TEACH *** – Page 3 – Religion Detox Network …

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO TEACH
Christians may think that they are followers of Jesus because one or more of the following statements about them are true:

They publicly identify themselves as “Christian” or Jew.
They were born and raised in a Jewish or Christian home and practice religious laws associated with their denomination.
Christians show their love for Jesus and others by following his teachings about morality. Jews show their love for God by obeying the Laws of Moses
Christians try to think and act like Jesus.
Christians worship Jesus, pray to him, and acknowledge him as their Lord and Savior.
Christians were baptized in his name as an adult or infant. Jewish men are circumcised. Jewish women take a ritual bath called a Mikveh.
Christians participate in a tradition called the Lord’s Supper or Eucharist.
Christians try to go to church more or less regularly. Same for Jews and synagogue.
Christians prayed the sinner’s prayer in which they said they trust him for their eternal salvation.
Jews and Christians try to avoid taking the names of God and Jesus in vain and look down on people who do.
Jews and Christians financially support organizations (e.g. churches, missions, ministries, etc.) whose doctrines and activities agree with their own doctrines.

This all sounds very good and reasonable to religious people. The problem is that God does not see following the same way that people see it. Here is how God sees the above statements:

They all involve a visible, fleshly activity (i.e. religious work) of some kind.
They all are evidence of religion — not faith.
They deny the truth that God only looks at the heart and not at the external man.
They ignore Jesus’ spiritual qualities and God character.
They do not include Jesus’ ministry functions.
They do not include Jesus perspective and activities regarding spiritual battle with God’s enemy (i.e. religion).

Jesus understood that religion is God’s enemy and that religion unjustly enslaved and persecuted God’s people.
Jesus was faithful to obey God’s commands to utterly destroy religious nations and tear down idols and high places, so that captives to religion can be set free from religion.
Jesus angered the religious leaders of his day by preaching that people should quit practicing religion.
Jesus confronted religious leaders because they were false prophets who deceived people about God.
Jesus opened the eyes of Old/First Covenant religious Jews to the fact that they were in bondage to religion.
Jesus healed people from their bondage to religion.
Jesus died because Old/First Covenant religious people (especially religious leaders) resented that he broke their religious laws and feared his attempts to destroy their religious kingdoms by setting people free from their religion.
Jesus models for New Covenant disciples how they should carry on the challenge to utterly destroy religious nations and tear down idols and high places, so that captives to religion can be set free from religion.

Followers of Jesus can do and should do everything that Jesus did — including die for others.

COMMENTARY: Followers of Jesus are not expected to physically die when fulfilling Jesus’ ministry functions. See Death, Resurrection and New Life and Two Deaths for more about death

People who do not do the same things that Jesus did, are not true New Covenant disciples and they are not true followers. True followers are, in effect, true prophets, holy angels, messiahs and Trees of Life.

STUDY TIP: See Checklist for True Prophets for more understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Also see How to Identify False Prophets.

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