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Hey! Thank you for the message; although I am not Christian, I was raised in a Muslim family. I do agree with you though and I want to add: God itself may be real but the sermons, the culture, the norms, the things we do in said religion are man made —as you said— and because it is man made it is by default imperfect. Anything a man touches or creates will follow with a series of good consequences but a long list of bad ones. For every step we take toward we take one back—maybe that is why we can never truly follow gods words as you say. As of now I am not religious, in a sense that I don’t follow the “norms” culture sets. I think you encapsulate my emotions on god clearly though. I believe in god as its own entity separate from the constraints of religion. I want to study religion for the sake of understanding where they went wrong, where at one point did gods message go unheard, twisted, and corrupt. Have a great day!
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I also teach those who follow me to read and compare the Buddhist scriptures, the Quran, and many other religious texts and writings. I have always said that only by comparing them with what I teach can you establish the standard by which to discern what is truly the genuine truth. Through darkness and light, you learn discernment; through good and sin, you come to know the value of good; through Satan, you come to know God; and through falsehood, you come to know the value of truth. Such discernment itself becomes the foundation for learning truth. The doctrines and ideologies of religions that simply say, “Believe only what I teach,” inevitably fall into imbalance, unable to teach the reality of truth, light, divine ideals, values, providence, and discernment. Yet the corruption, depravity, and wickedness of religions today—whose limits are confined to lies, darkness, sin, and Satan—have decayed beyond imagination, so that the stench of their rotting evil deeds fills the whole world. Anyone who is not a slave to religion must seriously perceive just how deeply religions are filled with lies, wickedness, and falsehoods. Such is the grim reality of our time.
Truth is not, as religion teaches, something to be learned, acquired, studied, felt, and gained through human reason and intellect as though it were common sense. Truth is the wisdom of God. In other words, it is not human learning, academic study, or intellectual pursuit that can be gained by human reason, understanding, or wisdom. Divine truth is obtained by the way of God. It is not the human-centered religious truth built on human intellect, reason, and emotion, where teachings and inspiration are shaped and felt in the mind of man. The personal teachings, inspirations, and realizations that people create as they please according to their own thoughts are nothing more than human teachings and human inspiration.
The teachings and inspirations of today’s religions are but flattering lessons that exalt man’s own satisfaction, inflate delusions of success, and pretend that there exists overflowing love and happiness that could be realized at any moment. These are sweetened worldly hopes, like leaven that puffs up illusions, dressed and packaged as though they were the truth of God, the wisdom of God, and the inspiration of God.
Truth is not the human values of knowledge, theory, scholarship, or emotion—that is the limit of man. Truth is the realm of God, the ideals of God, the providence of God, and the wisdom of God that surpasses the limits of man. It is not human teaching or inspiration learned, acquired, and realized by human reason and intellect. Today, all religions, instead of teaching the truth of God, the power of God, and the ideals of God, exalt their own claims, standards, and judgments under the name of God, deifying them, and then teaching their own thoughts and judgments as if they were the truth and wisdom of God. For this reason, no matter how much one sees, hears, or realizes, one cannot escape from the evil habits of endlessly repeating sin.
From the beginning of creation until today, no religion has ever truly begun and spread in purity. Religion has always been created and propagated by kingship and rulers seeking to hold power. Every religion has been the same: made and spread by royal families or authorities—Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Catholicism alike share this common feature. They were not created and spread out of pure love, mercy, peace, or pure reverence and worship for God.
Rather, religion has always been used under the guise of God and truth as a means of exploiting its special power to demand absolute obedience and absolute authority. From the beginning of humanity, kings and rulers established religion as a means to absolutize their power, surpassing the limits of military rule. This is the root of all religions today. Under the pretense of worship and ritual, they have used tithes and offerings—intended to feed the poor and needy sheep and to spread the beautiful love of God in serving, caring, and sharing with one another—as stolen goods to fill their own power and greed. In other words, the worship and rituals of all present-day religions were created to covet the property and wealth of the believers. Thus the Scriptures say that God desires not sacrifice, but love, mercy, and compassion.
