Religious Ritual Detracts

Religious ritual detracts from the worship of God, it diverts our attention from Christ and His Holy Spirit that lives in us, to self that we might "feel good" about what we do rather than glory in what He did!

Mark 7:5-8
"5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”
6 He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men —the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."

If we feel a need to "do" something for the Lord, we are probably indulging in ritual. If we are born again the Lord speak to us through the Holy Spirit and His Word, there is no need for external ritual to feel close to God. No one can be closer to us than to live in our bodies while possessing all knowledge in His very essence.

John 14:26
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."

Galatians 5:22-23
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Notice that the "fruit of the Spirit" has more to do with attitudes and character qualities than it does with actions. If we are in the Spirit we will have the fruits and they will lead to right actions. The Spiritual always comes first before the actions. If we try to place the actions before the fruit, then we are fleshly and cannot be pleasing to God.

It is actually possible to do wonderful things for God, that make sense to us, but if He never told us to do them, then we are self willed. Our response to God ought to be "Lord what do you want?"

1 Corinthians 6:19
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,"

When we realize that we no longer belong to ourselves but are under the power of the Holy Spirit, we can have great joy about that while anticipating the next thing the Holy Spirit will teach us and the next road He will take us down.

Those who are doing their Christianity in the flesh, thinking they are doing God a favor, are fleshly and missing the amazing blessings Christ has for us as He works in us.

Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

John 1612-16
"“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you."

Isaiah 11:2
"And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord."

When we begin seeking God's Will through His Word and prayer that the Holy Spirit will work in us, then we will have the freedom from self will that God promised. God will not override our will, but He delights in those who want to know His.

Romans 8:9
"You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him."

We are either born again by the Holy Spirit or we are not. If you are not sure where you stand with God, ask Him, let Him reveal to you your status, are you born again or are you without Him and attempting to attain heaven by your works or will power?

Ephesians 2:8-9
"8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast."