The Dangers of Religion

John 5:16-18 Jesus was doing all this on the Sabbath day. So these Jews began trying to make him stop. But he said to them, “My Father never stops working, and so I work too.” This made them even more determined to kill him. They thought it was bad enough that he was breaking the law about the Sabbath day. And now he was saying that God is his Father, making himself equal with God!

It’s quite remarkable really, how easy it is to take God’s mercy and grace – wondrous though they are – and turn them into a bunch of rules. What do you get when you do that? Religion.

In some respects, it’s understandable because the Good News of Jesus involves, yes, God’s mercy and grace, but it also demands a response from us – acceptance by faith and repentance. And the more determined we are to turn away from our sin, the more easily we fall into the trap of making up a bunch of rules to help us along the way.

But the harder we try, the more we fail. The more we fail, the more we’re led down the rule-paved path of codified religion. The logical conclusion of that looks something like this:

John 5:16-18 Jesus was doing all this on the Sabbath day. So these Jews began trying to make him stop. But he said to them, “My Father never stops working, and so I work too.” This made them even more determined to kill him. They thought it was bad enough that he was breaking the law about the Sabbath day. And now he was saying that God is his Father, making himself equal with God!

Jesus had healed a paralysed man on the Sabbath, but all the religious leaders could do was attack Him. Not only was He was breaking the law, but He also claimed equal status with God.  

So much did these religious men hate Him for it that they resolved to assassinate Him. Really?! He’d just healed this guy!

As global pop star Bono said, religion is what you’re left with when the Holy Spirit’s left the building! Don’t go all religious on us, please!

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.