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.(Malachi 3 : 8)
Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.(Jeremiah 7 : 4~11)
Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.(Romans 2 : 17~24)
There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.(Ezekiel 22 : 25~26)
Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.(Isaiah 10 : 1~4)
For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?(Jeremiah 5 : 26~31)
And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.(Matthew 21 : 13)(Mark 11 : 17)(Luke 19 : 46)
Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?(Matthew 23 : 16~19)
I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.(Zecharizh 5 : 4)
The tithe and offerings were originally established so that nine-tenths of the tithe would be given to feed, provide for, and care for the poor and needy sheep—the orphans, the strangers, and the widows—showing an example and model of serving, cherishing, and helping one another. Yet in order to steal these tithes and offerings, they have cast aside practice and action, and instead justified themselves under the pretense of lifelong teaching with words only, spreading verbal instruction, emotional persuasion, and sermons as though they were truth. Because from the very beginning such worship was devised for theft, no matter how sacred one regards that worship, the true God can never work in it. It is only the false god, the god of greed, and the god of materialism who can operate there. This is a human-centered, humanistic ideology in which man is deified, and human thoughts, judgments, and standards are taught as if they were truth and as if they were the truth of God.
All scriptures outside of the Bible are false. The falseness of the Quran, in particular, is revealed in its clear distinction from the Bible. The Bible explains in great detail the principle that all shepherds, without exception, belong to the world and the flesh, which are the origin of sin, and therefore cannot help but continue in sin, evil, and falsehood, making them false shepherds. The Quran, on the other hand, like the Buddhist scriptures, deifies all its prophets and commands absolute obedience to them. Yet every human being, following the nature of the evil flesh, inevitably repeats sin, whether he be a shepherd, a prophet, or a messenger—no one is free from repeated sin. It is only in following the Word of God, according to God’s law, by renouncing the life of the world and the flesh—which are the origin of sin and which continually arouse human lust and desire—and by denying oneself, choosing the hope of Christ that aims at the love of Christ through sacrifice, toil, and suffering, that one can receive the love of God poured out and, by the power of God, be delivered from sinful habits and set free from sin. The process of rebirth and transformation is clearly revealed in the Scriptures.
By contrast, the doctrines and sermons of religions, which only teach reliance upon oneself, merely stir up one’s own will, conviction, pride, and resolve, but they can never lead one to be freed from the sins that arise from man’s repeated evil habits. They only reveal the limitation of man, who cannot escape from sin.
The Bible that mankind now sees is not the true Bible that came down to this earth from the heavenly throne. From Judaism in the past down to the Roman Church, countless verses from Genesis 1 to Revelation were deleted and altered by religious men who sought power and practiced theft. Those who once corrupted and removed passages from God’s book, the Bible, are the very ones who have been born again in this age, teaching in the same way and by the same methods. And the following words are the very prophecies spoken by Christ foretelling that they would be born again into this world.
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.(Revelation 1 : 7)
Those who opposed Christ and became His enemies in the past are still today seated as leaders within religion, teaching their own interpretations and explanations as though they were truth, exalting themselves and reigning over others. For them, the Word of Scripture is nothing more than a tool to rationalize and deify themselves. The Word of Scripture is the divine scripture of God. I have also read the Quran, but it is clear that this Quran, the scripture of Islam, is merely a text created by imitating the Bible. The figures who appear in the Bible are all included in the Quran.
The background of the Quran’s creation traces back to around 460 A.D. In other words, having seen the theology corrupted and altered by the Roman Church being spread, Muhammad in the Arab world likewise created the Quran. Thus, all religions on this earth, while excluding the very God they claim to represent, have instead absolutized themselves—their leaders who teach, rule, and exalt themselves. How can the ideology, standards, and self-centeredness that deify and absolutize man ever become God’s divine scripture, or hold God’s center, or carry God’s ideals? It is absolutely impossible.
The reason that experiencing many things in life inevitably gives the greatest meaning and value to you is because such experiences keep you from being swayed into religion and becoming a slave of religion. The leaders of all religions are exalted and deified, and thus today all people have become slaves to these supposedly holy religious leaders. Some even become slaves to extreme religions, going so far as to give their very lives, and in doing so, do not hesitate to commit evil acts at the command of their leaders. This is the grave problem of all religions today. Religion itself was not made by God but by man, and therefore within religion there can never be the power of God, the evidence of God, nor the fruit of God.
The Scripture records that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you could move mountains. Yet in these two thousand years, not a single person has ever manifested even the power or evidence of faith as small as a mustard seed. No one questions this in comparison with the Word, because they have become slaves to religion, slaves to the teachings, inspirations, and sermons of men. The greatest reason believers have ended up this way is because they do not center themselves on the Word of Scripture, the divine text of God, but only follow the sermons and teachings of pastors or religious leaders. They simply create an imaginary god according to their own tastes, thoughts, assertions, and desires, believing unconditionally that this god will solve their problems, help them, fulfill their hopes, ideals, and plans, fill their emptiness and lack, comfort them in the struggles of life, and protect, guide, and soothe them with peace, gentleness, and warmth. As a result, every teacher and every learner ends up with their own views, centers, and standards. This is the form of faith that all people hold and the form that all religions teach.
