Getting In The Way

“And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” Mark 7:6-8 ESV 


I overheard someone the other day say, "That isn't how I use my religion." I honestly don't know what they meant but I have been thinking about it ever since then and I can see that too often our "religion" seems to get in the way of us really hearing from God. Many times we have allowed our "religion" to guide our decisions rather than God.

When Jesus was walking the face of the earth and proclaiming the message He was sent to deliver, He lived in the middle of a complex religious society, not too different from the one we live in today. The leaders of Jesus day had as many different and diverse views as we do today.

• The Pharisees believed that right religion involved in strict adherence to divine laws and traditions. 
• The Sadducee's focused on the present. They were people who discounted most things supernatural and frequently modified scripture and tradition. 
• The Essene's believed that right religion meant being separate from the rest of society. Basically piety for the sake of piety.
• The Zealots were fanatical nationalists who thought right religion centered on their radical political beliefs.

I don't care how long you look, you will not find a Methodist, a Baptist, a Presbyterian, a Episcopalian, a Catholic, or even a good ole Nazarene any where in the Scriptures. These denominations arose throughout history as believers grouped together around a common interest and belief, the way they liked to express their worship, in defense of scriptural truths that had been lost and other things to which they believed God had called them to do. But to be considered a Christian denomination, the underlying foundational focus must be born out of the relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Christ central message to every person 2000 years ago is as true then as it is today. It simply is that the way of His kingdom is first, foremost, and above all else a matter of the heart. It is a RIGHT attitude towards God and other people. Our faith must be shown to be relevant to the world. It must be flowing from the inside out and reflecting a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Without that all the religion in the world won't save us. No amount of good deeds will spare us. Without Christ at the center all religion does is get in the way.