You are concerned with “ Religion”—- Religion says “DO”.....
Strangely enough...God also says to “DO”. Religion is merely a mode of worship. It can dictate to people about what to believe and what what to do in order for their worship to be acceptable to God. It’s up to the individuals to make up their own minds about how to serve God as disciples of his son.
The scriptures tell us how God wanted to be worshipped...and so did Jesus.
Nowhere is this demonstrated more strongly that with ancient Israel. Jesus was Jewish and followed that way of worship as the Hebrew Scriptures prescribed......what does that tell us about God?
He is a God of order and he chose one nation to serve him exclusively and to produce his Messiah.....the only way to become part of God’s nation if one was not born “Jewish”, was to join themselves to his people and to adopt the mode of worship that he prescribed. These “converts” (called proselytes) were not free to formulate their own mode of worship, but had to leave all former religious beliefs behind and to worship Yahweh exclusively as Jews did according to their scriptures.
Are Christians to do any less?
I am concerned with “ Christianity” —-Christianity says “ DONE”
Since when is that true? When are we “done” if Jesus said that we must “endure to the end” in order to be “saved”. (Matthew 24:13; Matthew 10:22; Philippians 2:12) What are we enduring?
Jesus was the One that defined “ The Will Of The Father”.....He could have said what YOU wanted Him to say, but He didn’t——Your argument is with Him—— not me....
Nice dodge....but what is the will of the Father....? This is an important question because Jesus rejects those who fail to do the will of the Father.....so please tell us what you believe it is? (Matthew 7:21-23)
You want to obey EVERYTHING He taught? OK.....sell everything you own and give it to the poor....If you have two cars and I ask for one of them, give me both of them.....If I slap you, do nothing but offer me the other cheek....if you look at something that is sinful, pluck out your eye.....I could go on....
OK, so you are going to extremes here, but according to the apostle Paul, the goal was to achieve an “equality” so that all had enough to live without poverty robbing some of their means to even survive.
2 Corinthians 8:12-15...
“For if the willingness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For this is not for the relief of others and for your hardship, but by way of equality— is at this present time your abundance will serve as assistance for their need, so that their abundance also may serve as assistance for your need, so that there may be equality; as it is written: “ The one who had gathered much did not have too much, and the one who had gathered little did not have too little.” (NASB)
Jesus never asked for extremes. But what about our obedience in the things that are not extreme?
When it comes to morality, are we following through on Christ’s teachings about marriage and divorce?
Are we supporting the bloodshed of war and engaging in your nation’s political activities? (Matthew 5:43-44; John 17:16; 18:36)
Are we celebrating pagan holidays as if God doesn’t mind that we are mixing true worship with false worship? (2 Corinthians 8:14-18)
If you aren’t able to these things that Jesus commanded ( in a nutshell, you are to be “PERFECT” ),there is a “ Loop- Hole”.......It’s called “ GRACE” ......you can obtain that Grace by simply Believing the Gospel .....you can find that in 1Cor15:1-4......Do that and God will put His Spirit in you and you will “ find yourself” doing the things that please God ....
Many of those things may not be what you expected them to be.....
You really think there are “loopholes” in anything Christ taught? “Grace” is not a license to sin. Those who think so are going to be horribly disappointed IMO.
What does 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 say....?
“Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, by which you also are saved, if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures”. (NASB)
So, it’s vital to
remain in obedience to Christ’s teachings otherwise we have “believed in vain”.
I do not see your arguments as scripturally supported....