A Religious Spirit (moved)

[Solomons Porch]

I could be wrong, but i think this thread was begun to target me.

Yup. I'm the "religious spirit" the OP is referring to i believe.

I agree with your post, by the way.

You raise a very good and solid point.

Thank you.

Honestly, I questioned whether to respond to this post because I wanted to respect your wishes. I meant every word that I value your friendship. But I can't leave my heart or yours "thinking" this thread was about you OR attacking you, it is not referring to you and IF I led you to believe this was about you, will you forgive me? I have nothing against you and I love you in Christ as my sister. Please forgive me if I have in anyway offended you or caused you grief, I do not oppose you, nor do I want any strife. I love you brinny and I sincerely am sorry if you felt that this was about you, sweetheart it's not about you at all. Please forgive me if I caused you to feel this way.

 

[Solomons Porch]

I could be wrong, but i think this thread was begun to target me.

Yup. I'm the "religious spirit" the OP is referring to i believe.

I agree with your post, by the way.

You raise a very good and solid point.

Thank you.

 

[Halbhh]

We don't [have? need?] another word to substitute for the word 'religion' in the English language.

That would be so ideal... one word for one meaning.

But....tower of Babel. We *do* use the word in very different ways (see post #42 above on page 3).

And also in the popular culture -- even in the secular culture of non believers, the word "religion" is used in at least 2 main popular meanings that are very unalike.

 

[WilliamBo]

I've run into hundreds of the types you describe. When I was young and naive I tried to reason with them, not knowing (at the time) that you cannot reason a person out of beliefs and behaviors they did not use reason to arrive at. Now I have the blessed ability to ignore them. I no longer throw my pearls before swine.

I have been thinking the EXACT same thing, there are certain people I grew up with that used to MAKE ME SO MAD because of their stubbornness. Haha, but God has been teaching me and giving me the power to ignore them too because let's face it... some people are in the COMPLETE WRONG about the way they act and they are only going to scoff. I am no longer getting mad but gaining the maturity to ignore them and give up worldly pursuits.... thank God, because getting mad like that is so stressful! I actually just put this up on my wall yesterday:

 

[Widlast]

I have been thinking the EXACT same thing, there are certain people I grew up with that used to MAKE ME SO MAD because of their stubbornness. Haha, but God has been teaching me and giving me the power to ignore them too because let's face it... some people are in the COMPLETE WRONG about the way they act and they are only going to scoff. I am no longer getting mad but gaining the maturity to ignore them and give up worldly pursuits.... thank God, because getting mad like that is so stressful! I actually just put this up on my wall yesterday:

View attachment 200270

Reminds me of the saying " I used to be disgusted, now I'm just amused."

 

[fat wee robin]

I personally have ran across my fair share of this kind. Have you and how did it change/affect you, did it change you for the better or the worse? What does a religious spirited person sound like? Is there any good fruit that comes from these? Do they tear up more than they build one up (as long as it is fitting to them and their opinions and beliefs)?

1. You judge other people by their appearance.

God judges us by our heart, but man judges by outward appearance (1 Sam. 16:7). I have heard of many churches where young people have not felt welcome or have even been condemned by church leadership because they had a tattoo, a nose ring, or dressed a certain way. (In some legalistic churches men have to wear a suit and tie to attend church and ladies are not allowed to wear makeup and pants or cut their hair.) Although I believe mature believers should dress modestly, we especially need to allow visitors to come as they are and all believers should dress as they feel comfortable (with moderation). Legalistic churches that forbid folks to attend services because of their attire have exhibited one of the signs of having a religious spirit.

2. You try to earn God's love and salvation.

Since religion in this article refers to a man-made effort to please God—the motivation behind those efforts in this category has to do with following certain rules, or regulations regarding the outward man, in order to be in right standing with God. This is a clear violation of passages that teach us that we are saved by grace and not by our own works (Eph. 2:8-9).

3. You try to conform to outward holiness without inward transformation.

The Scriptures teach us that God is more concerned with cleansing the inward man (Ps. 51:6) than our outward conformity to rules and regulations. Those that only have a form of godliness without inward transformation deny His power (2 Tim. 3:5). Jesus strongly rebuked those who merely attempted to cleanse the outer man without allowing God to deal with the heart (Matt. 23). In my experience, I have observed that very religious people usually have sinful habit patterns that eventually manifest because they don't allow God to change their inner being. The more we attempt to follow God merely by the letter of the law—the more it will incite our sinful tendencies (Rom. 7:7-25).

