Jesus Christ did not come to earth to start a new religion. in fact He leveled His harshest criticism at the religious leaders of His day.
He accused them of not knowing God and said they used religion to trap people in a life of misery, frustration and failure.
He claimed the religious leaders themselves were blind and had blinded the spiritual eyes of their followers. (see matthew 15:13-14; 23:13-23) He labled those leaders as hypocrites saying they had replaced the teachings and commands of God with commands and traditions of men. (see Mark 7:6-8)
Rather than starting a new religion Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of all God's moral Laws that had been revealed to the seed of Abraham, the Nation of Israel ( see Matthew 5:17)
Jesus came to proclaim His Gospel of Light and Truth, to Israel first and ultimately to all Nations on earth. Rather than calling people to focus on religious ceremony, He told His would-be followers and Disciples If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me (Matthew 16:24) Jesus commanded His followers to believe that He was the Messiah sent from God, and commanded them to repent ( Change their lifes direction from one of selfcenteredness to a one of doing God's will) and to be baptized as a testimony of their repentance and new commitment.
At the Last supper He told His Disciples to remember the sacrifice of His Blood by partaking od bread and wine.
and His Great comission He told the Disciples therefore Go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father the Son and of the Holy spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. ( Matthew 28:19-20)
wait a minute you say what about His statement to Peter Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it ( Matthew 16:18) you might say doesnt that imply that Jesus came to start a new religion or church ? not really the Greek word that is translated church is the word ecclesia. it literally means a gathering of called out ones. Ecclesia refers to any group of Jesus Followers who are called out from the peoples of all nations to Follow Him. Ecclesia had been used in common language for more than two hundred years before Christ and had never been used to describe a structured organization
I am not saying that churches as we know them are not ordained or called of God, few are.
But I am saying that a church or the church as Jesus refered to it, is not an organization or a building
rather it is a group of people who have been called out from the world to replace their self-centered values with faith in Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord.
they have Grace-powered commitment to follow Jesus by embracing His teachings and doing what He taught.
unfortunately many churches have focused on calling people to join their organization and participate in their activities in place of calling people to become sold- out followers of Christ.
Although at times the gates of hell prevailed against christian organizations, they have never prevailed over the True followers of Jesus Christ nor will they.
Jesus is the Head, The Leader of all who follow Him - those whom the Apostle paul called '' the body of Christ '' .
in that sense He is the leader of the church. However I can promise that He would never describe Himself as the leader of religion.
Jesus' call to His Followers is to listen to what He said and do it !
He gave more than 140 commands and instructions to His followers, and He tells us that when we are empowered by the Holy Spirit our faith is expressed by doing what He told us to do.
we do what He says not to earn His Love or to merit eternal Life, but to express our love for Him and our greatfulness for Eternal Life.
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