No, No, No, & No! – The Religious Spirit

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

WHO IS OUR REAL ENEMY?

Matthew 23:27-28 (NIV)
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean on the inside. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

What is the Religious Spirit?

The religious spirit makes us focus on good and following instead of truly God.

2 Timothy 3:1-7 (ESV)
3 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

“The religious spirit creates a fake spirituality that looks impressive but lacks the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit.”
“Just to Make Religion Mad,” Kim Owens 

“The religious spirit distracts believers from the simplicity of Christ’s message, trapping them in a cycle of self-effort and condemnation.”
“Reclaiming Spiritual Ground,” Jim Logan

“This spirit is a formidable enemy because it hides behind the guise of righteousness, making it difficult to recognize and combat.”
“Freedom from the Religious Spirit,” C. Peter Wagner

“Religious ritual can become a substitute for the living presence of Christ, turning vibrant faith into mere formality.”
 “The Warfare of the Spirit,” A.W. Tozer

Signs of The Religious Spirit

• Legalism ( over )
• Judgmental Attitude
• Pride and Self-Righteousnes
• Resistance to Change
• Familiarity (Rituals over Responsibility)

“Familiarity breeds contempt, and in the spiritual realm, it breeds a lukewarm heart. When we become too familiar with the things of God, we lose our sense of wonder and expectancy.”
“Just to Make Religion Mad,” Kim Owens 

“A familiar spirit causes us to take God’s presence for granted, diminishing our spiritual fervor.”
“Reclaiming Spiritual Ground,” Jim Logan

The Danger of False Confidence

What I see…

• Rules over Relationships 
• Rights over Responsibilities (Territorial) 
• Rituals over Obedience (Response-ability)

The Enemies plan for religion: (Screwtape Letters)

• Encouraging a Superficial and Hypocritical Faith
• Fostering Religious Division and Conflict
• Promoting Extremism and Fanaticism
• Substituting Real Faith with Formalism and Ritualism
• Using Religion as a Means to an End
• Encouraging a Compartmentalized Faith

 

What Jesus sees…

The Danger of False Confidence

Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV) 
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Matthew 7:21-23 (The Message)
21-23 “Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our super-spiritual projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’

How to Break Free from the Religious Spirit?

1. Repentance
2. Embrace
   “Grace is the antidote to the poison of legalism.” “Reclaiming Spiritual Ground,” Jim Logan
3. Pursue with God
   “True spirituality is found in an intimate walk with Christ, not in the mere observance of rituals.” “The Warfare of the Spirit,” A.W. Tozer
4. Cultivate
5. Welcome the “The Holy Spirit’s presence is the key to overcoming the religious spirit and experiencing true spiritual freedom.” “Freedom from the Religious Spirit,” C. Peter Wagner

HOW DO WE STAY FREE?

John 15:4-5 (NIV)
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

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ENJOYING THE

Psalm 118:24 (NLT)
This is the day the Lord has made.
    We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Authentic

“The heart of God is not impressed with our religious acts; He desires a broken and contrite heart that seeks after Him with sincerity.” 
“Just to Make Religion Mad,” Kim Owens 

Jesus came to set us free from the bondage of the religious spirit,  offering us a relationship that is life-giving and full of power.

Where do we start?

Psalm 139:23-24(NIV)
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

What is the Lord revealing to you today?