“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.” Matthew 11:28-30
With a blank expression on your face you continue reading the requirements of owning this new car. The list is long and detailed and you are convinced there has been some sort of mistake. This isn’t at all what was presented to you when you were on the car lot. They said this was a free gift! They said this car did everything for you, it even drove itself. As you come to the end of the list you read the last paragraph in the section.
It says, “Next week we will give you another manual. It is filled with everything you will need to know about this car. There are many things written in this manual that may not make sense but we will explain it all to you. Many people own this manual and they all have their own idea of what it means but we are the only ones who know the true meaning so don’t listen to anyone else.”
In total disgust you throw the manual on the ground and run into the house and pick up the phone. You dial the number for the car lot and when they answer you say, “I don’t want this car anymore! You lied to me! You said this was a free gift and you told me that this car would do everything for me! Now I find out that it isn’t true and I have a list of requirements that I have to complete each day in order to keep the car! This is absurd! I don’t want the car this way! Either give me the car we agreed upon or come and get this one and never contact me again! Do you understand me? I want the original car with the original agreement or I don’t want it at all!”
This is a fictional story as you know but I wrote it as a way for you to understand exactly what has happened and is happening in churches around the world who introduce people to a relationship with Jesus Christ. At first they present a relationship with Jesus Christ as a free gift and they explain that He is able to change and transform a life. They tell people that believing in Him is the only way to receive eternal life and present heaven as the ultimate destination for all who believe. Then they tell people that He doesn’t care how messed up (dirty) their life is He is able to clean them up in an instant without them doing anything except entering into a relationship with Him.
They have enticing church services with amazing music, beautiful buildings, and the environment is very welcoming. The services are so dynamic that people want to be a part of it because they are so tired of their old life and they never dreamed or imagined that there was another life possible. They gladly sign a salvation card to receive this free gift called eternal life through Jesus Christ and they completely believe the words of the pastor when he/she says this gift is completely free!
Then within a short time after salvation they are introduced to the manual (church doctrine) and they are given another manual (the Bible) and told what they need to do to keep this free gift. They are told that many churches have their own manuals but that the only real manual is the one they are given. They are told that all other denominations are false and they are warned to steer clear of people who belong to any other denomination. They are also told that the Bible will be explained to them and they are taught what to believe and how to believe. The saddest thing that happens when they receive their manuals is when they are told that there is no guarantee that they will be able to keep the free gift of salvation.
What started out as Jesus Christ as the One who does everything for them at salvation becomes a doctrine that teaches them they are now the one who has to do everything to keep salvation. Christ’s power to save is stripped away and man’s traditions become the doctrine of salvation. I leave you today with Jesus’ words to the Scribes and Pharisees so you can understand exactly what I am sharing with you. People are tired of the traditions! They want the Jesus they met when they got saved back and it is time we give them what they want!
“Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Mathew 15:1-5
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