by Edwin » Sat Feb 19, 2011 1:39 am
James 1:25; But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful heaerer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26; If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
27; Pure religion and undefiled befroe God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Religion is a word that can mean a lot of things. It can mean that a person is going through the forms of doing what is right, but that person's heart is far from God. The religious leaders in Jesus time were hypocrites, many of them were just playing a game, going through the motion. They were making religious laws that were very hard to keep, and they were not living up to the standards themselves. Religion can be in a person's heart so that it is a way of living, and they believe and live their belief. The leaders in Jesus day made it very hard on the people, but Jesus said that they neglected the weightier issues of the law. So they were making a big deal out of things that really didn't matter at all, and they were not even concerned about the things that really did matter.
We believe the good news of the gospel, that Jesus came into this world, lived His life as an example, died and rose again that we can have eternal life also. Eternal life is to know Jesus Christ and to have Him in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. We have eternal life and the forgiveness of our sins because Jesus took the penalty of sin for us, now instead of dying spiritually, being separated from God, we have eternal life and can live forever with Him. Jesus died for our sins. He provides forgiveness and eternal life if we will accept that. We have to recognize that we have sinned, and then we have to ask for forgiveness of our sins, and Jesus sent His Holy Spirit to be in us, just as if Jesus is right with us. Jesus wants us to call on Him, and whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Jesus is the name given among men where by we may be saved. He wants us to talk with Him, and He wants to talk with us also. Eternal Life through Jesus is what it is all about. Jesus is the focal point of the whole Bible. Jesus is the fulfilment of the Bible prophecy. Forgiveness of sins and eternal life is what Jesus gives.