There’s NO Room For GRACE in Religion
- Religion – ALCOHOLICS as losers and DRUNKS.
- Religion – GAY people as HELL BOUND freaks who deserve to die.
- Religion – People that struggle with PORNOGRAPHY as disgusting PERVERTS.
- Religion – People that have committed ADULTERY as worthless SCUM.
Religion says ‘Jesus died for sins’ and ‘come to Jesus and receive the free gift of forgiveness and salvation, and then it double talks all day long just as I described above.
Sin is bad and we should avoid it, no question, but NOT because God will be mad at us or turn his back on us. God doesn’t want us to sin because it grieves Him when we are affected by it. It can hurt our testimony. It can cause us sickness. It can result in disease, jail, divorce, and even death. But it never causes God to leave us or forsake us. No. Never.
What does God see in a drunk, gay person, adulterer, or someone hooked on pornography?
God sees someone who has been deeply hurt and an evil power that is using past pains to deceive them to think the solution rests in sinful behavior. Maybe they were beaten as a child. Perhaps they were raped. Maybe the love of their life died. Maybe their daddy left them when they were just a child. The truth is planet earth hurls painful situations at us all the time, and while God is the only true source of relief there’s another voice that tricks us and leads God’s sheep astray desperately looking for relief.
I don’t really know all the reasons we sin, but I do know that sin does not originate with Christians and God is not holding it against us. He’s not punishing us. He’s not turning from us. He’s not causing bad things to happen to us. The Bible says God gave us new hearts with new desires and God does not see the Christian’s sins as rebellion. He sees the deceiver in action.
Religion thinks sin is the big deal when the big deal is really Jesus and what he did about sin. He paid for it all and removed it from the record books (Col 2:14).
So while I would never condone sinning, I will say that the next time you see someone struggling – instead of rejecting them, slandering them, and dragging them down further in their pain, try and understand that there is some underlying hurt and a liar that is telling them how to cure it. Then simply ‘lovingly’ remind them that the answer to their pain is not found in sin, but it is found in Jesus, who loves them and He will never leave them or forsake them, and when they are faithless He will remain faithful. It’s free to anyone who believes in Jesus and calls on him for the forgiveness of sins.
It’s amazing how believing that God is that kind can help us to overcome sin.
Author: Mike Cynar
Mike Cynar was raised in a church setting where he frequently noticed that many attendees would eventually drift away. The church labeled these individuals as ‘back sliders’ or ‘fake Christians’ just looking for ‘fire insurance’. However, Mike realized the issue was rarely with these individuals but instead with the church’s message itself. The teachings heavily emphasized behavior improvement and one’s flaws, with only a fleeting mention of one’s identity in Christ. It felt as though every sermon was tailored to the church of Corinth, who as we know or committing sins that even unbelievers don’t partake in. This trend was noticeable not just in one denomination, but across Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, and many other churches. Upon understanding the true essence of the gospel – that our righteousness comes from Jesus’ actions, not our own – Mike was inspired to liberate believers from lifeless sermons and reconnect them with the genuine teachings of Jesus. He believes that one can nurture a vibrant and growing bond with Jesus, unhindered by rigid religious practices. And thus, “Jesus Without Religion” was born.
It turns out that it is grace that leads to repentance. And if our heart is to get others to walk in the Spirit and live a godly life, then the best approach is not a beat down sermon, but rather to remind other that it is only when we understand our true identity in Christ that we will live it out. Yes, it’s true, if you’re convinced that God thinks you’re a dirty sinner, you will ultimately continue a lifestyle that mirrors that view, but if you truly believe that even on your worst day, you are called holy, sanctified, justified, and will be presented blameless in the end, well, it turns out this is the secret to living out on the outside what has been worked in to the inside.
