1. What is religion?
Religion is Man’s way of worshipping God. To be more specific, man has created new doctrine based off of their own personal interpretation of the Bible or their own moral and spiritual need. God never established religion or denominations nor did he authorize man to do so. That was the creation of man.
2. As long as I’m worshiping God, what difference does it make if I’m in a religion or denomination?
The Father gave strict commandments in both the Old (Deut.4:2) as well as the New Testament :
“18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19)
When the Father said that he was coming back for the Church without spot or wrinkle, he was not referring to something that man created, but the Church that he established, which he refers to as a Holy people (Deut 28:9). It was Yisra’el (Israel), the people, who was refereed to as the Church. The Church was never considered a building, but a called out people.
For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness…Joshua 5:6
This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness
3. What’s wrong with having traditions?
Traditions are ok, as long as they don’t go against or conflict with the word of God. In fact, Christ said “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men (Matthew 15:8-9).
And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. (Mark 7:9)
4. What are “the commandments of men?
The phrase “the commandments of men “ is anything that is taught as Biblical doctrine but does not appear in the Bible; or anything that is written in the Bible, but man has incorrectly interpreted. For example, while the birth and death of Christ were significant events throughout history, there is not one place in the Bible that tells us to celebrate the birth of Christ, let alone celebrate it using a Christmas tree, a mistletoe, etc on December 25th , all of which have pagan origin. Also, man has established a celebration called Easter or Resurrection Sunday that is not given as a commandment to celebrate. While the gesture may be well intended, the Father never authorized it.
5. The word religion is in the Bible, so why do you say that religion is wrong?
The Bible talks about “Pure Religion”. Let’s be clear, we are reading from a Bible that has been translated out of the Original tongue. Therefore, the word religion is how the translator translated the text from its original word. To get a better understanding of how the translator is using the word “Religion”, we must go to the Greek dictionary of the Strong’s Concordance to get its original meaning. The word “Religion” found under #2356 means “Worship”., it does not mean denomination or religion, the way that the word is used today. Pure Worship therefore can only be established by the Father and is translated as “Pure Worship.”.
6. How else does religion or denomination go against the Bible?
Along with religion/denominations comes a new doctrine. You can take one principle and discover that most of the denominations have a different doctrine pertaining to that same principle. Furthermore, when the Father sent his Apostles into all nations to give his word, they were still one body, teaching One Gospel as it was given to them. Part of that Gospel did not include ESTABLISHING YOUR OWN SECT OR DENOMINATION, so why did man feel the need to do so?
7. How bad could denominations and traditions be?
This problem is so serious, that Christ accused the Scribes and Pharisees (Jewish sects) of shutting up the Kingdom of Heaven against men (Matthew 23:13).
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Before you can enter into the physical place, you must believe and accept the doctrine of the Kingdom of Heaven.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come (Matthew 23:14).