Everyone on Planet Earth is Religious

Psalm 65:1-5

“Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed.  O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come.  When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions.  Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts!  We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!  By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas;”

Have you ever ask this question of yourself, how much truth do I need, do I need more insight, more knowledge that is found in these five verses to seek after God?  I often hear people make foolish statements like I’m not religious, but that is a lie, everyone is religious, but is your religion able, does it have the ability to atone for your transgressions?  I’ve yet to meet the perfect person, my flesh desires to be left to its own will, and passion is for all to think much higher of me than God, than I know to be true.  But God, placed atonement for all who will receive, by sending His Son to planet earth to take the form of a man, His name is Jesus.

In John’s Gospel chapter 1:1-5, we are given this insight; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  John was an eyewitness to Jesus’s ministry, and he tells us Jesus is the Word, and Jesus is the Creator of all that has ever been.  In verses 11-13, we are given more information; “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

At the age of 27, a Baptist in name and religion, I opened a hotel Bible and read from Romans 10:8-13.  After reading it, I got down by the bed on my knees and told Jesus, I have not one thing You need, but You have forgiveness, and I’m a sinful man, I need You in my life, that night I became part of the family of God. 

Uninformed Christians make statements like; I’m a dirty rotten sinner saved by grace.  That is not right, if you have received God’s grace, God calls you His child, He also calls you a saint, and it is based on His actions, not anything you have done.   My pastor closed His sermon with this question: “When God looks at you, what does He think?”  Over the now 50 years of being in Christ and having Christ live in me, I can make this statement: “He is very fond of me,” and that is because I'm His child.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice