What Is Religion That God Considers Pure and Genuine?

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27 (NIV).

In Jesus’ day, activities at the Temple were supposed to center on worship to God.  Instead, the Temple had become commercial where merchants sold sacrificial animals to pilgrims and foreigners at inflated prices to make a profit.  When Jesus entered the Temple area, He drove out all who were buying and selling.  He reminded the crowd that the Temple was for true worship to God and helping the real needs of people, such as the lame, the blind, widows, orphans and the powerless (see Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-47.

In the first century worlds, people such as the sick, orphans and widows had very little means of economic support. These people were often helpless and dependent upon the care from others.  Unless a family member was willing to care for them, these people were reduced to begging, selling themselves as slaves, or starving. By caring for these people, Jesus reminded the crowd of putting God's Word into practice by serving others. The Holy Scriptures are clear that people are called to take care of the helpless and powerless (see 1 Timothy 5:3-16).

Even more, Jesus also wants everyone to keep themselves from becoming polluted by the world and to remain faithful to God.  We keep ourselves clean by obeying and following Jesus Christ, the perfect God-Man. Jesus Christ taught us a new value system starting with His Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5:1-7:29) that does not focus on money, power, and pleasure. Jesus taught that true religions means worshiping God, caring for the weak, powerless, and helpless in their sorrow and refusing to let the world corrupt you with sin ((Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Matthew 22:34-30).

Live Like Christ  (LLC)

Ephesians 6:10-18 is the Apostle Paul’s teaching on how to live like Jesus Christ.  As Christians, we are engaged in a spiritual battle. Only living like Jesus Christ can Christians stand firm and win against all evil. Our faith, union and allegiance in Jesus Christ and the Holy Scripture provide our protection against every evil attack. See also James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9). 

To Live Like Christ (LLC), put on God’s full armor: 

• Truth:  God is Truth 
• Righteousness:  Unity and faith in Jesus Christ makes us righteousness 
• Peace:  Tell others of the true peace that comes from God 
• Faith:  Trusting that the ultimate victory is ours with God 
• Salvation:  Never doubt God's saving work through wholehearted faith in Jesus Christ 
• Word:  Knowing the truth of God's Holy Scriptures 
• Pray:  Jesus NEVER stop praying to God the Father

Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the evil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of TRUTH and the body armor of God’s RIGHTEOUSNESS. For shoes, put on the PEACE that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of FAITH to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on SALVATION as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the WORD of God. PRAY in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your PRAYERS for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:10-18 (NLT).

Superior

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets [in visions, dreams, and even face to face] at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He [God] has spoken to us by His Son [Jesus Christ], whom He [God] appointed Heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son [Jesus Christ] is the radiance [shines] of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful Word. After He had provided purification [cleansing] for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty [God] in heaven. So He became as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs.
Hebrews 1:1-4 (NIV). 


Jesus Christ is ….

Superior to the angels
Superior to Moses
Superior to Aaron the Priest
Superior to Joshua
Superior to the Prophets

Jesus Christ is ….

Appointed Heir of all things
Through Him the universe was made
Radiance of God’s glory
Exact representation of God’s being
Sustains all things
Provides purification for our sins
Sit down at the right hand of God the Father (Majesty) in heaven. 

Therefore, since we have a Great High Priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith [never stop trusting Jesus Christ] we profess. For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV).   

In response to all He [Jesus Christ] has done for us, let us outdo each other in being helpful and kind [and loving] to each other and in doing good. Hebrews 10:24 (TLB).

The RIGHT Road

Jesus Christ is the life-giving Spirit and the Source of all spiritual life. Through His resurrection, Jesus Christ defeated and conquered all evil, including death (Revelation 20:14). Now, all believers have hope beyond the grave. Death is no longer a source of dread or fear for believers of Jesus Christ because He overcame death.

The Romans Road illustration from the Apostle Paul provides a good summary of the Good News about Jesus Christ’s life, message, and love for the world. The Book of Romans is the Apostle Paul’s work of art that has earned the respect and approval of the world. Romans is theological, practical, and God-centered. The Apostle Paul wrote the Book of Romans to bring the people of Rome and eventually the world to knowledge of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Romans 3:23   
All humankind has sinned and was born sinners.

Romans 6:23
The penalty for our sin is death.

Romans 5:8
Jesus Christ died for humankind’s sin to provide forgiveness and cleansing of sin.

Romans 10:8-10
To receive Jesus Christ’s forgiveness of sin, humankind need only to believe and confess with their mouth and heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and only He brings true eternal salvation.

To receive the salvation offered by Jesus Christ, Romans 10:6-12 answers the simple question, “How do I become a Christian?” [Moses in Deuteronomy 30:10-14 also taught the ancient Israelites that obeying God is simply “in your hearts and on your lip” Deuteronomy 30:14 (TLB).]These verses give a person the lovely answer: salvation is as close as your mouth and heart. If you simply believe in your heart and say with your mouth that

• God came to earth through Jesus Christ;
•  Jesus Christ’s life, message, and death reconcile us to God;
• Jesus Christ provided all humankind salvation through His coming to earth in human flesh and resurrection from the dead;
• Jesus Christ is the risen Lord and Savior of the world; and
• Humble acceptance of God’s gift of salvation from His coming condemnation, judgment, and death.

Once you accept by faith God’s work in Jesus Christ, you become a believer and are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Also, you are transferred to the realm of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:12-21) through the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit comes to live on the inside your heart to bring victory over sin and holiness that brings glory to God (Romans 12-15). No power—whether sin (Romans 6), the Law (Romans 7), or death (Romans 8:1-13)—“will ever be able to separate us from the love of God” through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:39).

Spiritual Blessings In Jesus Christ


3 How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every (spiritual) blessing in heaven because we belong to (united or in) Christ. 4 Long ago, even before He (God) made the world, God chose (elected and loved) us to be His very own through what Christ would do for us; He decided then to make us holy in His eyes, without a single fault—we who stand before Him covered with His love. 5 His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And He did this because He wanted to! 6 Now all praise to God (praise God) for His wonderful kindness to us and His favor that He has poured out upon us because we belong to His dearly loved Son (Jesus Christ). 7 So overflowing is His kindness toward us that He took away all our sins through the blood of His Son, by whom we are saved; 8 and He has showered down upon us the richness of His grace—for how well He understands us and knows what is best for us at all times. 9 God has told us His secret reason for sending Christ, a plan He decided on in mercy long ago; 10 and this was His purpose: that when the time is ripe He will gather us all together from wherever we are—in heaven or on earth—to be with Him in Christ forever. 11 Moreover, because of what Christ has done, we have become gifts to God that He delights in, for as part of God’s sovereign plan we were chosen from the beginning to be His, and all things happen just as he decided long ago. 12 God’s purpose in this was that we should praise God and give glory to Him for doing these mighty things for us, who were the first to trust in Christ. 13 And because of what Christ did, all you others too, who heard the Good News about how to be saved, and trusted Christ, were marked as belonging to Christ by the Holy Spirit, who long ago had been promised to all of us Christians. 14 His (Holy Spirit) presence within us is God’s guarantee that He really will give us all (the inheritance) that He promised; and the Spirit’s seal upon us means that God has already purchased us (to be His own people) and that He guarantees to bring us to Himself. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God (praise and glorify God). Ephesians 1:3-14 (The Living Bible)

Ephesians 1:3-14 praises God for all the spiritual blessings He has graciously given us through Jesus Christ. When we turn from sin and turn to Jesus Christ, God gives us every spiritual blessing now and eternally — salvation, adoption as God’s child, forgiveness of sins, wisdom and insight, the gifts of the Spirit, hope, and power to live. In Jesus Christ, we are holy and without fault in God’s eyes because we trust in Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice for our sins on the Cross (see Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 5:25-27; Colossians 1:22; Titus 3:5-7; Jude 1:24). All we can do in return for God’s kindness is expressing our grateful.

So come to God and become apart of His family and all His spiritual blessings, including becoming heirs along with His dearly loved Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:5-7). God will send the Holy Spirit into your heart to guarantee that you will receive all His spiritual blessings. To receive God’s spiritual blessings, confess your sins and acknowledge that you cannot save yourselves and then turn to God through faith in Jesus Christ‘s work on the Cross.

Who is Jesus Christ?

This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.  
Mark 1:1 (NLT)

JESUS CHRIST! The Holy Scriptures call Him many names—the “the Anointed One,” “Messiah,” “Redeemer,” “Teacher,” and “Prophet.” The Gospel writers reveal Jesus Christ as a humbled Servant of God, who suffered, and who will come again. The Apostle Paul addressed Jesus Christ as “the Lord.” Hebrews describes Jesus Christ as God’s great and final High Priest, who makes the sacrifice and is the Sacrifice. Most important, Jesus Christ is the Word of God, God in the flesh, and the Son of the living God (Mark 1:1; John 20:30-31). He is best known as the Savior of the World (Matthew 1:21).

Jesus Christ is part of the Trinity. God is Creator and Ruler of the universe who exists externally as a Trinity of three persons—the God the Father, the God the Son (Jesus Christ), and the God the Holy Spirit. God the Father is the first person of the Trinity, who controls all things according to His will and perfect purpose. The Holy Spirit gives the power and guidance for right living, convicting humankind of sins and their need for Jesus Christ. The Trinity is a picture of the unique relationship of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and is one of the most important ideas of the Christian faith. The Holy Scriptures affirm the existence of the Trinity, including Jesus Christ’s final words in Matthew 28:19 (see also, e.g., Genesis 1:26; Genesis 3:22; Isaiah 6:8).

The Gospel writers reveal and prove that Jesus Christ is both fully human and fully God, who has existed before the creation of the world. The Holy Scriptures reveal that Jesus Christ came down from God the Father, emptied Himself, and became like a human to save all people from their sins. He was with God in the beginning as Creator and Sustainer of all things (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1). The New Testament writers Matthew and Luke established Jesus Christ as a descendant to King David, to Moses, to Abraham, and to Adam (Matthew 1:1-17; Matthew 2:1-6; Luke 3:34, 38).

Yet, Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry began humbly with His birth in Bethlehem, the “city of David.” Two Gospels, Matthew and Luke, tell of His mother Mary’s miraculous, virgin conception through the Holy Spirit. His coming was announced by angels. Shepherds heard, came, and wondered, and Magi came later to bring gifts. Seldom, if ever, did Jesus Christ apply to Himself the customary terms “Messiah” or “Son of God.”

Jesus Christ was the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:11-16) “who went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). He was filled with love, gentleness, encouragement, justice, and truth (Isaiah 42:1-4; Matthew 12:18-21). During His earthly ministry, He healed all kinds of people, raised some from the dead, cast out evil spirits, and calmed a raging storm. Jesus Christ kept company with sinners, prostitutes, and tax collectors (Mark 2:17). His strength was shown by humility, suffering, and mercy.
 
Moreover, Jesus Christ taught on the importance of the absolute obedience, faithfulness, and love for God and the Kingdom of God. He taught people were to live on earth by His teachings on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and walk in love for God and our neighbors (Matthew 22:34-40; John 14-16). To help people understand heavenly things, Jesus Christ often spoke in parables about the Kingdom of God.

Most important, Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. He willingly gave His life as a sacrifice for humankinds’ sin by dying on the Cross at Calvary. On the Cross, Jesus Christ carried humankind’s sins, weaknesses, sickness, disease, and sorrows. He was pierced, crushed, beaten, and whipped so that humanity can be whole and healthy in all aspects of life (see also Isaiah 57:18).

The Apostle Paul connected Jesus Christ’s death to the sacrificial system of the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, people offered animals as sacrifices for their sins to obtain forgiveness. Jesus Christ became humankind’s final Sacrifice as the sinless and spotless Lamb to eliminate sins of all people for those who believe (Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29; Revelation 5:6-14).

Come Back to God

 
In 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, the Apostle Paul provides the fullest explanation on the meaning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His saving act on the Cross at Calvary.
 
Because we [the Apostle Paul and his companions] understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that [Jesus] Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He [Jesus Christ] died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of [Jesus] Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know Him now! This means that anyone who belongs to [Jesus Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. —2 Corinthians 5:11-21 (NLT)

In 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, the Apostle Paul explains that God was in Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry (2 Corinthians 5:19) to plead to the world to “Come back to God!” God was in Jesus Christ to reconcile and bring humankind back to Him and cancel any and all sins of people. The Apostle Paul taught that Jesus Christ has commissioned all believers as ambassadors to continue His job of reconciling people to God (2 Corinthians 5:20). Jesus Christ makes His appeal and pleads through His followers to “Come back to God!”