If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:31-32)
Many today have not fully grasped the true meaning of what Jesus was talking about in the Scripture given above. Some think that joining a religious organization somehow places one in the right place to qualify as a disciple of Christ.
There is nothing more crucial and helpful than to come to a full appreciation of the need for an individual and personal relationship with God and His Son a part from the bias of religious organization. It is equally important that we have an accurate knowledge of the roles of both God and Christ; our salvation will depend on that knowledge. (John 17:3)
When one attaches religious affiliation with that individual and personal relationship with God and His Christ, then that relationship is not personal – it is organizational. It is the religious organization that is doing the cultivating of that relationship in behalf of the individual and not the individuals themselves. What ensues is an “organizational” relationship instead.
It is vital that our personal relationship with God and His Christ be cultivated apart from the Systems of Religion on earth. Why? Because it is infected and contaminated. Without an individual and personal relationship with God and Christ as well as an accurate knowledge of both of them, it will be very difficult to have a sense of identity without membership in some system of religion. In fact, the required knowledge from God through his Christ will not be possible.
At Matthew 10:32-33, Jesus emphasized personal relationship with himself and his Father in heaven. What most inside “Christianity” today have failed to see is that Jesus never made a call to “go into” a certain church, denomination or religious organization. Rather, Jesus made the call for individuals to go to him.
In his parable of the “Vine and It’s Branches” at John 15:5, Jesus’ words were not “I am the vine and religious organizations are the branches and you are the twigs or the leaves, but rather “I am the vine and YOU are the branches” connected directly to him.
Religious organization – and specifically in this discussion what men call Christianity – has subtly inserted itself in between man and Christ. It has usurped and taken ownership of sheep that does not belong to them. Religious organization has effectively stolen the sheep of another owner.
That Christ purchased all of mankind with his precious blood (his death), makes him mankind’s Owner, Lord, Master, and Head.
The Apostle Paul at 1 Corinthians 11:3 shows that Christ is not the Master and Head of those who accept him as their Lord and Savior as what men call Christianity would have us believe. Instead, the Apostle Paul shows that Jesus is the Head of Man. No distinction is made concerning only men who accept him.
But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
Notice that Christ is the head of every man. Jesus did not give up his precious life just for those today wish to usurp him for themselves as their Lord. No. Jesus died of all of mankind.
It is in error that much of what men call Christianity teaches that those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior are saved (present tense) and will go to heaven. It is in error that religious organizations, such as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, to teach that association only with that organization will lead one to life. Disassociation with it will lead to ones demise. in both cases, we have men and their organizations usurping a role that belongs only to Christ. It is Christ who is our only authorized Head and no religious organization has been given the keys of life and death to determine what will happen to any person.
These religious organizations and the men and women within them were not sent by the Most High God to die for all of mankind. They did not purchase mankind. Yet, they all cast themselves in the role of man’s Head and owner; telling them, teaching them, and directing them in a way as if they themselves are the Shepherds of them. In effect, they have stolen sheep that do not belong to them. Only the True Master and Owner of those sheep and determine their outcome, not any religious organization.
Thus, it is extremely important that we open our eyes and see exactly what has happened in this world: Systems of religion have been raised up for the purpose of binding up and taking into captivity to themselves (membership to themselves) the world of mankind; a world of mankind that Jesus purchased with his own death.
Do not be misled. Just because a system of religion calls itself Christian or Christianity means absolutely nothing. Where do we read in Scriptures where Jesus tells his followers to call themselves Christians or to establish a belief system and call it Christianity? We do not.
It is only long after Jesus ascension, do we see this subtle creeping in of affixing titles. The instances of the word Christian and Christians in Scripture were not titles Christs followers gave themselves, but titles others gave them. In other words, Christs disciples never gave themselves these titles.
One must think: When Christ was with his disciples, he not once mentions to them to take upon themselves titles such as Christian or Christians or any other title popularly used by so many religious organizations today.
Instead, Jesus told them to “Be His Disciples.” That’s It.
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Discipleship (being taught by) is not to an organization such as to what men call Christianity or the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society and membership and the teachings of those organizations; but rather, to Jesus Christ himself.
What men call Christianity and all religious organization has made an assumption that somehow God has authorized them to speak in Jesus’ behalf or that they are a or the channel through which He speaks. This is a gross error.
It is only through Christ that we are individually taught. Christ said at John 14:6 of himself:
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
No where do we read in Scripture of third-party religious organizations as being “the way” by which one comes to the Ultimate Life Giver, The Father. Neither can any religious organization be “The Truth.” Yet, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society teaches that those who are members of that organization are “In the truth.” All Jehovah’s Witnesses understand this expression “In the truth.” Do they associate it with Jesus Christ himself as being that “Truth.” Not at all. While it is true that Jehovah’s Witnesses know that Jesus is “The Truth” as stated at John 14:6, it becomes a subtle contradiction in belief and terms in that when the expression “In the truth” is mentioned in Watch Tower publications and in discussion between Jehovah’s Witnesses, it is being associated with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society organization, not Jesus.
The expression “In the truth” means to be a member of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society organization. This is a subtle sharing or usurping of Jesus role is what identifies all religion on earth as false and a thief and usurper of sheep that they did not purchase.
Neither is what men call Christianity or the Watch Tower organization or any religion “The Life.” What did any religious organization do to make it possible that mankind would have a resurrection as Jesus promised at John 5:28-29? Absolutely, nothing. What religious organization holds the keys of Death and Hades (the grave) so as to rid their curse upon mankind? No one. Only Christ Jesus has that key. (Revelation 1:18)
Our Father in heaven gives this command at Luke 9:35:
A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.
And, that is what we must do. We must not listen to religious organization of any sort. We must recognize what it is and why it exists today and who stood it up.
Jesus himself foretold the coming of something that would “come in his name” acknowledging that he indeed is the Christ. We can see this at Matthew 24:5.
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Many read this Scripture incorrectly. They read it to understand that Jesus was referring to persons claiming themselves to be the Christ or the Messiah. That is not what is saying. Instead, what Jesus is saying at Matthew 24:5 that there would be many who would openly acknowledge that he (Jesus) is the Christ and at the same time bring other misleading utterances.
Does not what men call Christianity say Jesus is the Christ? Yes they do. Does Christianity not come in Jesus’ name? Yes it does. Yet, it is the great misleader of mankind that Jesus foretold would come. Notice what Jesus says of them and their numbers at Matthew 7:21-23:
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!’
Of them Jesus will say, “I never knew you.”
This article is not some feeble attempt to put down someones religion and elevate another. I firmly believe that the establishment of religion was not authorized by God. Not even what men call Christianity. I believe it all from Satan.
I also believe that if Jesus was with us today in the flesh and blood, all of us who say we are his disciples would flock to him. This flocking would not be through some religious organization. Yet, Jesus is alive, though not present in the flesh. So why are the masses flocking into religious organization? Do they not believe that Jesus is alive and able to make his voice heard?
It is a display of a lack of faith when “religion” and “religious organization” becomes a “stand in” for the Christ.
I tell you dear readers, the entire world is being misled. How? By divisive religious organization. Yes, by what men call Christianity, too! This is what the Scriptures teach:
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Cor 4:4)
There is a ruler or god of this age that blinds the minds of all persons. Sadly, those who take the unauthorized title of Christians upon themselves reckon “unbelievers” as being anyone who is not a Christian. That is not how “unbeliever is to be understood in this context. The “god of this age” (Satan) has already set in motion and established the platform upon which the blinding has already “bound up” mankind. This platform – religion – takes mankind into captivity to itself with its many teachings. Thus, when the truth is spoken, men are not receptive to it. They are blind to it.
When what men call Christianity was created, it was one of those platforms used to take men into captivity, control them, and misled them. So when the truth is spoken – as it is in this article and entire blog – it is rejected. Many will not be able to see the “truth” in it. They are blind to it.
