All glory and honor and praise be to Jesus

M.G.G./S.Y.G.A.-Mystery Gift of Grace/Sell Your Garment Association
5928 Hixson Pike
Hixson, TN 37343
United States
ph: 706-250-2561
mgg.syga@gmail.com

Grace vs. 'Religion'

Religion and Grace
by Bob George

Religion is always dealing with you and what you are doing, and what you are not doing.
Anytime you are sitting around thinking, "What should I be doing?" You are under Religion.
The grace of God is dealing with what Christ did.

Under religion man always says, "Look what I'm doing for you, God."
And under grace Christ says, "look what I did for you, man."

Under religion mans says, "look how I went to church"
Under the grace of God Jesus says, "look how I went to Calvary"

Under religion man says, "look how I was raised in my denomination"
And under grace Christ says, "look at how I was raised from the dead"

Under religion man says, "look at how I gave my money"
And under grace Jesus says, "look at how I gave my life"

Under religion man says, "look God, at how I confessed my sins"
And under grace Jesus says, "look man, at how I took away your sins"

Under religion man says, "look God at how I stood up against sin"
And under the grace of God Jesus says, "look man at how I died for your sin"

Under religion man says, "Look God, at how I judged the Lost world"
And under grace Jesus says, "look man, at how I saved the lost world"

Under religion man says, "look God, at how I got up and marched against these evildoers"
And under grace, Jesus says, "look man at how I suffered and died for evildoers"

Under religion man says, "look God, at how I bowed down to you"
And under grace Jesus says, "look man, at how I became one of you"

Under religion man says, "look God at how I healed the sick"
And under grace Jesus says, "look man at how I raised the dead"

Under religion man says, "look God, at how I spoke in tongues"
And under grace Jesus says, "look man, at how I spoke in love".

Under religion man says, "look God, at how successful my life was"
And under grace Jesus says, "look man, at how successful my death was"

Religion is always man trying to reach up to god with self effort to be accepted by God.
Through Jesus Christ, was God reaching down to man, with love and acceptance.

And that's why Paul said we preach Christ and Christ crucified, a stumblingblock to the Jews, foolishness to the Gentiles, but to those whom god has called, both Jew and Gentiles:
Christ- the power of God and the wisdom of God

<Paul, speaking in Acts 26:5, concerning his past life:

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

He goes on to explain to King Agrippa (vs. 13) how he came to leave this sect:

At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. 

He then identifies (vs. 15) the source of the light:

And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 

Then he relates what Jesus told him (vs. 16):

But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

And his new purpose in life (vs. 17&18):

Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

To open their (the gentiles-ed.) eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

King Agrippa responds (vs. 28):

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. 

And Paul's final words, concerning his salvation, versus his former religion (vs. 29):

And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. 

Later (in both time, and later in the Bible) Paul explains that salvation is a free gift:

But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. Romans 5:15

And contrasts grace, and works:

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. Romans 11:6

And (finally) shows that no man shall be justified by the works of the law:

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Galatians 2:16

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M.G.G./S.Y.G.A.-Mystery Gift of Grace/Sell Your Garment Association
5928 Hixson Pike
Hixson, TN 37343
United States
ph: 706-250-2561
mgg.syga@gmail.com