Man is a natural worshipper who always try to find meaning to his
existence. In his attempts at searching for life
meaning and purpose, he stumbles into his private opinions and
creates his personal way of serving God. 20C.1 What caused man to
inadvertently establish
his own religion which is not of God?
The Bible says, In Isaiah 59:8 it is written:
The way of peace
they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways; they have
made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace.
(NKJV)
With his religious zeal and interest in worshipping the creator
behind his actions, add to his longing for God, "man has made
themselves crooked paths"
Why was their
paths or ways crooked?
Because they do not know the way of peace (peace with God) and there is no justice in
their ways; Thus man has established their own religions
which is not of God.
Why are they not
of God?
Because whoever takes that way shall not know peace—peace with God.
These crooked paths are the false religions of the world today.
This is the main reason for the
increase in religions which has already proliferated to more than
33,830 Christian denominations, according to the 2001 Edition of the
World Christian Encyclopedia.
20C.2 Are there objections regarding the
intentions and motives of such people?
In Romans 10:2, Apostle Paul
testify:
I can assure you that
they are deeply devoted to God; but their devotion is not based on true
knowledge. (TEV)
The same verse in another version of the
Bible:
"For I can testify about them that they
are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. (NIV)
Apostle Paul attest to their devotion
or zealousness to God which are exhibited by these people, but the
problem is "their zeal is not based on true knowledge".
20C.3
What is this knowledge
that Apostle Paul is referring to, which these
devoted or zealous people do not know?
In Romans
10:3, Apostle Paul explains further:
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and
seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God
(NKJV)
The same verse in another version of the Bible:
Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and
sought to establish their own, They did not submit to God's
righteousness. (New International Version)
What these
devoted and zealous people do not know is the righteousness
that comes from God, so they sought to
establish their own. Thus, they did not
submit to God's righteousness.
20C.4
What is this
"righteousness of God" that these
devoted or zealous people
do not know?
In Romans
1:16-17, Apostle Paul explains:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ, for it is the power of God
to salvation for everyone who believes,
for the Jew first and also for the
Greek.
For in it the righteousness of God is
revealed from faith to faith; as it
is written, "The just shall live by
faith.'' (NKJV)
The
"righteousness of God" is the True Gospel of
Christ. The True Gospel is the power of God to
salvation for everyone who believes.
20C.5
How will their
religions become false or crooked paths if they
also preach the Gospel of Christ?
In Galatians
1:6-7, apostle Paul explains
I marvel that you are turning away so
soon from Him who called you in the
grace of Christ, to a different
gospel, which is not another; but there
are some who trouble you and want to
pervert the gospel of Christ. (NKJV)
Their
religions became false or crooked paths
because they preach a different Gospel—a
perverted Gospel of Christ.
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Man
with his religious zeal and interest in worshipping the creator
behind his actions, add to his longing for God, "man has made
themselves crooked paths". These people are devoted or
zealous to God, but the problem is "their zeal
is not based on true knowledge". They do not
know the righteousness that comes from God, so
they sought to establish their own. Thus, they
did not submit to God's righteousness which the
True Gospel of Christ. Inadvertently, they
established False Religions which is not of God
for they preach a different Gospel—a perverted
gospel of Christ.
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