4. You are always critical of other people's walks with God.

I have noticed that the more religious a person is, the more critical they are of other believers and ministers. Since they are so hard on themselves (religious people generally don't understand grace and walk in self-condemnation), they are also equally hard on other people.

5. Your closest Christian relationships are based only on ministry activities.

Religious people are not only superficial with God but with others as well. Since they attempt to connect with the "other" merely by activities, they are disengaged emotionally and do not know how to connect heart to heart with those they interface with. Church-related ministry or functions usually hold their friendships together.

6. You perform Christian duties but have no passion or hunger for God.

Religious people sustain their version of Christianity by performing ministry or church attendance. They do not have a deep relationship with God nor do they hunger and thirst for Him.

7. You desire position and honor in the church more than honor from God.

Those with a religious spirit hinge their life and identity upon their outward man. Hence, they are drawn to having recognition and titles in the church world. If they cannot legitimately get a ministerial title from their local church, they will hook up with an online course or other entity that will give them some kind of badge or card signifying they are a minister or chaplain.

8. Your identity is rooted in a lifestyle of Christianity instead of in Christ.

Mature Christ-followers receive their main identity in the fact they are "sons" of God, whereas religious people receive their main identity in the things they attempt to do for God and their church.

9. You know about the truth of Jesus but not the way of Jesus.

Religious people make a big deal about the doctrines they accumulate through head knowledge. They make the mistake of thinking that having good doctrine means they are mature believers. Just because we may know about God doesn't mean we commune with God and know Him experientially.

10. You project righteousness but inwardly are filled with anger and resentment.

Religious people know the entire Christian lingo, know how to act and project themselves in certain settings and use this "act" to gain influence in church circles. However, projecting ourselves to create a Christian persona will not last long. Those who depend upon this superficial personality projection are merely being religious and will not have the sustainability to deal with the hurt, pain, and disappointments of life. This results in a duality in which they appear righteous but inside are filled with anger, resentment, and envy.
*CharismaNews*

Would you also see yourself in those who criticise others who are different from you ?
The post would not go down so well in Europe as we consider that ,not only one side has the responsibility , we all do, including those who have fallen by the wayside . There is nothing so debilitating than false sympathy from people who needs you to be 'poor '.

 

[Solomons Porch]

Would you also see yourself in those who criticise others who are different from you ?
The post would not go down so well in Europe as we consider that ,not only one side has the responsibility , we all do, including those who have fallen by the wayside . There is nothing so debilitating than false sympathy from people who needs you to be 'poor '.

I'm sorry I am not following you here and I want to understand your point. Could you elaborate on the meaning here? Thank you

 

[WilliamBo]

I could be wrong, but i think this thread was begun to target me.

Yup. I'm the "religious spirit" the OP is referring to i believe.

I know the OP was not targeting anyone, but I will say this... often when we feel that way, maybe we are feeling convicted for a reason? I don't know you or your situation at all but it might be something God wants you to think about, I'm just trying to help you out, I'm not trying to offend you at all, just some food for thought

 

[ToBeLoved]

I think it is an important post. Period.


Because every once in a while we have to stop thinking we are this and we are that and just STOP. And take a look at who we are, instead of always thinking we know who we are.

Christ cares about our hearts and motivations. So maybe everyone needs to just look inward. Pray. and reflect.

Are we as good of people, deep down inside as we probably think we are?

Nothing wrong with a good, thought provoking post. If more people would take a post and look inside, instead of looking all around, the Church would be much better off.

If people are scared to do that, then we need to all look at ourselves even closer and ask, "why are we scared to see the 'real' us. Because this person is who God see's every day and don't we just want to become better servants of our Savior, in the end"?

 

[Solomons Porch]

I think it is an important post. Period.


Because every once in a while we have to stop thinking we are this and we are that and just STOP. And take a look at who we are, instead of always thinking we know who we are.

Christ cares about our hearts and motivations. So maybe everyone needs to just look inward. Pray. and reflect.

Are we as good of people, deep down inside as we probably think we are?

