JESUS > RELIGION

What is the gospel? GOD - HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS CREATOR MAN - SINFUL AND DEAD JESUS - FULLY GOD AND FULLY MAN. OUR SUBSTITUTE. RESPONSE - FAITH AND REPENTANCE

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOSPEL AND RELIGION IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? DO PEOPLE RESPOND BETTER TO THE WORD GOSPEL OR THE WORD RELIGION? WHEN YOU HEAR “RELIGION”, WHAT WORDS COME TO MIND?

THERE IS A GOOD RELIGION “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

THERE IS A BAD RELIGION When we define religion as man’s attempt to get back to God - it is a bad thing. We don’t have the power to get to God. We need God to come down to us and save us. Religion tries to be holier than Jesus.

There is a bad religion “Man-made religion in its various forms seeks to have human works entirely or at least partially involved in salvation. In Buddhism, ceasing desire saves you. In Confucianism, education, self-reflection, self cultivation, and living a moral life save you. In Hinduism, detaching from your separated ego and making an effort to live in unity with the divine save you. In Islam, living a life of good deeds saves you. In Orthodox Judaism, repentance, prayer, and working hard to obey the Law save you. In New Ageism, gaining a new perspective, through which you see how you’re connected to all things as a divine oneness, saves you. In Taoism, aligning yourself with the Tao to have peace and harmony saves you. What nearly all religions and spiritualities hold in common is the theme that, if there is a savior, it’s the person we see in the mirror every morning.” - Mark Driscoll

Galatians Paul is writing to the believers in Galatia Galatia is modern day Turkey Galatians 1 - They were already turning from the gospel to a different one Galatians 2 - Paul explains the true gospel

Galatians 2:15-21 [15] We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; [16] yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 2:15-21 [17] But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! [18] For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. [19] For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.

Galatians 2:15-21 [20] I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [21] I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

THERE IS A BAD RELIGION If you obey, God will love you The world is about good and bad people My acceptance is through what I do Because God loves you, you can now obey The world is about people who have repented or not repented My acceptance is through what Jesus has done RELIGION SAYSGOSPEL SAYS

THERE IS A BAD RELIGION Religion is about me My identity and self - worth are vased mainly on how hard I work, or how moral I am-and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral. The Gospel is about Jesus My identity and self-worth are centered on the one who died for me. I am saved by sheer grace, so I can’t look down on those who believe or practice something different from me. Only by grace I am what I am. RELIGION SAYSGOSPEL SAYS

THERE IS A BAD RELIGION Religion is about getting from God. Gospel is about getting God.

RELIGION LEADS TO TWO ROADS Religion leads you to PRIDE or leads you to DESPAIR

GOSPEL LEADS YOU DOWN TWO ROADS When we understand the gospel, we are not prideful or in despair We have confidence and humility