Non-Religious

Over the years, more and more people identify themselves as not belonging to a religious group. In essence, being non-religious, is on the rise. But why? What keeps people away? Liars, hypocrites, and fakes, are probably on the list. I overheard a co-worker once comment that she had recently heard a preacher say something like, “We used to be…” And she thought she had caught him incriminating himself! It sure sounded like that. She was right. Well, here’s why you too should believe on Him.
Truth is, yes everyone of us at one time or another in our lives, was a “WAS.” We were the haters, the pornographers, the alcoholics, the thieves, the liars, womanizers, murderers, prostitutes, etc. Don’t be surprised!! If you are, then you might be MORE like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, than you think!
Those leaders felt that no one living under such sinful offenses could ever be loved by God! They felt such people were extremely distant from God. After all, God had Personally Given them the law, and therein were stipulations of the Do’s and the Don’ts.
To their surprise-and dismay, God had other plans. Jesus broke bread with sinners. He sat with prostitutes, with the downhearted, with the outcasts of His day. He went to their homes. He ate with tax-collectors-the most despised people around. He fellowshipped with everyone because He came to redeem the lost; you and me.
Yes, He gave them the law of Moses expecting them to follow and obey it. But He saw how they twisted it! He saw that they added 613 commandments, making it almost impossible for anyone to keep them. This excluded many from having a personal relationship with God.
God, through His Son Jesus, told them, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10 NLV). “Those that are whole aren’t in need of a physician” (Luke 5:31, 32). In His written Word He left us these words: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicator, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind. Nor thieves, nor covetous, no drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). We’re no longer those things when we give our lives to Him!
So, He came for all of us! He knows we have a past! He knows we’re not perfect, but sinners! But He will CHANGE us all conforming to His image!. When He looks at us, He doesn’t see what we were or what we currently are! He sees what we’ll become because He knows the end from the start! God looks at Jesus who EVER intercedes for us before God’s throne (Romans 8:34)!
Complainers have sought to remove the Bible from public places because the book contains rape, murder, betrayal, and much more…NEWS FLASH…so do movies, our government, books, and every country on earth!! The Bible doesn’t condone these things, or encourage them. Rather, it’s a historical collection of things that happened. And since we do not know more than God, though some people are sure they do, God relates events that occurred, as well as things to come.
Of a certainty, Jesus suffered immeasurable torture, shame, humiliation, and wrong-doings without merit. He did it all for YOU-complainers and non-complainers, alike! Thousands of “haters,” tormenters, persecutors, and atheists, on a mission to convict and disprove God, have ended up laying down their lives after realizing their wrong and His righteousness, and that the sinless Son of God took their sins just so they could spend eternity with Him. That’s what He was doing during a week such as this one.
God Bless You,
He Loves You!
Sam