Nothing wrong with a good, thought provoking post. If more people would take a post and look inside, instead of looking all around, the Church would be much better off.

If people are scared to do that, then we need to all look at ourselves even closer and ask, "why are we scared to see the 'real' us. Because this person is who God see's every day and don't we just want to become better servants of our Savior, in the end"?

You just spoke the absolute truth and thank you for saying this, it is true, every single word you just spoke. We should always look inside ourself and see if there be anything within us that is not pleasing. Thank you

 

[Episaw]

I personally have ran across my fair share of this kind. Have you and how did it change/affect you, did it change you for the better or the worse? What does a religious spirited person sound like? Is there any good fruit that comes from these? Do they tear up more than they build one up (as long as it is fitting to them and their opinions and beliefs)?

Are you actually asking if we have come across this kind or are you using it to give us a cut and paste sermon on the subject?

Answering your own question is a bit disingenuous.

 

[2Timothy2:15]

I dunno....."religious" spirits can be intermingled in the "occult" can they not, full of deception, and leading many astray? For instance, self-proclaimed "deliverance ministers" and "demon slayers", etc. There's a message from David Wilkerson that comes to mind. He warns that even in the church Satan's power and influence is prevalent.

The bottom line is, what are the markings of a Godly man or woman of God?

Perhaps that is a good place to start.

Let it rain.

That Jezebel sermon is one of the best I have ever heard and a classic. Jezebel is really false doctrine. Interesting thing is usually those accusing others of having a religious spirit are operating in Jezebels doctrine and are usually in some leadership role from my experience. It seems when you want to hold someone to account for false doctrine that rock of religious spirit is thrown. I would like to know where a "religious spirit" is either mentioned or demonstrated in the bible, chapter and verse. I have seen, deaf dumb spirit, unclean spirit, perverse spirit, lying spirit, deceptive spirit, but can't find religious spirit anywhere. Is this just in invention of bad leaders to manipulate and control, yet another hallmark of Jezebel.

 

[2Timothy2:15]

Happened to the Lord Jesus kiddo, i.e., the Pharisees. They were religious but not godly. Yes, they do more harm than good. But you're strong in the Holy Spirit kid and you can always counter them the way Christ did. God bless . Your big brother in Christ.

Jesus rebuked them openly for being hypocrites. Jesus rebuked them for abusing people to make themselves rich. Just take a look at most "pastors" today who are enriching themselves off of the sheep. If you rebuke them expect to be persecuted just like Jesus. Count the cost my brother.

 

[BenGreenwald]

The Sermon on the Mount is the benchmark for solid Christian character right? Wrong? As I see it right now, look no further. We're servants. We're meek, mild... ready to build up, encourage, admonish, give with an attitude of "you sir/mam are at least as valuable as me in God's Kingdom" and so I will treat you at the very least as well as I will treat myself. Your needs are my needs. You're brokenness, your hangups, the challenges you face... these are not removed from my life. If and when you and I as children of the Father struggle, we build and do not tear. Jesus seemed to suggest that our defining characteristic, and possibly the one that captivated the world for centuries, was our love for one another. And yet now this "love" phenomenon seems dreadfully rare. Where there are there judgments and criticisms and prevailing in groups and social stratification you can rest assured that the Devil isn't too far off.

 

[Firearms]

Golly. I took the quiz and did not perform well; every answer was one form of 'yes' or another.

1. Yep.
2. Oh yeah, of course.
3. Yes I do.
4. Always? I doubt that, but often? Yes certainly.
5. If this excludes my family, yes.
6. Absolutely *NO* passion or hunger? Maybe, but maybe there is a little passion and hunger inside there somewhere?
7. More than? Iduno... if I had my druthers, I'd take honor from the Almighty. But my behavior might show something different.
8. I think it's worse than that; my identity might not even be associated with Christianity at all!!???!!
9. Probably. Or maybe possibly? Gosh, this looks bad!
10. Definitely.

 

[LoricaLady]

I have certainly suffered from being religious and still have to watch out for that. However, I do believe almost everyone is religious in one way or another. One definition of religious would be when people follow traditions of men instead of the real Word. For example people say "Jesus" and "God." Our Father is merciful and knows we have been deceived down through the years and certainly we get prayers answered with those names. But they are traditions of men.