Scripture also states at 1 John 5:19:
We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
Here we are told that “the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” Not some of the world, but the entire world. The world is a big place. A place that contains many religious, political, and educational systems. They all belong to Satan and his to control to mislead all of mankind. Religion being his primary means to mislead mankind.
God’s true children are not members or in association with any religion or religious system. They are very very few in number. They have come to know what all religion is and why Satan stood it up.
What must one do? What must one desiring to become a disciple of Christ and position themselves before him as their Master and Head so as to listen only to him and be taught by him?
1. Recognize what all religion is. Yes, even what men call Christianity. It is the foretold counterfeit Jesus said would come in his name.
2. Conquer your fear of men and the shear immensity and size or “bulk of religion” and the influence and authority it had over you.
3. Recognize that Christ is your Head and Master and not religious systems men set up and claim to speak in Jesus’ behalf.
4. Get out! Get out of religious organization. Detach yourself as a “member” of them and attach yourself as a member of Christ’s body.
Note: What a strange thing it is to see entire religious “organizations” attached to Jesus’ body and you a member attached to the religious organization. It would be a grotesque beastly looking thing. As individuals, we are attached to (or are to be members of) Christs body directly. There should be no third-parties.
5. Go “out” to where Christ is. Where is that?
Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.
Jesus Christ is “outside the camp.” What does this mean? For a full explanation of this, see the article entitled Get Outside The Camp.
6. Pray to the Most High God and our heavenly Father Jehovah through the only way possible, Jesus Christ, for his wisdom and understanding. It will be through Christ – who is alive – that this wisdom and understanding will come. Our constant asking in prayer becomes our constant receiving from God – through His Son – of this wisdom and understanding.
Many have been duped into thinking that this wisdom and understanding must come through the Bible and association with religious organization. This is a lie. No where do we read in Scripture that “The Bible” is the Word of God. This is what men say. Men even gave it that name. It was men who arrogated himself to say that such a book is holy.
The fact of the matter is is that Jesus is the ONLY Word of God, not a book men call The Bible. It is through Jesus and Jesus alone that God speaks to us, not a book that men call The Bible or religious organizations men call Christianity or Watch Tower bible and Tract Society.
This is not to say that one should not read the Bible. But view it as Scripture that contain some of the teachings of Christ. It is to those teachings (of Christ) that we are to listen to. Why? Because Jesus is The Word of God. The only channel or way by which God speaks to us.
He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
7. Do not allow yourself to be taken captive again into any system of religion. Becoming a disciple of Christ will teach you the truth. Upon knowing the truth, you are liberated. You will know. You will see the world with all of its religions for what they really are: Controllers and deceivers of men.
Now, you will find yourself almost alone. The world of religion – especially Christianity – will view you as a threat. It will speak abusively of you and even try to kill (silence) you by discrediting all that you say. You will see the true colors of all of Christianity and the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (who views itself apart from Christendom) come to the surface. You will see their true faces and identities.
When you were agreeable with them and did and believed as they directed you to, you had no problem with them. Now, that you have detached yourself from them, you will see a much different and insidious side of them come to the surface. They will still seek to exercise control over you. Resist it at all cost. How? By speaking the truth from Jesus Christ himself. Remember, you will be taught by him.
8. Most importantly, DO NOT lose your senses. Keep them. Do not come across as an unreasoning, illogical misfit. Present yourself dignified, disciplined, and in full control of yourself. View all others as Jesus did: As sheep without a Shepherd. Do not speak abusively of others though they may speak abusively of you. Love your enemies. Freely forgive your persecutors as Jesus forgave his (and even his executioners).
Those in the world of Christianity will not view you as of God. They will be your persecutors and the ones who speak abusively and lyingly about you. They may even turn to “emotionalism” to prod you to become “emotional” so as to show you senseless. Resist this. Show no fear of their ministers. You belong to Christ and he is your teacher.
9. Never pray in plain sight of men. Enter into a quiet place (even if this is to yourself) and pray to your Father in heaven. Know without a shadow of a doubt that He will provide you with what you need by way of “bread.” That is, feeding upon his Son who is the bread of life.
10. Visit this web site for encouragement.
