and arrogance.  When men rely on their natural reasoning, in their efforts to enter into a relationship with God, they will only go as far religion will take them.   This is the path I was taking, I was seeking to be more and more religious.  God on the other hand was seeking to take me way beyond where religion, no matter what flavor, could ever take me. In his book, Hard to Believe--The High Cost and Infinite Value of Following Jesus , John MacArthur hit the nail on the head when he said, "Natural reason seeking God ends up ignorant, idolatrous, and demonic. Demons are behind all false religions. They are behind all philosophical and religious systems. They are behind every lofty thing lifted up against the knowledge of God. Any umbilical, anti-God idea is demonic."  I now realize why God hates religion.  Religion allows a person to have all the appearances of salvation, and a right relationship with God, without having neither.  Not only did I need to be delivered from the obvious sinful carnal pursuits in life:  But God also had to deliver me from the religious activity I was about to get bogged down in, (minus a real relationship with him).  CLICK ON NEXT TAB TO ADVANCE SLIDES

The apostle Paul gives a simular testimony, he tells us that though he had a sinful nature (like us all) that he had to be delivered from: he also tells us that he stood in need of another type of deliverance.   Paul tells us that he was one of the religious super stars of his day, which in turn caused him to be in the predicament of being delivered from his confidence in his religious prowess.  In fact Paul said he counted all of his religious activity as nothing but dung.  The apostle Paul tells us that his desire to be in a real relationship with God, caused him to renounce all things and count them as dung. 4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:  5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.  7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.  8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,  Phil 3:4-8.   In these verses Paul tells us he was a zealous, moral, religious man; in fact, he said that he was blameless according to righteousness in Law! Yet he (after realizing the value of a godly relationship)  he now counted all of his zeal, all of his morality, and all of his religion as nothing more than dung to be thrown on the dung heap. When God gave him this knowledge, he counted his former religion as nothing but self-righteous dung, because he recognized that in his former religion, he believed in salvation based on religious works rather than a loving relationship with God.   Paul said his greatest desire was to know Christ in a up close and personal way, That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;  Phil 3:10. This is what God revealed to me, (The night he saved me).  Like Paul before me,  I had to get to a point where I not only had to renounce and turn away from my sins: But  I also had to turn away from my confidence in my religious efforts. Thus I had to #1. renounce my faith in the things of this world to give fulfillment, and #2. I had to renounce my faith in my religious efforts.   What does it mean to fully renounce ones previous belief? It means to consider the previous belief as damnable, as abominable, as blasphemy, (my faith in the things of this world, and my religious efforts).   I realized that more than wanting me to be religious,  God wanted to be in a relationship with me.   (perhaps this is what he trying to show you)

Christ tells us that on the day of judgement, there are going to be many who actually thought they were going to make it into the kingdom, but won't.  These are they who were confident that their religious conduct and credentials was sufficient enough.  Christ tells us how they will plead their religious case before God, to no avail.   ²¹Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  ²³And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  Matt 7:21-23.  This is what Christ seeks to save us from.  Many have allowed their religious conduct and activity to blind them to the fact, that they are not in a knowing relationship with God.  It's for this reason that Christ will say to this religious group, "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." click on next tab to advance slides

The Pharisees were experts at substituting religion in place of a relationship (with God).  This is the type of religion God hates.  The Bible uses the word "religion very few times,  (compare).  26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.  James 1:26-27. The word religion or religious only appears seven times in the entire Bible (three in our text). That seems odd for a Book that is generally recognized as the most religious book in the world. Five are negative and two are positive. Clearly, the Bible doesn't emphasize religion.  Did you know that God said he got fed up with empty religious activity, and Christ said the day would come when even the impressive church buildings would be torn down? 12 When you come to appear before me,   who has asked this of you,  this trampling of my courts? 13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!   Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations?   I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. Isaiah 1:12-13 (NIV).  *1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."  Matt 24:1-2.   When men Associate  God's call on  their lives with religion, this is the minds way of hindering them from realizing and acknowledging that their greatest need is not for a religion, but a relationship. *( I found out the hard way that Religion is not capable of giving a person, true self understanding, fulfillment, or right relationship with God. It is only capable of producing people who {in their mind} are self-righteous). Simply being religious can blind us to the truth of who we really are. (This almost happened to me) God is not interested in religion, his greatest interest is you, (the real inner you) and your need to be ready after death for your forever life. You are going to live forever, the question is where. Jesus directed his sharpest rebuke toward the religious leaders of his day.  The reason being, they had gotten to the point where they had replaced honest heartfelt desire, devotion, and confidence toward God, with dead outwardly religious ceremonies and showiness. Jesus put them on notice that God was not impressed with an outward show, unless it is accompanied with an inner sincerity and devotion toward Him.  Religion allows us to draw near to God with our mouths without ever being in a relationship with Him. As Christ said,  "Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me,"  Mk 7:6. 23. While on earth Christ stressed the fact that those who desired to both please God and enter into his kingdom, would have to have more than just religious activity.  The Pharisees were very religious, yet they were for the most part rejected by God.  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven, Matt 5:20.  Jesus no doubt stunned his followers when he told them in order for them to enter into the kingdom their righteousness had to exceed that of the most revered and religious figures of their day, the scribes and Pharisees.  