There is no J in Hebrew! Therefore the Names Jesus and Jehovah Jireh can never be correct. When Moses asked the Father What His Name was at the burning bush, He did not say "God." The letters in ancient Hebrew documents for His Name, given then, are YHWH. (Per my personal research that would be pronounced Yahuah.) The Savior's Name is Yahushuah, sometimes shortened to Yeshuah, which means Yahuah Saves.

But, people don't use those names even when they know better. We are all imperfect, all have some religiosity, seems to me. Also, Christmas and Easter (named after a pagan goddess whose symbols were bunnies and eggs, on a day that never falls on the true Resurrection Day) are no way in the Bible. Yet when people find this out they go right ahead and celebrate them anyway! Then the real holy days in the Bible, which we are told are for all generations, are ignored. I won't even get into the Sabbath as I don't want this to turn into a debate.

So, religion is bad. Our Messiah told us to avoid traditions of men. The thing is, though, we have to all be so careful, when we are pointing the finger at others and calling them "legalilstic" or "religious" that we, ourselves, are not being just as, or more, guilty.

 

[Solomons Porch]

 

[faroukfarouk]

I have heard of many churches where young people have not felt welcome or have even been condemned by church leadership because they had a tattoo, a nose ring

Solomons Porch:

Well, even the Lord Himself is recorded as giving Zion - at least figuratively - a nose ring in Ezekiel 16.12.

For a lot of Christian young ppl, the tattoo at around 18 has become a sort of rite of passage with a witness element to it, hasn't it? My wife and I talked to a young lady with the whole of John 3.16 inked on her wrist area; it was her favorite verse and mine also, and I'm sure other conversations have arisen as a result of her willingness to have it done.

 

[stealthsaint]

I personally have ran across my fair share of this kind. Have you and how did it change/affect you, did it change you for the better or the worse? What does a religious spirited person sound like? Is there any good fruit that comes from these? Do they tear up more than they build one up (as long as it is fitting to them and their opinions and beliefs)?

1. You judge other people by their appearance.

God judges us by our heart, but man judges by outward appearance (1 Sam. 16:7). I have heard of many churches where young people have not felt welcome or have even been condemned by church leadership because they had a tattoo, a nose ring, or dressed a certain way. (In some legalistic churches men have to wear a suit and tie to attend church and ladies are not allowed to wear makeup and pants or cut their hair.) Although I believe mature believers should dress modestly, we especially need to allow visitors to come as they are and all believers should dress as they feel comfortable (with moderation). Legalistic churches that forbid folks to attend services because of their attire have exhibited one of the signs of having a religious spirit.

2. You try to earn God's love and salvation.

Since religion in this article refers to a man-made effort to please God—the motivation behind those efforts in this category has to do with following certain rules, or regulations regarding the outward man, in order to be in right standing with God. This is a clear violation of passages that teach us that we are saved by grace and not by our own works (Eph. 2:8-9).

3. You try to conform to outward holiness without inward transformation.

The Scriptures teach us that God is more concerned with cleansing the inward man (Ps. 51:6) than our outward conformity to rules and regulations. Those that only have a form of godliness without inward transformation deny His power (2 Tim. 3:5). Jesus strongly rebuked those who merely attempted to cleanse the outer man without allowing God to deal with the heart (Matt. 23). In my experience, I have observed that very religious people usually have sinful habit patterns that eventually manifest because they don't allow God to change their inner being. The more we attempt to follow God merely by the letter of the law—the more it will incite our sinful tendencies (Rom. 7:7-25).

4. You are always critical of other people's walks with God.

I have noticed that the more religious a person is, the more critical they are of other believers and ministers. Since they are so hard on themselves (religious people generally don't understand grace and walk in self-condemnation), they are also equally hard on other people.

5. Your closest Christian relationships are based only on ministry activities.

Religious people are not only superficial with God but with others as well. Since they attempt to connect with the "other" merely by activities, they are disengaged emotionally and do not know how to connect heart to heart with those they interface with. Church-related ministry or functions usually hold their friendships together.

6. You perform Christian duties but have no passion or hunger for God.

Religious people sustain their version of Christianity by performing ministry or church attendance. They do not have a deep relationship with God nor do they hunger and thirst for Him.

