Who among us has not done something stupid, foolish and downright idiotic at one time or another? When the "something" involves the things of God, then the eternal consequences may very well be appalling!!! Consider:
Galatians, Chapter 3 (WEB)
1 Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed among you as crucified? 2 I just want to learn this from you. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain, if it is indeed in vain? 5 He therefore who supplies the Spirit to you, and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith? 6 Even as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.” 7 Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Good News beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you all the nations will be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham. 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who doesn’t continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.” 11 Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, “The righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not of faith, but, “The man who does them will live by them.”
Christians are being increasingly being persecuted in all sorts of ways, some very obvious, such as the horrendous murders in the Middle East, but other such as increased pressure for the Word of God to be silenced here in the U.S. or the passage of laws which attempt to restrict religious freedom. At times like these we need to hold fast to our faith and not return to our old, ineffectual concepts and practices of religion that do not their foundation in the word of God!!! In the case above, their foolishness was temptation to return to Judaism, but it could just as well be something else- say Hedonism, Pluralism, Mysticism, Humanism or one of a thousand other things. For that manner, anything that gets in the way of relying on Jesus as the one and only path to heaven could be applied to the underlying concept above. Do not let anything come between you and the savior!!! Do not be foolish, rely on Jesus; remember"
Matthew, Chapter 28 (WEB)
18 Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
If you can not answer the following question with a "none", then you have a problem....
If Jesus has all authority in heaven and on Earth, how much is left for me in matters of religion???
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