The reason we have variations of standards is because as 2,007+ years have passed, relation with God has been replaced by religion. The main doctrine of love has been watered down or eliminated. The pretence being if we can keep all the rules that express a religious doctrine then we are a faith based or God based culture. This pretence is a bastion of the original Law of Moses. However if we are trying to follow the plan that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has set forth we would realize that If we live by the Law we must die by the Law. This leaves no room for grace, since it is not based on rules or laws but on, grace. Meaning you are able to obtain what you don’t deserve and you are spared from what you do deserve. It would seem much easier to pursue religion because it is so dogmatic and structured, as well as malleable to the human condition. But just the opposite is true. We find it very easy to mold religion around how we want to be or act. Over time this approach becomes less spiritual and more humanistic. It also requires huge amounts of maintenance, if you “feel” you are sincere about your personal belief structure. And no maintenance at all if you’re still in love with the kingdom that crucified Jesus.
We now have religions that are based on being a non-religion. We have Post-modern churches repackaging radical skepticism as neo change agents, Emerging churches talking continually and re affirming themselves as relevant. New religious theories abound around Re-formational justification-by-faith-alone. For most, demonstrations of power in the church has escaped detection for all accounts.
Religion in its “simplest” form is considered as a personal set, or institutionalized system of attitudes, beliefs, and practices. This definition can fit easily into a denomination that is considered non-religious. So even under this pre-disposition the potential to start a new religion is great. This is after all how all if not most denominations or religions or even cults start in the first place. Groups start to separate with new attitudes, practices, and beliefs to soon institutionalize and create a new religious value. This is happening today in an effort to break away from the church tradition. Less traditional methods of worship or non-worship church structures are emerging on the religious scene. Ultimately, once again a personal and communal set, or institutionalized system of attitudes, beliefs, and practices start to re-form again. Under the pretence that it is non-denominational or even global it in fact grows into a new denomination. Even if we consider mixing a number of denominational beliefs together we have still created another denomination.
Denomination practices are eventually based on an us and them “perception”. Over time they blend into the halls of historical choice. Azusa Street turns into Assembly of God, Assembly of God turns to Four Square; Four Square turns to Open Bible Standard Churches; Calvary Churches turns into Vineyard. Vineyard Churches are now distancing with Refreshing or Presence based churches they have spawned like the Calvary Churches did to them. Catholics turn into Episcopalians. Lutheranism come into play. We get Oriental Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Calvinism, Anabaptism, Anglicanism, the list goes on and on. This is why a reversion to who God is and not what people have done or have been doing in His name is most important. Some still promote denominations as necessary to reach all groups of people. Except for the fact that we have not pulled it off as positive gain. Jesus came to promote one Gospel. Paul repeated the fact that if anyone teaches you any other Gospel it is not of the Spirit, in so many words. Yet 70% of the people do not even know what the word “Gospel” means.
It would be hard to imagine in that case, that everyone knew what the actual Gospel was let alone if it was different than what Paul was referring to. How this affects the world that does not know God is one of the largest and most confusing millstones to be hung around the neck of Christian doctrine. We are in dire need of constraints on how to view the writings of scripture. These confusing issues are the foundation for sighting religious malpractice in order to support theories of non-belief in God. Religion has a huge potential to gather people groups together under different satellite beliefs of God. But its greater potential is to divide people, nations, and social structures as well as create political boundaries.
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