7. You desire position and honor in the church more than honor from God.

Those with a religious spirit hinge their life and identity upon their outward man. Hence, they are drawn to having recognition and titles in the church world. If they cannot legitimately get a ministerial title from their local church, they will hook up with an online course or other entity that will give them some kind of badge or card signifying they are a minister or chaplain.

8. Your identity is rooted in a lifestyle of Christianity instead of in Christ.

Mature Christ-followers receive their main identity in the fact they are "sons" of God, whereas religious people receive their main identity in the things they attempt to do for God and their church.

9. You know about the truth of Jesus but not the way of Jesus.

Religious people make a big deal about the doctrines they accumulate through head knowledge. They make the mistake of thinking that having good doctrine means they are mature believers. Just because we may know about God doesn't mean we commune with God and know Him experientially.

10. You project righteousness but inwardly are filled with anger and resentment.

Religious people know the entire Christian lingo, know how to act and project themselves in certain settings and use this "act" to gain influence in church circles. However, projecting ourselves to create a Christian persona will not last long. Those who depend upon this superficial personality projection are merely being religious and will not have the sustainability to deal with the hurt, pain, and disappointments of life. This results in a duality in which they appear righteous but inside are filled with anger, resentment, and envy.
*CharismaNews*

Religious people make a big deal about the doctrines they accumulate through head knowledge. They make the mistake of thinking that having good doctrine means they are mature believers. Just because we may know about God doesn't mean we commune with God and know Him experientially.

10. You project righteousness but inwardly are filled with anger and resentment.

Religious people know the entire Christian lingo, know how to act and project themselves in certain settings and use this "act" to gain influence in church circles. However, projecting ourselves to create a Christian persona will not last long. Those who depend upon this superficial personality projection are merely being religious and will not have the sustainability to deal with the hurt, pain, and disappointments of life. This results in a duality in which they appear righteous but inside are filled with anger, resentment, and envy.
*CharismaNews*[/QUOTE]<> <> <>
A religious spirited person simply has an IDENTITY CRISES. Operating in a religious spirit is socializing in world affairs with others in the church of same spirit, trying to fit KINGdom into their natural life relationships, NOT FOCUSED ON CHANGE (Your Kingdom come). They are tossed to and fro by the cares of the world and rely on Lord mostly as a Last resort solution after they have exhausted all human effort, receiving minimal results. A non-religious spirit follows leading of Holy Spirit but does Not: as the saying goes: cannot eat with chickens all your life and then expect to fly like an eagle. A person of a religious spirit has a serious identity crises. A non-religious person see KINGDOM functions doing their part in following leadership with partnership with Lord's Spirit as Senior Partners. Employer, emplyee relationship, ask what are WE doing today, in showing up to work, until your job description has been defined. SEE a NON religious Spirit you will see attributes of JesUS also in one's mortal flesh 2Cor 4:11

 

[ToBeLoved]

I have certainly suffered from being religious and still have to watch out for that. However, I do believe almost everyone is religious in one way or another. One definition of religious would be when people follow traditions of men instead of the real Word. For example people say "Jesus" and "God." Our Father is merciful and knows we have been deceived down through the years and certainly we get prayers answered with those names. But they are traditions of men.

There is no J in Hebrew! Therefore the Names Jesus and Jehovah Jireh can never be correct. When Moses asked the Father What His Name was at the burning bush, He did not say "God." The letters in ancient Hebrew documents for His Name, given then, are YHWH. (Per my personal research that would be pronounced Yahuah.) The Savior's Name is Yahushuah, sometimes shortened to Yeshuah, which means Yahuah Saves.

But, people don't use those names even when they know better. We are all imperfect, all have some religiosity, seems to me. Also, Christmas and Easter (named after a pagan goddess whose symbols were bunnies and eggs, on a day that never falls on the true Resurrection Day) are no way in the Bible. Yet when people find this out they go right ahead and celebrate them anyway! Then the real holy days in the Bible, which we are told are for all generations, are ignored. I won't even get into the Sabbath as I don't want this to turn into a debate.

So, religion is bad. Our Messiah told us to avoid traditions of men. The thing is, though, we have to all be so careful, when we are pointing the finger at others and calling them "legalilstic" or "religious" that we, ourselves, are not being just as, or more, guilty.

If each day of the year belongs to one group (i.e. Pagan) but a day belongs to the people celebrating that holiday and that praise. No day is owned by any group.