Paul rebuked religion in a nutshell: “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!' (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)-in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of the wisdom of self-made (or would be) religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence" (Collisions 2:22-23).
In the Book of Galatians Paul goes into more detail while denouncing religion in favor of spiritually:
“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?..." So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?... Just as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham (Galatians 3:1-7).
Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “THE righteous MAN SHALL live by faith.” (Gal 3:11)… For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love” (Galatians 5:5-6).
And he goes on to explain: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law” (Gal 5:16-18).
In Galatia, false prophets were attempting to put the church back under Mosaic Law by requiring circumcision and adherence to other laws of righteousness. Paul had to remind the members of the church at Galatia, sternly, not to give up the freedom in Christ given them, by returning to the old Judaic law of physical circumcision and following religious rites. Paul’s epistles indicate a constant struggle against those would abrogate Christ’s New Covenant in favor of an outdated law of do’s and don’ts.
It is in Romans Chapters 7 & 8 that Paul teaches us how to walk in the Spirit. The flesh nature he refers to is the natural man exhibiting a nature inherited from Adam and Eve after their fall from the Garden. In Chapter 7, Paul himself recognizes the struggle within himself between the two natures: flesh v. Spirit. “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me” (Romans 7:18-20). Finally in desperation of his dilemma he exclaims: “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (v. 24). This is the conflict. Religion based on attempted obedience to the Law by the flesh can never be accomplished in the natural world. That is why God sent Christ, to do it for us.
Paul answers his own question: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin (v. 25).
In Romans 8 he shows us how to do it. Man who tries to be righteous by following the law, hoping that to whatever degree he is able to do the commandments that God will count that as righteousness. Some religious men feel that if they do their best to live a righteous life that God will make up the difference. That is not how God works—He makes no allowance whatsoever for the flesh of man. He is intent on destroying it completely. It the basis of religion to attempt to work yourself up to God’s standards, hoping He will be pleased with the effort. That is the basis of religion. God will never be pleased by anything you do unless you accept the fact that He has already become righteousness for you and accept it. A spiritual man realizes he/she can never follow the law in himself, so he knows he must turn to Christ who did follow the law and fulfilled it for him. He reaches to God and accepts the gift of grace.
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:2-4).
Even the human mind, with its great intellect and understanding of all things worldly, can never know God in the Spirit. Religion is a mental ascent to the truth. Paul says: “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom 8:6-8). The answer is to know God in the spirit by connecting to Him with our own spirits and letting Him put within us His nature. Working to please God is simply a manifestation of the striving of the human flesh to gain His favor. God not only does not accept these feeble attempts to please Him, He despises them as “filthy rags”. (Isaiah 64:6).
A word about our spirits. Man is a triune nature (spirit, soul and body) like God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). God himself is a spirit. “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). The only way we have to connect with God is through our spirits. For most of us we are not aware on a daily basis that we have a spirit. This is because our spirits are buried beneath our souls and bodies. The spirit is to have predominance over all we do but in this world it largely does not. Our spirits have to be awakened through salvation and walking on with God. It is not something you automatically obtain when you “die and go to heaven”. It is real and it is here and now.
Paul goes on to explain why it is important to have this walk in the spirit, instead of living our lives religiously. “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (v.12-14). Religion would have you live in the world of regulations-don’t eat, don’t smoke, don’t touch, do this and do that. These are all dead works and if that is all Christ is to you will die never having received His free gift of life he has offered. However, those who are in constant contact with the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God. We like to think that we are all children of God. But it only those who are led by Him that are the real Sons/Daughters of God.
Jesus made it very clear that not everyone who approaches or does works in His name will enter into His Kingdom. “ Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’ (Matthew 7:21-23; Psalm 6:8). The Lord will say “I never knew you”. The only way to know God is by the spirit, your spirit in contact with His. It’s not works; it’s not miracles; it’s not going to church every Sunday and giving in the offering; it’s having a personal relationship with Him through the Spirit. Once you have that you will automatically do the other things. Religion is death; the Spirit is life.
Many very religious people will never know the Lord. Many intelligent scholars who have studied the Bible will never know Him. The Pharisees, those who even memorized long passages of scriptures, and presided over religious ceremonies week after week didn’t know the Messiah