Are you tired of religion? I am. My reaction to religious Christianity is two-fold. On the one hand it is sadness for the gullibility of the church to be seduced into a mere outward practice of the faith, and on the other hand is anger and disgust for the state of the church behaving like secular organizations and immature school children with infighting, distrust, and self-edification¾ remaining as an infant, unable to spiritually mature. Religion literally saps the life out of the church and replaces it with a fine oiled machine, designed to run smoothly, as efficiently as possible; whether God is present or not religious Christianity can continue on quite smoothly. When it comes to religion there is no middle ground; it either controls and dictates the whole of the operation, or it is totally rejected for something higher. If one is spiritual he is not religious; if one is religious he is not spiritual. Please allow me to explain.
There is no difference between the Old Testament (O.T.), which includes the Law, and religion. The purpose of the O.T. is as a shadow, or simply prophetic of the New Testament (N.T.) in Christ to come. Regarding this matter of the O.T. being regarded only as a forerunner of the New, it is written in Heb. 8.8, 10, and 13,
8“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah….10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
13In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”
Failing to remember this many attempt to blend seamlessly the O.T. and N.T. together as one and to incorporate the mandates of O.T. with the principles of the N.T., when in reality it is like trying to mix together oil and water. Of a keynote the O.T is legalistic, controlling, full of commandments, and observances whereas the N.T. is actually living an altogether new life regenerated by the believer’s spirit coming into union with the Spirit of Christ. The Old is religion the New is life, the two cannot mix. Take for instance the strong rebuke issued to the Church of Galatia, a church which began to fall back into the religion of the O.T. from the grace and life of the N.T., Gal 3.1-3, 5,
“1O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” … 5Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
The Law is the epitome of religion. The Law was formed upon the religious principles of obedience to commandments, observance of rituals and holydays, a prescribed system of worship and social behavior. Listen to the covenant God made with the Israelites,
Ex. 19. 3,5-6 “3And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying,… “5Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
The call to Israel was to “obedience” to God’s voice (which is His word), and to “keep” His commandments¾all 620 of them. “If” they were obedient “then” they would be His Kingdom of priests and holy nation. And, “If” they were not obedient and keeping, “then” there were dire consequences. God could not offer the Israelite anything higher than religion because they were still in the flesh, in sin, and therefore spiritually dead to God (Eph. 2.1). It was religion or nothing…false Gods. Religion appeals to the flesh; the natural man gravitates to controlled organization and structure. This religion was to hold a place for them until the redeemer, Jesus Christ, would come and make all things new.
Religion (as the Law) requires strict obedience but is powerless to help you keep it. Religion is not darkness but is a false light, a glimmer of something greater to come. Religion is, in varying degrees among the faiths and denominations, “legalistic.” Legalism meaning a focus and strict adherence to the letter of the Law, and today at the expense of receiving the spirit of the law now available in Christ Jesus. Legalism most often places excessive reliance on obedience to rules and following proper procedures, to the point of becoming overly formal or inflexible. The Law can and will blind you from the light freedom of grace in Christ.
Religion has to a large extent crept into Christianity, making it a formal system of public worship. Its basis is Christ, and its followers try, to some extent at least, to faithfully keep certain rituals such as baptism and communion; and gather in a formal time of worship to sing hymns of praise and hear a Bible reading and listen to an encouraging sermon. After which life returns to normal with daily activities of work and play, enjoyable foods and social gatherings.
Religion Further Defined
Religion “is not” having a particular “faith,” because there are many different faiths and they are all religions. For example Hinduism is a religion as well as Islam; so are Catholicism and Mormonism and many other Christian denominations. All of these have two things in common. The first is that they are all an organized belief system designed to connect a people with God, or Gods; and they have rituals, a moral code of ethics, and some kind of clergy to oversee the practice. Now, a measure of control is good, for it keeps things orderly, and “everything must be done in a proper and orderly manner.” (BSB) 1 Cor. 14.40 However, there is a Spirit involving control and there is a legalism involving control, one is life and the other religious death. The whole idea of “control” is to manage, regulate, and influence the operation of something or someone, or someone’s, and the heart of that is a principle called protocol.
