Why I H8 Religion Series

But God says "I will give to drink without cost"...... We don’t need to be embarrassed about coming to God we don’t need to have anything in our pockets ( like good works, Christian upbringing, baptised, church member) to pay for the water of life because God’s water of life is also free to all who thirst , God gives us the opportunity to drink “I will give” god has given us all the opportunity through Jesus Christ. The price has been paid in full on the cross ... He cried out it is finished there is no more we need to do - the gospel teaches its all about grace and not works.......

4. Religion deceives and entraps people. ( the gospel - sets you free). You are Israel’s teacher and you dont know these things (v10)

Jesus warned us that there are many wolves in shepherds clothing. And what he meant by that is that there are those who appear to be men and women of God but they are actually deceivers who will deceive and entrap many with a false sense of security and will actually take you down to the pit of hell.

• False prophets talk much about the love of God but nothing of his holiness.

• Much about people who are deprived but nothing about those who are depraved.

• Much about god’s universal fatherhood of every human being but nothing about his unique fatherhood only of those who are his children through faith in his son, Jesus Christ.

• Much about what god will give to us but nothing about obedience to him, much about health and happiness but nothing about holiness and sacrifice.

• Their message is a message of gaps and half truths and the greatest gap of which leaves out the truth that saves.

The other day a pastor shared with me of a funeral he went too recently, he shared with me how the vicar actually told everybody that the deceased and everybody present will go to heaven , it sounds wonderful but that short term comfort will end in long term pain - because it’s a lie – which comes from the father of lies who said you shall not die (genesis 3) .

Jesus clearly taught there is a heaven to gain but also there is a hell to turn away from and he continually attacked the hypocrisy lies of the religious who entrap others – in contrast the gospel sets you free! (John 3:16- 18)

5. Religion never leads to lasting joy or humility ( the gospel - leads to jesus)

Something missing with Nicodemus.... (1-3) yet he comes to Jesus at night he sin high office. He knows there’s more to this man Jesus in fact later on he becomes a secret believer, he supports Joseph Arimathea (another man from the council who becomes a disciple. (John 19:38-39) in taking the body of Jesus down from the cross.

In religion there is no lasting joy or humility

Because religion makes whole long lists of rules, do and don’ts . To live by and many of those that aren’t even in the bible, and if you obey them it fills you with pride and you become self righteous devoid of real humility.

It all becomes performance related ~ but if your honest you don’t even play by your own rules and you become a hypocrite...... And so you become miserable. Filled with doubts..... About your own standing before god?