As we know the scribes and Pharisees were very religious.  They attended church regularly, they prayed, they fasted,, they dressed in long robes, etc.  Yet we find some of Christ's sharpest rebuked directed toward them. 25  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.26  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27  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.28  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.   Matt 23:25-28   The words of Christ concerning the Pharisees, is a indictment against all the religions of the world, which substitute ceremonies, rituals,  religious affiliation, dress codes, etc, in place of true salvation. We can learn a lot about the danger of trusting in religion, good works, and the pursuit of worldly positions and possessions, from the things Christ said concerning the scribes and Pharisees. ²⁰For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Matt 5:20.  In the religious attitude, covetousness (cravings for riches) and conduct of the Pharisees, we have an exemplification of what is the natural persuasion of men the world over, namely, that a religion of external performances will suffice to ensure a blessed eternity. True, there are many who would deny this in words, but in works they substantiate it. They bring their bodies to temple, mosque, synagogue, etc, but they don't have a real desire to know the true God, and his will for their lives.  Many like the Pharisees of old are sticklers for properly observing their religious protocol, yet take no thought of keeping their hearts/mind with all diligence". The Pharisees (like many today) thought they could impress God with their outward show of religious devotion. The scribes, at that time, were the doctors (interpreters) of the Law; the Pharisees professed the purest practice of it (they were known for the way they acted it out). The problem was the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees was an external one only, consisting of certain outward observances of the Law. They were strict in abstaining from such gross outward sins such as adultery, theft, murder; but they made no conscience effort to bind up pride, impure thoughts, idolatry covetousness, hatred, and coldness of heart in the sight of God and toward their fellow man. This accurately describes many world religions today.   Their observance of God's Law was a partial one: they laid far more stress upon its outer ceremonial precepts than upon its inner moral requirements.  They were gung ho in their public fasting, praying at street corners, and giving alms (offerings).  But, it was all done to enhance their reputation among men. The Pharisees of the New Testament were people who were strict observers of the laws of God. They were very knowledgeable about the scriptures and knew all of the rites and laws of God. However, they lacked the most important thing: love. Their hearts were hardened towards God and they were hypocrites. Externally, they seemed perfect, but internally they were most imperfect. They had reduced religion to a set of rules and regulations, without any love in their hearts. They made religion mechanical and they did not value a real personal relationship with God. The Pharisees prayed, fasted, read and memorized scriptures, and obeyed the commandments of God, and they made sure that these practices became visible to everyone around them. They separated themselves from others, especially the poor and the sinners. They felt that such people were not fit for the kingdom of God. They were very judgmental of others. The Pharisee was precisely this kind of religious addict, who used religion as a smokescreen to prevent him from confronting the reality of the true sinner he was on the inside. He also used religion as a club, as a weapon, to attack and bash others.  His lust for silver and gold, caused him to hold the poor in contempt and disdain.  In the religious attitude, covetousness (cravings for riches) and conduct of the Pharisees, we have an exemplification of what is the natural persuasion of men the world over, namely, that a religion of external performances will suffice to ensure a blessed eternity. True, there are many who would deny this in words, but in works they substantiate it. They bring their bodies to temple, mosque, synagogue, etc, but they don't have a inner real desire to know the true God, and his will for their lives.  Many like the Pharisees of old, are sticklers for properly observing their religious protocol, yet take no thought of keeping their hearts/mind with all diligence".  When he came on the earth Christ did not need for anyone to tell him what was behind every prayer that was being prayed, (the true intents, and desires), because he knew what was in the mind of every man. 23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.  24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,  25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. Jn 2:23-25.