Protocol
Most religious system are often tied to an association of groups or churches or similar institutions; these are all tied together having the same doctrine to believe in, corporate structure to govern, and, a protocol held to very tightly. What is this protocol and why is it important? By definition, the protocol of a religious sect would be the official set of rules or procedures governing the church or organization. It may include what is deemed the acceptable doctrine, rules governing conduct, the correct manner to perform certain rituals. It includes features like proper ways to worship, how to participate in ceremonies, or even how to approach or address God. Some protocol includes guidelines on proper clothing, seating arrangements, addressing the clergy, and guiding the actual flow of the service. Protocol maintains control.
Protocol is thus the salient thread that holds the religion or particular faith together. It is the authoritative backbone that governs the inner workings of religions including: the function of offices or positions of oversight, the proper chain of command, dogma (which denotes all doctrines and beliefs that are held to be true); it defines all duties, actions, and responsibilities, and the correct procedure to follow in any official situation. Once again, protocol maintains control; and control is the power to influence or direct people’s behavior or the course of events. .
An important aspect of religious protocol is setting in place a governing body, usually a “hierarchy” of authority, with statements on how everyone is to interact with the official religious leaders. This is clearly seen in large religious churches such as the Catholic church having its pope, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, etc. Such an authoritative structure is common to most denominations or religious bodies, whether large or small, perhaps only changing titles, like changing the title of pope to executive bishop, prophet, or some similar name. Titles may change, but the hierarchical structure remains the same. Authority from the top trickles down to the local pastor or elders; and from there to the “congregations” of believers who sit in their pews or benches like baby birds in a nest, with mouths open waiting to be fed.
It is believed by these religionists, that such protocol prevents misinterpretation of the Bible and confusion among the people; as seen in other denominations and religions; and that it helps to insure “the truth” is accurately conveyed; and that everything in the religious institution functions smoothly and effectively. Protocol involves careful planning and organization of religious events including logistics, proper order of things, seating arrangements, prescribed themes, sequence of activities, and other routine considerations.
Religions are not the originators of protocol. It is the most common governing aspects of all organization and institutions in the whole world. And, receive it for what it’s worth, but this kind of legalistic protocol has its roots in the kingdom of Satan; it is his authoritative structure that holds his kingdom together and infects the whole of the world, because 1 Jn. 5.19 “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” Satan’s kingdom is very structured, well organized, and very well governed according to a hierarchical chain of command, with Satan as the head, various rankings of demons under him, and as a kind of congregation, the people and organizations of the world that buy into this dark kingdom and do his service.
Religious Protocol and The Way of the Spirit
What has been described to this point of discussion may be considered “religious protocol.” It is a governing system that has infected the world and began to infiltrate the church from its earliest days. Remember the rebuke of Paul to the church at Galatia who slipped back into the O.T. Law and legalism, saying, “Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” He also said earlier in Gal. 1.6 “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel.” In other words they were attempting to blend the O.T. Law with the N.T. Gospel of Christ, which actually makes for a “different Gospel” altogether.
And so we can understand by this scripture that there is a spiritual way in which a church may function and there is a religious way which falls short. The way of the Spirit is different from the way of religion and the world systems.
The Way of the Spirit or Spiritual Protocol
Let’s began our discussion of the spiritual way by first laying a groundwork of a few scriptures. To begin with we must rid our minds of any thoughts of, and ways of, religious protocol and legalism, especially the idea of a hierarchy of authority; for in the true Church there are no popes, or head apostles, or executive elders or prophets, but all authority and power lies in the singular man Jesus Christ. He alone is determined to be the head, and all believers are connected directly to Him. Picture a wheel with many spokes where Christ is at the center or hub and believers are the spokes.
Eph. 1.22-23 “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all..”
Here, the word “head” means that Christ is not only the ruler, director, and Lord of the whole church, but equally of every individual believer as well. This truth must never be forgotten or subjugated to religious practices of leadership. Every believer must always remember the relationship in which he stands to Christ, as one who stands in complete honor and respect, and a steady sense of attachment and submission.
