Reading your posts is already a reward and blessing, for me, my friend.
Turning away from the religion of their fathers is certainly a possibility, but not a necessity to be forgiven and transformed into honest men.
It was for Abraham, wasn't it? Do you believe that Abraham should have said, "I will follow you, but only if I can continue in the religious traditions of the religious sect of this world adopted by my father"?
Wasn't it refusing to turn away from the religious traditions of Egypt, that caused Israel to fall? Did Paul continue in the religious philosophies and traditions of men that the Pharisees taught for doctrines, when he turned to God in repentance?
If Abraham's father's, and Paul's religion led to life, then why would God call them to repent and leave it and follow Him instead? What if it was the religious philosophies and traditions of the religious sects of this world they had adopted, that was leading them astray in the first place?
Jer. 50:
6 My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.
Of course, the Catholic religion, and the Sikh religion, the Methodist religion, the Baha'i religion and all of this world's religious sects, would teach that it isn't necessary to leave the religious sects and businesses of this world, or their differing traditions and philosophies to follow God. Without contributing members, these religious businesses, and their shrines of worship, would fail and become long term storage units.
What if the entire purpose of the Gospel of Christ, is to free men from this world's religious system, and direct them to "The Way of the Lord" that God taught in the Scriptures I posted?
First, because both the Sikh and the Catholic priests already accept Paul’s teaching “that you should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance” and they are convinced this is compatible with their religions. There is nothing in their religions that speak against that.
This is true. There is nothing taught in these religious sects that would speak against their own differing philosophies and religious traditions.
And of course, those who adopt the philosophies of these religious sects of this world, are convinced they will receive a reward from God. Just as the Pharisees also believed. And in a sense, they do receive a reward. They have a decent life for the most part, lots of friends and families gathering each week in a manmade shrine of worship to sing praises and prayers to God. Jesus speaks to this in Matt. 6. I have friends who are happy with this existence, and are not willing to risk family, religious traditions, lifestyles, etc., as Jesus instructed, to receive access to the Tree of eternal life. Especially since their own pasters are telling them they already have it. As Jeremiah warns, "
and they say unto "every one" that walketh "after the imagination of his own heart",
No evil shall come upon you." Truly these folks have a reward in this life as Jesus points out.
So while I agree with you that men are convinced "their" specific religious "works" are compatible with "
turn to God, and do works meet for repentance", and the promoters of their religion, regardless of what religious sect it is, say nothing to speak against that. It just seems prudent to consider the warnings throughout the Bible that specifically warn of this very mindset.
After all, are we not the result of whom we yield ourselves servants to obey?
Second, because the vast majority of religious beliefs and the vast majority of religious rituals in Sikhism and Catholicism do not ask the person to transgress God commandments.
Of course not my friend. Did the serpent in the garden tell or ask Eve to transgress God's commandments? Did the Pharisees ask the Jews to Transgress God's commandments? Consider something if you will please. Let's say God placed 10 fruiting trees in the garden, and commanded that 9 of them were OK to eat the fruit thereof, but one was forbidden. If Eve ate from all ten of the trees, then it can be said she obeyed God's commandment 90% of the time. Will God cause a person who obeys Him 90% of the time, to die?
It is transgressing God's commandments to promote images of God in the likeness of men? To reject God's Judgments concerning what is food and what is not, and create our own judgments? Is it disrespect towards God to reject the Feasts of the Lord, and choose instead to honor the high days created by this world's religious sects?
And the serpent didn't ask Eve to break the commandment. Not one time. Instead, it preyed on Eve's reasoning. I'll paraphrase, "Now Eve, do you think God is going to withhold eternal life because you ate a fruit off the wrong tree? Is God so mean and unjust that HE would dole out such a great punishment for such a small matter? Now if you killed someone, or stole from them, that is different. But what you eat?? No Eve, "You shall not surely die" because you ate something forbidding by God to eat."
The vast majority of this world's religious businesses and sects, including the Catholic and Sikh, completely reject many of God's Judgments, Statutes and commandments by their very philosophy, rituals and traditions. At least according to the Law and Prophets. You know this to be true.
