Religion or Relationship?

Religion or Relationship?

by Patricia Dailey
Senior Pastor, Bethel Revival Center
43 Norwood St.
Everett, MA 02149

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God is Real

Exodus 5:2
And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

The time came for Moses and Aaron to rise up and tell Pharaoh to let God's people go. Now, I want to deal with Pharaoh's reply in this message to see what we can learn from this account:

Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice? This is what many say today. They can't believe that God exists just because they can't see Him.

Psalm 53:1
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.

With so much evidence wherever you look, only a fool would claim there is no God. There are too many wonders in God's creation for us to doubt His existence.

If the atheist would only open his eyes and behold the wonderful works of God! Just look at the oceans, the mountains, the trees, the sunsets, the stars. Man has never been able to create anything like these wonders of God.

Genesis 1:1 & 2:7
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Man didn't create himself!

Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that He should lie ; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?

God Is a Spirit

John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

We can see from these verses that God isn't a man. He is a supernatural being, a Spirit.

Born Again of God's Spirit

When we are born again, receiving Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour, we are able to worship God in spirit and in truth — but we must first be born again.

Romans 8:7
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

We can't understand spiritual things with our carnal mind. The natural mind is incapable of discerning the things of God because it is in opposition to God.

I Corinthians 2:13,14
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth , but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The unsaved have never been born again, thus are ignorant of spiritual things. This is why they can't fully comprehend what the Bible has to say.

It takes a born again experience to give us a heart that is after the things of God. The natural man wants to go his own way, wants to do his own thing.

I Corinthians 1:18
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

The unsaved don't believe in the power of the cross. They believe it is foolish to preach salvation. They are dead in trespasses and sins. God is not their God. He is the God of the living — the God of those who have received new life by being born again.

Matthew 22:31,32
But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. He didn't say He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. No, He said, I AM the God of . . .

When someone is born again, they are adopted into the family of God. They receive God as their Father by receiving His Son as their Lord and Saviour.

If you have never taken this step, it doesn't matter what condition you are in. You might think there is no hope, but with God there is hope for you. All you need do is come as you are, receive Jesus Christ as Saviour, and God will be your God too.

Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Romans 10:13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

It doesn't matter how far down you've gone into the pits of sin. Just come as you are. Call on Jesus for mercy and you'll be saved. You will find forgiveness and new life in Him.

Jesus Christ, the Only Way

John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.

If we want to find eternal life and escape the flames of hell, we must come to God through Jesus. There is no other way.

Jesus Christ is the only way.

I Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

John 14:6 tells us that Jesus is the only way, and I Timothy 2:5 tells us there is only one mediator between God and men: the man Christ Jesus.

We don't go through several channels to reach the throne of grace. We go directly through Jesus.

John 10:9
I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Jesus Christ is the only door to eternal life. If you really want to gain eternal life, you have to come God's way, through His Son — He is the only way.

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

Some look at the murderer or the harlot and are thankful they never committed such sins. Yet, according to the Word of God, the most harmless person is just as much a sinner as the most vile person is.

Some think they have eternal life because someone sprinkled water on their head, or because they don't drink and carouse, or because they go to church. But, the only way you can receive eternal life is by being born again. You must receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour. You're sadly mistaken if you think there is any other way.

John 3:3
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus was a religious man, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus one night to find out how he could enter the kingdom of God, but Jesus' answer puzzled him:

John 3:4
Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

Jesus is telling you the same thing today that He told Nicodemus back then: You must be born again. You were born in the flesh when you came into this world as an infant, but now you need to be born again of the Spirit.

John 3:6,7
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is the only way, the only door: and we must personally receive Him as Lord and Saviour.

It's not baptism that saves. It is being born again that saves.

Water baptism is a step that follows salvation. It signifies our old life has been buried with Christ in a watery grave, and we have risen again in newness of life — see Romans 6.

Realize the seriousness of this. You can only receive eternal life by going God's way. There is absolutely no other way. Man has conceived many ways to come to God and find eternal life, but the only way that you'll get there is through Jesus Christ, THE way.

We should read the Scriptures for ourselves and stop letting man think for us. And, after checking this out in the Word of God, we should do what God plainly tells us to do.

For too long many have accepted what man has told them as being absolute truth. They've never taken the time to search the Scriptures and find out if what they have been told contradicts God's Word.

So many have been deceived into thinking that everything's all right — when it's not.

How can unsaved people tell us about spiritual things? How can they show us the way to eternal life? To them the way of the cross is foolishness, and their mind is at enmity with God.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

There's a payday for those who have never received forgiveness of sin. The only way they can avoid that day is by turning to Jesus now — while there is time.

The Blood of Jesus can wash away all sin — but only if we will ask Him to cleanse us.

Romans 10:10
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

The Bible says plainly that all have sinned — including you and me. We were all born and shapen in iniquity. If you have never been born again, confess that you're a sinner and turn to Jesus for salvation from your sins.

The Real Issue: Sin

Genesis 3:11,17
And He said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life . . .

Here we see where sin came into the world. This is why the world is in the condition it is in today. People blame God for all the sin and sickness in this world; they turn bitter towards God for all that goes on. But it's not His fault! It is because of man's sin and disobedience.

I'm so glad that God is a God of love. He loved us so much that He provided us the way to receive forgiveness of sin and eternal life. He's not willing that any should perish, not willing that any end up in the flames of hell. Hell was created for the devil and his angels, but those who reject Jesus Christ will also find themselves there.

Jesus Christ — the Only Solution

If you're not born again, turn your life over to Jesus Christ — while you are alive and still have the opportunity — and ask to be saved today.

Don't put it off. Jesus is coming soon — a lot sooner than most think. And those who are not ready will be left behind. It will be too late to seek forgiveness then.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Your goodness won't get you to heaven. You might do a lot of good things, but they won't give you eternal life.

In fact, your goodness is as filthy rags in the sight of God — Isaiah 64:6. Eternal life only comes through receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour.

John 3:17,18
For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Get this straight: Understand that salvation only comes through receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour.

Isaiah 57:20,21
But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

Those who are not born again have no peace. They fear death and are tossed about like a raging sea. They find no rest day or night.

But the saved person has no fear of death. In fact, they get excited at the thought of spending eternity with the Lord in His heavenly home. They know that death for them will be a wonderful experience, going on to be with the Lord, to ever be with Him throughout eternity.

What about Other Religions?

Now, there are a lot of religions in the world today. People are confused, wondering which religion is the right one. But it's not a matter of having religion. It is a matter of having a born again experience through Jesus Christ. This is what brings salvation. I don't call my experience with Him a religion: I call it a reality.

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth , give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The world promises peace, but that peace is just a counterfeit. It doesn't last. The peace that Jesus Christ offers is a lasting peace, a peace that passes all understanding.

II Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

If you don't have this peace in your soul, take inventory.

It is good to have a godly fear, a healthy respect for Almighty God, but there is no need to have any other form of fear. Fear has torment. It keeps your mind troubled day and night. But when your heart is right with God, your mind is at rest.

Psalm 91:1
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

God is so many things to me — but, most importantly, He is the God of my salvation. And He can be the God of your salvation, too.

I would urge you to surrender your heart to Jesus Christ. Ask Him to forgive your sins, wash your heart clean with His blood, and come into your heart today as your personal Lord and Saviour.