BEWARE, BEWARE

Beware of religious bewitchers, beguilers, and spoilers:  Human nature is hopelessly self-righteous, and loves to impress men, and put on an act: the religionist (the bewitcher) lives in bondage and tries to regulate his life by endless rules, rituals, diets, garb, denominations, bible versions, holidays, bodily disciplines; endless self-righteous do's and don'ts. Religious regulations appeal to the Flesh; the Flesh tirelessly strives and competes for outward superior spirituality. These are sometimes called "convictions" by the religionist (the spoiler).

It is impossible to control or better the Flesh by man-made disciplines, which are only vain "rudiments" of this world's religions. Days, diets, and fleshly disciplines have no sanctifying value; They are useless in the sight of God. Superficial Second-hand Lifeless Surface religion leaves you a dismal void in the end. Pretending Super-Pious Professing Hypocritical Self-Righteous religionists go about to establish their own righteousness, and refuse to Submit to the Righteousness of God. 

Carnal regulations and man-made religious disciplines will never commend you to God. Always remember now: God is no respecter of persons. The LORD desires truth and sincerity in our INWARD PARTS, deep down within our heart, desires, soul, habits, mind, thoughts, conscience. The Gospel cuts to the heart, and demands inward purity and sincerity. Religious observances make the religionist feel and look spiritual. The Flesh loves to be religious in the sight of man, but the Flesh profiteth nothing. The religionist loves the praise of men more than the praise of God. Human nature refuses to devote itself to Christ and the will of God, and the carnal mind refuses to be led by the Spirit, where there is true Liberty, and not bondage. 

Just like you would make a sincere vow to your wife to keep yourself pure for her, for Love's sake. Likewise, simply and sincerely make a solemn promise to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, to please Him with your thoughts and actions each and every day, to be pure for His sake, and to walk in the Spirit, be led by the Spirit through each day. Take up your cross, die daily to self-will and self-righteousness, deny yourself, follow JESUS from the heart, abide in Him-cultivate a living Heart Connection-Fellowship-Communion with the Father, The True the Living God. Always desiring to keep your promise of discipleship to JESUS, stay close to Him, and seek to please Him in all things. The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth Life. 

Your Soul needs Christ's Nourishment and Life, not religious regulations. Continually resort to JESUS; always be seeking and asking the Holy Spirit for more grace, strength and help. Exercise discipline in the Spirit of God; exercise yourself unto godliness, to the glory of God. Charity puts others first, and builds up others. Religion produces a big head; Charity produces a big heart. Superficial convictionites always look down on other, they are not uplifting and encouraging to struggling souls. 

Keep your eyes on JESUS, not on yourself, or others. It pleased the Father that in JESUS should all Fulness dwell. You are getting after something; Always be getting After Christ. Always give the Lord Jesus Christ the Preeminence, for the Fulness of the Blessing of the Gospel dwells in HIM; therefore Receive God's Fulness from JESUS. Religion results only in vanity, vexation of spirit, and emptiness. Let no man judge you. Seek the Good Part: Learn of JESUS, for HE is meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find REST to your Soul. 

* And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth ME with their lips, but their heart is far from ME. Howbeit in vain do they worship ME, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And HE said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

* And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided JESUS.  And HE said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

* But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. 

* Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. // Be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

* Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

* Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

* Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (touch not; taste not; handle not; which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. 

* Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

* Who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Wilt thou be made Whole?

(Mark 7:4-9; Luke 16:14-15; I Cor 8:8; Col 2:8; Gal 5:1; Rom 14:4-7; Rom 14:13-14; Col 2:16-23; I Cor 10:31-33; Gal 3:1,3; John 5:6)