The question is, "does it matter"? And if it doesn't, then we are all saved. But if it does matter, then the Path to Salvation is walked by few. The rest already have their reward.
Why would a Sikh or a catholic priest be compelled to dishonor their parents, steal, murder or commit adultery? Particularly, how do their religious traditions lead them to be indifferent to their neighbors in need?
The First and Greatest commandment is to Love the God of Abraham with all our soul, mind and body. He is the God and Father of all, according to Scriptures. He is my Father as well. Like any Father, HE knows better than His Children. I too, am a father. I directed my young daughter in matters pertaining to "what to eat", what to drink", who to listen to, etc. If I, as a nobody human, retain the right of a father to direct my children concerning these little things, shall I DENY my FATHER, the God and Father of the Lord's Christ, the same right? And my young daughter trusted me that I would not lead her astray as I allowed her to partake of some things, but not others, "for her own wellbeing". Shall I not therefore "Trust God" to direct me in the same way? Or shall I search through the smorgasbord of religious sects and businesses until I find one that fits my ideals, and then trust them to "show me the way"?
If helping others in need is all that is required by God, then Jesus would have healed every poor person and every man in need on the planet earth in His Time here. And surely God had the Power to accomplish such things. But what did Jesus actually say?
Luke 4:
24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
Why does God choose to heal one person through the charity of His Son, but not the other?
If I don't love myself first, by "yielding myself" to God and HIS Way, "For my own wellbeing", how can I then Love others as myself? If I trust the Pope or
Guru Granth Sahib or Gamaliel "
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness", then I will encourage others to follow them and their religious philosophies.
The Bible warns of this very thig over and over, in my understanding.
Let me give you two examples:
How the belief that the host becomes the flesh of Christ leads the Catholic priest to sin?
How the commitment to let his hair unshaved leads the Sikh to sin?
I honestly cannot see how, even when you and me do not share those beliefs or rituals.
It is the doctrines, philosophies and traditions of these religious businesses and sects of this world, that cause those who adopt them to sin. Consider once again, the Words of the Christ.
Matt. 6:
1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself "shall" (at some time in the future) reward thee openly.
And again;
Rev. 18:
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers "of her sins", and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Truly this world's religious system is seductive, and there are certainly benefits and rewards for those who adopt them. Whereas, to deny oneself, pick up our life's experiences, and follow God on a journey to a land we have never been to, is not so easy.
This is the journey I have chosen and advocate for and have been on for 25 years. It's a way of life, a choice, and as it were, a path less traveled.
Does it matter? Maybe not.
Third, because forgiveness and sanctification do not imply that men become 100% correct in doctrine on this earth. What if the Sikh converted to Catholicism? What if the Catholic priest became a Calvinist Presbyterian? Would that support or nullify their spiritual experience of having been forgiven and changed into honest men?
Let me know what you think. I value a lot your views.
In my experience and understanding, there is no real difference between the religious sects of the Baha'i, the JW, the Calvinist, the Methodist, the Baptist or the Catholic, etc. They are all a spoke on the wheel of this world's religious system. They are all religious businesses joined at the hip with this world's financial system. They all engage in the same marketing strategy, the creation of manmade shrines of worship, the promotion of manmade high days, images of God, and traditions of men as they compete against each other for contributing members without which their religious business could not survive.
God's Church, as described in the Holy Scriptures, is not a religious business. And it can exist, even flourish, under a tree with two or more people. Religions offer a seductive message, join our club, and live forever. But to sell it, they must dispose of God's Judgments concerning what is Holy, clean, Righteous and good, and engage in the same practice of the Pharisees, who "
being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God".
I believe a man should let Gods Word instruct them as to what the "New Man" should be, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, as opposed to the traditions or philosophies of one religious sect or another. As it turns out, "The Way of the Lord" as described in Scriptures, has no market value in this world.
I find that undeniable truth absolutely fascinating.
Thanks for asking and engaging with me my friend. Hope it isn't too long. Happy Sabbath.
