Burned by Religion
And
Withdrawing from God?
I’ve had several friends and acquaintances disheartened by Christian “religion” because of various “issues” like creation vs evolution, end times, hell, salvation, legalism, judgment, and hypocrisy to name a few. They still believe in God but have pulled away from the religion and most from seeking God.
I see this happen over and over – people pull away from God because of the religion of man – when in reality the two are often on opposite ends of the continuum. God is not religion and religion is not God. As I was praying about these friends, various thoughts came to mind that I wanted to say to them and I wanted to share with you:
Don’t make a decision about God based solely on others. Many people professing to be of God aren’t. Though they claim to be of Him, He hasn’t sent them or spoken to them. Jeremiah 23:16, 14:14 Deception about God grows worse and worse, but He promises if you seek Him in His Word, you will find Him and He will manifest Himself to you. Jeremiah 29:13
God’s Word is spirit and eternal. Its truth is revealed by the Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit there is no understanding. Many claim to have the Spirit and don’t, therefore their interpetations are wrong. Even those who may have His spirit, they are still human and can present incomplete ideas. Bottom line, don’t seek and rely on man’s instruction – seek God’s. Seek God to establish your foundation of truth, then test all you hear by what you learn from God. God gave us His spirit so that we could commune with Him one-on-one and know His truth without a middle man – this is His desire for us. 1 John 2:27
Look to God, seek Him, and the truth of who He is in His Word. Open up your mind to learn of Him, from Him. Start fresh and you will find a much different God than what you’ve been taught.
There is so much God wants to show and do for you. All He requires is for you to seek Him in His Word because that is His truth. Don’t turn your back on Him because of the lies of others. God’s desire is for you to be united to Him. Don’t let others take from you this unity, which is true abundant life for you because in His presence is peace, freedom, rest, joy, protection, provision, healing, power, strength, truth, mercy, love, grace, and comfort. Seek Him in His Word to know Him and your will find Him. Matthew 7:7
Your salvation and sanctification are in His hands. Man doesn’t save. You don’t save yourself. You are saved by God’s will alone. He has a plan for your life. When you feel His prompting on your heart, draw near to Him and to get to know Him. Surrendering your will for His wll is a process that happens as you seek and spend time with Him.
As for God’s plan for this world and for us (end times, hell, etc), it is much greater than what many preach. Their views are limited because they are fallen men and women. As a result, their ideas are often full of bondage and lies. If you seek Him, He will start to reveal His plan to you bit by bit as you need to know. Many attribute to Him what He hasn’t proclaimed or even desired. Jeremiah 32:35
As you seek, you will find that God’s wisdom is perfect and your understanding of this world will grow, not diminish (like in the creation vs evolution debate). The Word is spiritual. It is written layer upon layer and full of symbolism and parables to teach deeper truths. To deny this structure is to miss out on the truth. Those who read it literally miss out on the deeper layers that bring truth to His entire Word.
Christianity isn’t about rules, legalism, laws, it is about a true relationship with God built upon truth, trust and love. God desires us – not our works.
I pray you put your past experiences that tainted your view of God behind you. Seek to abide in a relationship with God as you were created to do because without Him life remains incomplete, lost, lacking, unfulfilled, and broken. Give God an opportunity to show Himself as He is to you, and He will blow your mind with His goodness, love, and the realness of His presence in your life.
Living Light 
June 15, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Really good thoughts Rachel,like you I’ve noticed the big turn off & turn around in so many people and I am still praying for God to draw them to Him & relationship in Him.
June 16, 2009 at 12:19 am
Me too . . . we’ll keep praying for them.
June 17, 2009 at 6:21 pm
I’ve always said that we must put of faith in God, not in people, because people will always let us down (God never will). When you take part in “organized religion” it works the same way … although I worship with others, I’m there for God and myself.
You said that very well. 🙂
June 17, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Hi Trey . . . yes I agree – we have to be grounded in God (seeking, trusting, abiding, depending) – He has to be our Rock otherwise we’re on shaky ground.
June 20, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Good morning. Over the course of time I’ve done things that have caused scattering; oftentimes when striving to gather. It’s so imperative that we strive to be hearing from the Lord and not running through life like the proverbial bull in a china shop. This post should remind everyone who reads it of what’s at stake.
Something else that needs mentioning. In 1983, the Lord used two saints in Elkhart Indiana to bring me to a place of repentance. They were very far from perfect. In fact, there were some aspects of their life that some would even consider to be a contrary testimony. But the Lord allowed me to see beyond the flaws that would cause many people to question. I saw that these two people had something that I lacked. The day that I finally came to Jesus, I trully wanted it and nothing could have deterred this desire. The flaws of others were not a factor. The drawing was real.
This is in my testimony, but the moment that I first believed on Jesus, there wasn’t an overwhelming sensation of relief. Instead, there was a discouraging voice that seemed to whisper in my right ear. It said “You can’t possibly do this. Give it three days or so. You know how you really are.” I don’t remember the exact words, but they had the opposite effect of what they were supposed to have. I emphatically declared “I AM SERIOUS ABOUT THIS. I AM SURRENDERING ALL TO THE LORD JESUS!”
This is not to say that we should condone things that hurt our testimony. We are walking through a china shop filled with souls and they can be easily damaged. It’s just to make note of how the Lord is the one who grants repentance. During the summer of 1983, Dennis and MaryAnn were striving to bring their niece into the household of faith. They had no idea of what was going on in in my heart; that in the unseen regions of the spiritual battlefield, monumental strongholds were coming down.
Thanks for a most insightful post. Sorry for getting carried away in the comment section. Blessings always in Jesus name.
timbob
June 20, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Timbob – thanks for sharing your stories . . . it is true and thankfully we can hear God’s voice through lives despite how fallen they may be. It speaks to God’s mercy in all our lives. That mercy gives me great hope when I feel I fall far from being a good testimony of His love, grace and power.
Rachel