Religion, whether it be the Catholic religion or the Calvinist religion, or whatever religion, does none of that. Jesus does it all and he does it perfectly.
Religion is like another God or an idol.
One of the commandments is, "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me" Exodus 20:3. Anything that you bring into the same room with Jesus Christ, is either an idol or another God.
There was no religion in the early church. There was Jesus Christ and the Gospel, plus nothing. Of course there were those who wanted to continue with the law which was and is religion. Paul made it clear that the law and the Jewish religion had been abolished and that now, "The Just Shall Live By Faith" Romans 1:17. To live by faith means to live according to the Gospel and not by religion.
Paul was in a continuos fight to keep religion or the law out of the church. The Corinthians were a troublesome bunch. They wanted to divide the church into separate sects of religion, 1 Corinthians 1:12. Paul wanted no part of it.
Paul said that they should all speak the same thing and that there should be no divisions amongst them, 1 Corinthians 1:10. Religion divides. The Gospel unites. I heard of a church that split because of the placement of the pulpit. Some wanted it on the right side of the sanctuary, while others wanted it on the left side. They could not come to an agreement so the church split. So it is with religion.
Religion is like another God or an idol.
One of the commandments is, "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me" Exodus 20:3. Anything that you bring into the same room with Jesus Christ, is either an idol or another God.
There was no religion in the early church. There was Jesus Christ and the Gospel, plus nothing. Of course there were those who wanted to continue with the law which was and is religion. Paul made it clear that the law and the Jewish religion had been abolished and that now, "The Just Shall Live By Faith" Romans 1:17. To live by faith means to live according to the Gospel and not by religion.
Paul was in a continuos fight to keep religion or the law out of the church. The Corinthians were a troublesome bunch. They wanted to divide the church into separate sects of religion, 1 Corinthians 1:12. Paul wanted no part of it.
Paul said that they should all speak the same thing and that there should be no divisions amongst them, 1 Corinthians 1:10. Religion divides. The Gospel unites. I heard of a church that split because of the placement of the pulpit. Some wanted it on the right side of the sanctuary, while others wanted it on the left side. They could not come to an agreement so the church split. So it is with religion.