The wisdom of God is not something that can be learned, acquired, or realized by human reason or intellect. It is never something attainable by human intellect. It is the realm of God, the ideals of God. This truth and ideal of God is when the love of God—the Creator, who is the source of love—is poured into our hearts. Within that love arises the wisdom of God, and the power of that wisdom puts to death our evil habits that continually repeat sin. Following that wisdom, the power is experienced in life as living wisdom. This is the truth of God and the wisdom of God.
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.(Romans 5 : 5~10)
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.(2 Peter 1 : 20~21)
Man cannot even perceive this, nor can it be understood or grasped within the bounds of human reason and limitation, for it can be known only by those who have received the wisdom of God.
“But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.(1 Corinthians 2 : 10~11)” The Spirit of God who comprehends all things cannot be known within the limits of a man clothed in flesh.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.(1 Corinthians 2 : 13~14)
Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counseller hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?(Isaiah 40 : 13~14)
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.(1 John 2 : 27)
But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.(1 John 2 : 20)
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.(James 3 : 17~18)
All of the above declares that the wisdom of God, which comes by the Spirit of truth, is not of the level or ideal of mankind that is learned and acquired through human knowledge, intellect, and reason. In other words, man learns and gains knowledge through the wisdom that arises from his head and intellect, but all who belong to heaven and who have received the Spirit of truth—the Holy Spirit—are given a wisdom that comprehends all things of God, poured into the heart, and it is a wisdom that flows out from the heart. It is not the human wisdom that appears through the head and intellect of man. This is why Christ said, “The wisdom I give you is not as the wisdom of the world.”
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.(John 14 : 26~27)
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:(1 Corinthians 2 : 5~7)
As is clearly shown in the words above, for those today who neither read the Bible carefully nor understand it, but simply believe according to their own thoughts and assertions, the Bible is of no use at all. All religious people fail even to perceive this truth. Why? Because it is the limitation of man. To try to know the divine world, or to act as though one knows it, by the limits of man is itself a contradiction and a lie. Because man can never know the limits of God, God sends prophets to this earth who carry His power, His wisdom, and His love.
Those who serve God together with the world and material things inevitably, without realizing it, pursue corruption, heresies, and falsehoods. This is because they cannot escape the desires and lusts of the flesh, which belong to the world and inevitably lead to repeated sin. Likewise, it is through the selfish greed of those who follow lust and desire that countless religions have been created, deified, and absolutized, and within them have been carried out many evil deeds, falsehoods, and lawlessness.
For those who do not abandon all their ideals, values, and goals, and do not set as their aim the hope of Christ—who laid down even His own life and gave Himself in sacrifice to reveal His love—there can be no life of a true Christian, no example of a true Christian, and no fruit of a treu Christian. No matter how much they repent or reflect, they can never be born again. Today, though Christians claim to believe in God, they do not live the life of a true Christian who offers all to pursue the love of Christ with the hope of Christ as their goal. Therefore, no matter how much they confess or reflect, they do not attain true repentance. In other words, they all believe in God only to fulfill their own desires and happiness, not to pursue God’s will in love and sacrifice. That is why Christians are not truly Christ-followers. Do not become a religious person enslaved to words and theories; become a true Christian who follows the love of Christ.
Read the Bible. The Bible is the one and only divine scripture on this earth, and it is your very life. It is true that the Bible we now see is not the perfectly complete Bible, for false men who used religion have, over centuries, deleted and altered many passages. Yet, even though countless verses have been deleted and corrupted, it is not a great problem, because the framework that remains is still sufficient to teach and reveal.
If you desire to obtain the ideals, providence, and wisdom of God, the Bible must be your foundation. You may read the Old Testament later, but be sure to read the New Testament. The New Testament will be easier for you to read than the Old. Do read it. Only then will you be able to know whether what I say is true or false, when measured against the Scriptures. The Bible is the standard of discernment that separates truth from falsehood, and light from darkness. That is why I urge you to read it.
Even I, who have taught for decades, have told my own children that if I ever depart from the standard of the Bible, you must surely leave me. Without centering and grounding oneself on the Bible, no one can stand in truth or stand in the light. That is why I tell you: read the Bible. Within the Bible is your life, your salvation, and the way you must live. This is Korea. If there is an opportunity, I would very much like to meet you.
One thought on “Re : Why read the Bible”
Through the Word of God, I realize how I should live and desire to make it the standard of my life, living according to His Word. Yet I also come to understand so deeply how difficult that is and how it cannot be done by my own strength or will. I earnestly pray that this precious Word will become the way for everyone to find God.