No one, no man or woman of God, no prophet, pastor, bishop, or apostle, stands between the believer and Christ. Let this thought be confirmed and affixed into your memory; do not let it slip away or you become deceived by the charismatic antics of a false prophet or motivational speaker. The only one to do so is the Holy Spirit that was sent by Christ to spiritually connect us and keep us in union with Christ, as it is written in Jn. 14.16 , Jesus promised, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.”
. There is, in the Church, perfect equality, as taught in Gal. 3.28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” and Col. 3.11 “where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.” Before Christ no one is subordinated to another, but all stand wholly sanctified by the blood of Christ, and able to draw near to His sacred presence.
Here is an equality which can only be preserved by steadfastly acknowledging that you are not an isolated atom tied to Christ, but that you are actually part of, a member of, an organic whole, not an organization, but a spiritual body alive in Christ. And Christ is the head to this Church, therefore it is not a machine composed of various parts, or an organization or denomination comprised of many members, but a body consisting of various parts.
Thus, no one stands between the believer and Christ, however many stand alongside him or her in various ways; these are there to instruct, encourage, protect, strengthen and preserve him in that relationship. It is similar to the parts of our own bodies work together to preserve, protect, and give growth to the whole body, and all functioning under one head. The heart and the lungs, and all other organs are individually connected to the head. This thought brings us to our next scripture.
Functioning of the Body (its spiritual protocol)
Eph. 4.11-13 “11And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ, 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.
Of utmost importance here, is to note that the gifts to the church of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are NOT offices, or titles of job related positions. They are, among others, ministries or functions one is called to in service by the Head, Jesus Christ. The name describes how each one, as a part or member of the body of Christ, serves the Church and its individual members. To address someone as “Pastor John” describes the office he is holding; he may have been appointed by a board to that office or elected by the members of the church. However, if one were to refer to someone as John the pastor, (note lowercase “p”) the function of that office UFSM Elders Meeting is being addressed, that is, how he shepherds the flock.
Thus, the apostle gives grand oversight of the church; the prophet speaks forth the mind of the Lord regarding both personal and church situations; the evangelists carry forth the banner of the Gospel of Christ, adding members to the Church and the Kingdom of God; the pastor shepherds the flock caring for, guiding, and protecting; and teachers brings to light the Gospel, and the whole of the word of God, making known the mystery of Christ. These are ministries called forth by our Lord, for example,
1 Cor. 12.28 “ And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
Note two things in this verse, first is the “God has appointed” the ministries¾ they are not appointed, elected, or earned by certificate or degree, or are appointed by man. Secondly it should be noted that the list of ministries go beyond the five noted in Eph. 4.11. For example, in one instance I might refer to my body as having a brain, heart, lungs, those parts are of bare necessity; while at another time I might include my eyes, ears, mouth, and limbs, parts which enable me to relate and move about in my environments. But, if I wanted to focus on that which sustains life, I might include ALL the individual parts of my digestive and blood circulation systems, and skeletal and muscular structure. So too are the many parts of the Body of Christ…and you are one such part.
The idea here is that each and every member of the body of Christ has purpose and function. There is no such thing as clergy and congregation. O’ let me repeat that…in the spiritual protocol there is no such thing as separating the Body into clergy and congregation.That needs to be repeated again and again. Religion has falsely divided the church into the clergy of priests, reverends, pastors, and the like on the supposed “God side” of the church and the congregation of layman on the more secular side of the church. When, in spiritual reality, or in spiritual protocol, this division does not exist. The body must function as a whole, As it is written in Eph. 4.16,
16From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.
This notion of an interconnected body of many parts working together for the betterment of the Church, as opposed to a hierarchy of offices and a congregation is confirmed and reinforced in 1 Cor. 12.12-15, which reads as follows,
12For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14For in fact the body is not one member but many.
15If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
The object of all church gatherings is the building up of the Body of Christ, which is His Church; and building up does not mean adding more members; which is always appropriate but is not the focus here. Building up here refers to the maturing of the Church, of individuals becoming increasingly Christ-like in character. And this is not accomplished by religious protocol, a system incapable of producing such results; why, because there is no spiritual power in religion, only the best of what man can accomplish. But when the Body of Christ functions as it ought to function the grace of God abounds and the fruit of the Spirit is seen in Godly character, and the church rises up to take its place in the Kingdom of God.
