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People are religious. People in this great country believe in God and they believe in his Son
Jesus Christ. People love to tell other people about Jesus and what he has done for their souls.
People study their respective religions and learn how to teach it to other people. People put
countless hours into studying the creed books and studying their religious counsels' decrees
regarding their religions. People proclaim religion according to conventions where their leaders
have decided what is correct and what is incorrect.
People are wrong. People have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. Jesus said, "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matt. 15:9) regarding the religious leaders of his time. Centuries before Jesus spoke these words the prophet Isaiah uttered them concerning Israel and their refusal to worship and serve God according to His pattern. "And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nigh unto me, and with their mouth and with their lips to honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which hath been taught them" (Isa. 29:13 ASV). Just as in the days of the prophet, and of Christ, people today still honor God with their mouths but refuse to honor Him with their hearts, because they teach the commandments of men as though they came from God. Even today the words of Paul ring true. "For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (Rom. 10:2 ASV). Indeed, people are religious, but not according to the knowledge that God has revealed through His Holy Word. When people teach as doctrines the ideas of men, their religion is both vain — or worthless — and without knowledge. Jesus said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matt. 7:21-23 ASV). God, who cannot lie, reveals in this passage that many people will be surprised on that Day of Judgment to learn that the works they did in God's name, yet without God's authority, were both vain and without knowledge. Jesus says that people will ask God about all the "mighty works" they did in his name, only to hear Jesus reply, "I never knew you; you worked iniquity." This fact is made abundantly clear throughout the Bible: We humans cannot worship or serve God in the ways of our own choosing. Jeremiah said, "O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jer. 10:23 ASV). God alone decides how his creation will worship and serve him. Anything else is both vain and without knowledge. Why then do so many religious organizations teach as doctrine the commands or traditions of men? Paul tells us in Second Thessalonians, chapter two that many, "received not the love of the truth" and "believed a lie" because they "believed not the truth". When someone rejects the simple truth found in God's Holy Word, what else is left but lies? When people teach as doctrines the commands of men, by implication they do not love the truth enough to teach it. To illustrate this point consider a tract handed out by many religious organizations aimed at reaching the lost about Christ. This tract, entitled, Are You 100 Percent Sure You Will Go To Heaven? exemplifies certain people's zeal for God. Yet this zeal for God is not according to knowledge due to their willingness to teach as doctrines the commands and ideas of men. This fact sadly shows the emptiness of their religion. In this tract the reader may read about sin (Rom. 3:23), what sin means (Rom. 6:23) and the fact that God has offered a way out of sin (Rom. 5:8). It continues by giving "God's" instructions on how to fix sin; to repent (Luke 13:3) and confess Jesus as Lord, (Rom. 10:9). It then tells the reader more of "God's" instructions, as found in Romans 10:13, and his promise of eternal life, (Rom. 6:23b). Then the tract gives as the final step to salvation, the following prayer: "Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for all my sins. I ask you to forgive me of all my sins. The best I know how I am receiving Jesus as my savior right now. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen." But, unlike all the other points listed in this tract, not one verse of scripture is used to prove this last point. Why is that? This is because this "prayer" is not in the Bible. The idea is not in the Bible. The teaching is not in the Bible. The lack of scripture to prove that this prayer is the final step necessary for salvation is deafening. This is Not God's instruction for salvation. This is the command of men being set forth as God's doctrine. This is vain, empty, and worthless — it is without knowledge, it is false doctrine, and it is a soul damning tradition of man! The tract is correct up to this last point. But salvation is not received by saying this "prayer". Why does the tract not include the fact that Baptism does also now save (1 Peter 3:21), that baptism is "calling on his name" (Acts 22:16), that baptism is how sins are washed away (Acts 22:16), that baptism is how one puts on Christ (Gal. 3:27), that baptism is how one begins "newness of life" (Rom. 6:4), that baptism is what follows true belief (Acts 8:37), that baptism is what raises us "with him through faith" (Col. 2:12), that baptism puts us into Christ's body (1 Cor. 12:13), and that baptism follows repentance and remits sin (Acts 2:38)? All this was left out because these people have chosen to follow the commands of men instead of the commands of God. Any religion that omits any part of God's commands to man is a false religion and should not be followed. Not all religions come from God. If your religion contains man-made elements, or omits parts of God's divine plan, then it is a false religion, and no follower of a false religion is a follower of Christ. No member of a false religion is acceptable to God. Why not investigate your religion, and if anything is found that is not in accordance with God's word, get out of it? Or, if any of God's word is omitted, get out of it. |