"Church Growth" - freedom from religion by Dean Gotcher

"Church Growth" - freedom from religion

Dean Gotcher

Liberty from tyranny is established upon man's quest for "freedom of religion," i.e. establishing liberty upon the authority of God's Word above the opinions of men (correlated secularly with "freedom of the conscience," i.e. establishing liberty upon authority, under God, above the opinions of men, i.e. above the impulses, urges, thoughts, and actions of men). While "religion" itself is men's opinion of the Word of God, the "top-down" system of religion, subject to the Word of God, if property read and understood, brings us to the Lord Jesus Christ as the only true authority over our lives, above all men's opinions. It is not "freedom from authority," it is freedom from the tyranny of men's opinions which use the position of authority over and against the the Word of God and the conscience of man. Abomination, i.e. tyranny of the flesh, is established upon man's 'quest' for "freedom from religion," i.e. establishing "liberty" upon the tyranny of men's opinions, his impulses, urges, thoughts and actions over and against the authority of God's Word. It is where we find ourselves today, with men's opinions, how we "feel" and what we "think" being esteemed above the Word of God, with the Lord God and the Lord Jesus Christ being made subject to our "human nature," i.e. interpreted according to our carnal desires.

It is not that the Word of God (head knowledge of it) can save us (in that case it would only be "religion"). It is that it points us to (describes and brings into our lives, via the work of the Holy Spirit confirming the Word of God) the only one who can save us, Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God, i.e. 'redeeming' us from damnation, i.e. from eternal death, 'reconciling' us to His Heavenly Father, that we might abide in Him throughout eternity, with His righteousness imputed to us through faith in Him, thinking and acting according to His will.

Make sure you are studying and growing in the knowledge of the Word of God and not the opinions of men. Anyone coming between you and the Lord, establishing you upon the opinions of men, has not been sent by Him.

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." 2 Peter 1:1, 2

"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." Matthew 23:13

To 'change' God's Word, to make it more palatable to "human nature," is to rob a soul of eternal life.

"Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein." Jeremiah 6:16

"No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Luke 16:13

"If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." (Revelation 14:9-12)

"The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day." Isaiah 2:11