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Religion is a Manifestation of Faith

It is common for those who are religious to define their faith in terms of religious affiliation. For instance, a Catholic may define their faith as Catholic and a Protestant may define their faith as Protestant. The question this approach brings is does faith begin as the individual is led by the Holy Spirit or is faith the teachings of a religious organization? It is best to look at faith as the driving force in our religion rather than the religious organization driving our faith. Biblically, the English word religion is translated from the original language only in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul wrote about religion in terms of an organization designed to direct the faith of others. While pleading his cause with King Agrippa, Paul recounted his formative years under the direction of organized religion.

Acts 26:5
Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

As a result of Paul’s religious education, Paul defended the teachings of the organized religion. Paul was a man who thoroughly knew the teachings of the scriptures and was able to defend it, to the point of persecuting the Church of God.

Galatians 1:11-16
But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

What Paul reveals in his letter is that no person can bestow faith in another person. Though a Christian may have knowledge of the Word of God and be able to teach others this word, only God through the Holy Spirit may cause faith to develop in another person. While Paul fully understood the limitations of organized religions, the Apostle James in his letter shows how faith and religion are personal.

James 1:26-27
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

James shows that if our faith is genuine, the Holy Spirit in us will lead us to profitable results. If we only provide the pretense of religious devotion not based on faith, even if part of organized religion, we have a useless religion and we have a useless faith. To make it easier for all to understand, James defines pure and undefiled religion in verse 27 as providing for the needs of those are unable to care for themselves and to keep oneself clean from the spiritual dirt that is in this world. If you are part of organized religion, and I bring peace to those who are, please take a look at your organization’s statement of beliefs to see if James 1:27 is somehow included. As Christians, we all look forward to the return of Jesus. During his ministry, Jesus asked a rhetorical question regarding faith.

Luke 18:8
I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

There are hundreds of thousands of organized religious communities of Christian faith across the world. The question that Jesus asked was, would he find faith? Jesus will find faith in those who are led by the Holy Spirit, including those who do participate and those who do not participate in organized religion, rather than those who are led by organized religion, or who have no organized religious affiliation, who only have a pretense of faith. Religion is not our faith as much as it may be a manifestation of our faith.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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