Worldly Religion Exposed

They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. [John 15.22]

Jesus is a confrontation to the world. In fact, Jesus is a confrontation to religion too.

Because religion had 'morphed' into something powerless and burdensome, Jesus' Advent (life, teaching, and ministry) as God in the flesh proved religion's error of worldliness. And, so great was its error that its only response to the Truth was rejection. Why? Because the Truth revealed religion's sin. Rather than repent and align with God, the religious leaders rebelled and fought against God.

Jesus fixed all that, right? Wrong.

So powerful is the deception of worldly religion that it would establish itself throughout history. Jesus warned His followers that the world's hatred of Him would carry forward to its hatred of them.

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me. [John 15.18-21]

Worldly religion hates being exposed just as much today as ever before. When a true follower of Christ lives, teaches, and ministers like Jesus (see Luke 4.18-19), as Jesus prayed to God in John 17 and later told the disciples in no uncertain terms, the ire of the world and its religion is unleashed.

Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. [John 17.18]

Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” [John 20.21]

When a person seriously takes Jesus' life, teaching, and ministry as their own commission, he or she can expect worldly religion to rise in resistance even today. It may even be their very own church or denomination!

To explain this further, no one likes to be exposed. In light of Jesus saying, "Nothing shall be impossible to him who believes..." worldly religion emerges (and is therefore recognizable) in its immediate defense of its powerless state. This defense is presented in complicated doctrine or theology that permits (or even promotes) powerlessness, weakness, sickness, poverty, or tragedy NOT as the curse upon disobedience they are defined to be in Deuteronomy 28, but instead as a blessing. This dangerous and damning false doctrine and theology excuses curses as some mysterious work of God instead of encouraging repentance (as curses were designed to elicit).

But Jesus said:

They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. [John 15.22]

Oh how Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of worldly religion! He did it by healing the sick and raising the dead. He did it by demonstrating God's true purpose for the Sabbath. He did it by forgiving even the most unforgiveable. Jesus brought the power of God to the scene and worldly religion could not compete! Worldly religion was exposed for the powerless fraud it was! A true follower of Jesus Christ today - one who walks in the life, teaching, and ministry easily identified as "Jesus," will also expose worldly religion.

Here is the problem with all this: my life does not represent the power of God as did Jesus' life.

I am faced with a BIG decision here at this point: do I confess my powerless condition as sin before my faith-requiring God with a commitment to continue to try to grow in faith, or, do I contrive some alternate reason (excuse) for my powerless state of affairs and just let it be? 

I choose the former and not the latter.

Friends, family and worldly religion will all try to encourage me to "ease up" or avoid being fanatical. Some will be empathetic but others will be critical, but few, if any will cheer me on and/or join me in the quest to believe even if it kills me.

A person who persists in faith - even if it takes them to a cross - will always meet resistance. Jesus' words, not mine, indicate such resistance is the product of guilt resultant to sin - the sin of unbelief.

They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. [John 15.22]

Father, please forgive my unbelief! I want to believe You and Your Word so intently that my life demonstrates Jesus and nothing or no one else.