Anonymous asked: I'm the one that keeps asking about how people hate religion but love the Lord. What did you mean when you said, "They don’t understand that apart from Jesus Christ no man comes to the Father." I'm still extremely confused, but still trying to understand. So, you do not call yourselves Christians? If you have a name for how you worship, what would that be? Most importantly, i'm not really seeing the difference between being Christian and following Jesus. :/ Help?

First I’d like to discuss the term “Christian”. Christian is not necessarily a God-ordained term; it is a man given term. Acts 11:26 says it was at Antioch that people began to call the spiritual descendants of Christ “Christians”. Biblically, however, those who have entered into a covenantal relationship with God through Christ are all of on of two origins: Jewish or Gentile. We learn in Galatians 3 that our earthly identity is of nothing, that it is regardless of being Jew or Greek, male or female, bondservant or free, but that we are all one in Christ and of Abraham’s seed and thus part of a covenant apart from religious and social/racial background and achievement. More importantly, the term Christian has become a term today used by many who do not know Christ. They have a mental understanding that God exists, and even that Jesus died for them, but they have not confessed their sin, and received Christ’s atonement for sin, which is the only way to salvation; which is the answer to your first question which I’ll expound upon later. These people confess Christianity but have not received the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Christianity has become a nation or people in that people think they’re in a relationship with God through Crist because they’ve been a Christian their “entire life”, which is utterly false. This problem is especially prominent in the Bible-Belt in the United States where if you believe God exists, your grandma is an inactive member of the First Church of the Morgue, you vote conservative/Republican, and eat steak and potatoes then that means you’re a Christian and you’re going to heaven. Again, this is false.

Now to the first topic. Jesus says in John 14:6 that he is the way, the truth, and the life and that no one can come to the Father except through him. Jesus is the only way. We do not come to salvation by race or by religious achievement, we come by the atonement of Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 puts it this way: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,not of works, lest anyone should boast. That faith is faith in the finished work on the cross,the sufficient sacrifice of Christ, that he is the propitiation of our sins. 

Again, the purpose of that video is to point out there is a difference between this false Christianity that is so prevalent and the true gospel. All over the place people think they are justified by what they wear, what they do, how much they pray, etc. They follow a list of rules, specifically the rules of the old covenant, of dos and don’ts, in an attempt to achieve the grace and favor of the Lord. Religion makes rules where Jesus made relationship. Following a list of rules, such as what I write about now, is not God’s plan for us. Jesus fulfilled the law, we no longer live according to a list of rules but walk in the Spirit. 

-Tyler

Anonymous asked: Soooooo, if you hate religion do you go to church? I'm having a hard time understanding, But, I am trying. Though I think I like religion. My church doesn't tell me what to do at all. I've never felt enslaved. And my biggest question is why do you hate religion? I know that people at places like Westboro Baptist are ridiculously insane, but is that the reason?

It depends on how you use the word religion. Many times within Christianity the term “religious” is used to describe a pharisaic mindset that is centered around trying to achieve God’s acceptance through natural means, through following a list of dos and don’ts, etc. Salvation isn’t about what we do but about what Christ did. We can not attain salvation by works but receive by faith. At salvation our spirit is renewed and the power of sin is broken; our “want-tos” and desires change.

Church isn’t something that can save anyone. I know people who have gone to church their whole life who do not have a relationship with the Lord. They’re in a mindset that if they do morally right things that makes them ok with God. They think that if they do the 10 commandments most of the time that they’re ok. They don’t understand that apart from Jesus Christ no man comes to the Father. 
This doesn’t mean church isn’t good. I’m an associate pastor at a church. Church is good. In fact, Hebrews 10:25 says not to forsake it. More than that though, Church isn’t somewhere you go; Church is every believer. We are the church. There is nothing special about the building where a local church, or body of believers, meets. God doesn’t live there, God lives in the believer. We gather as a body of believers, brothers and sisters in Christ, to build one another up and strengthen each other, to worship together, to love each other, etc.

-Tyler

Anonymous asked: Hey I'm talking to this girl about a religious mind set. And how GOD doesn't look for that but an intimate relationship with him and this started because of that video hate religion but love Jesus spoken words. And he says Jesus came to abolish religion and she got all fussy about it and she is asking me to show her in the bible where is says that being religious isn't too good . But I can't find anything help me out ? What do you think about The subject

It’s actually never been about religion. The old covenant was exactly that, a covenant between God and his people and they agreed to do what the law said. Everything points to Jesus. Jesus has filled the righteous requirement of the law and that is imputed to us through faith (Romans 8:4). We walk after the Spirit, not after the law.

Jesus didn’t come to abolish religion, he came to fulfill the law; it’s always been about Jesus, always. Jesus didn’t just come to save us from hell, Jesus came to restore us and bring us back to an intimate relationship with God. 

-Tyler

Anonymous asked: have you seen that "why i hate religion but love Jesus video"? do you agree with what he is saying? why or why not? i like it but it kind of left me confused!!!

I agree with it 100%. My community is filled with religion but very little Jesus. Recently a mom was telling me about how the mom of her daughter’s friend doesn’t like her due to how she colors her hair and says she’s a bad kid. I’ve known this girl for four years and she’s a good girl and loves God. It hurts her that her friend’s mom doesn’t like her.
I myself have been judged by religious people whose hearts are far from God. They look at my long hair and how I dress and write me off as Godless, little do they know I love God and am an associate pastor at a local church. I’ve come across churches that make you dress up in order to come and criticize people if they aren’t dressed right. In one church I saw a man who is poor and dresses in clothes given to him; on man told him he needed to quit dressing like that when he comes to church. How horrible!
That’s just a little of why I agree with the video.

-Tyler