Friday the 1th

John 5: 39-40

³⁹You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, ⁴⁰yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

 

 

Faith and religion, two words that are so often used interchangeably yet two very different words indeed. Faith is our belief and dependence on Jesus Christ, Religion is the actions, the rituals, and the exterior….in short religion without faith is useless. You might make it to Church every Sunday, but if your going for the fashion show, you have missed your opportunity to recharge your faith. Even an atheist can read the Bible, and memorize scripture, yet that will not give them faith. We can have good religion, and still be missing the most important gift that God gave us, the gift that we are celebrating this month. Of course that gift is Jesus Christ, and our faith rests in Him. Have you ever put something together, and it just does not come out right? You read the directions, and re read them, yet something is just not right, something is missing. You get frustrated, you walk away, then come back later, and pick up the directions once again….lo and behold, you see that you have missed a very critical piece. It happens to be the one piece that brings everything together. That my friends is religion without faith. You can try to put it all together, you might think you have it, but it will never go together right. You might get something that looks like faith at face value, but it will not stand the test of time. This Christmas season let us set our religion side, and unite around our faith. Let us rejoice in the one true thing that holds us all together as brothers, Jesus Christ. It is in Him we will find salvation, it is in Him we will find our joy, it is through Him we will find our faith. Let us lead with our faith, then follow with our religion.

 

Glory to God in the highest,

Brian