Religion: From man or God?

"Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey.” Exodus 24:7

Religion is often said to be man-made. It has been described as "man's best effort to reach up to God." Now, I agree with this definition. However, I do not agree, or should I say I no longer agree, that religion is man-made. Exodus 20:1, starts out by saying, "And God spoke all these words.." The Lord then proceeds to deliver the Ten Commandments to Moses. The Ten Commandments have gone on to become the foundation of nearly every Christian religion, not just the religion of Judaism. In fact, one Christian author said this regarding the Ten Commandments: "Take them to heart and learn them so that they are implanted in the mind and available for guidance." They have also become the building blocks of much of civilized society, including the United States of America. Noah Webster, who helped author the U.S. Constitution, wrote, "The duties of men are summarily compromised in the Ten Commandments, consisting of two tables; one comprehending the duties which we owe immediately to God-the other, the duties we owe to our fellow men." Therefore, the long-reaching affect of the Ten Commandments has spanned thousands of years touching every walk of life from the spiritual to the political realm. And it all started when God spoke.

However, while we see that God was the one who gave the foundation for what we call religion, and not man, His main purpose for giving it was not for men to have a religious lifestyle or for it to be the building blocks of society. As one pastor said, "The Law was God's contribution to man's best effort to be like Him." In other words, the reason God gave the Ten Commandments, and the rest of the Law, was in response to the Fall of Man. God, through His Commandments, is basically telling mankind, "If you want to be like Me, here is what you must do." Why do I say such a thing? When Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan in the Garden of Eden, Satan said to Eve, "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5).” What is Law if not God telling us what He sees as good and evil? Since mankind decided not to believe God and listen to the lie of Satan, God has listed His requirements for what it will take to be like Him. Unfortunately, still deceived by Satan, mankind has taken God's Commandments and tried to be like Him through endless attempts at obedience to them rather than realize that we can never live up to His Commandments. There is no greater example of this then the words of Jesus Christ.

In the midst of giving His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told His audience what they must do. "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48)." If you want be like God through obedience to the Ten Commandments or religious law, you must be as perfect as God! This means that from the day you are born until the day you die you must follow His Commandments perfectly. You must never have any other gods before Him. Good luck defining "gods." Never have a carved image. So much for wearing religious jewelry of any kind. Never take God's name in vain. That means if you say He is your God and commit to living under His commandments, you must obey them perfectly. Keep the Sabbath Day holy. From three stars visible on Friday night to three stars visible on Saturday night, you cannot do anything at all. Complete rest and inactivity. How are you doing on that? Honor your father and mother. Have you always been honest, fair and showed a high level of integrity with your parents in every situation? Be honest. Do not murder. Now, you may not have murdered anybody, but Jesus, God in the flesh, equated anger with murder (Matthew 5:22). Have you ever been angry with someone? Do not commit adultery. Again, you may never have committed adultery, but Jesus said that looking at a woman with lust in your heart is the same thing (Matthew 5:28). I guess there are no men in heaven. Do not steal. How many of us as children just grabbed things that were not ours? Do not bear false witness against your neighbor. Have you ever lied? Do not covet. Have you ever wanted something that was not yours? If you obeyed all of these perfectly, then you can turn your attention to the other 603 Commandments God gave the Jewish Nation. Yes, there are more than just the first ten.


After Jesus had given yet one more example of how impossible it is to get into Heaven based on our own efforts, the disciples asked each other, "Who then can be saved (Mark 10:26)?” That is the whole point of God giving the Ten Commandments and the entirety of His Law. It was not given to be the foundation of religion, but to show us our need for His grace and mercy. The apostle Paul magnifies this point in his letter to the Galatians. In Galatians 3:19, Paul asks, "What, then, was the purpose of the law?" A few verses later he gives us the answer. "So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24)." God gave His Law to show us that we could not be like Him no matter how hard we tried. It was to show us that the only way to enter His Kingdom was by faith alone in Jesus Christ. God is the only one that can be obedient to His Law. The Law demands obedience or death. Jesus took both options for us. He lived in perfect obedience to the Law because we could not and then He died the death we deserved for our disobedience. "Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law (Galatians 3:25)."If you have come to faith in Jesus Christ, the Ten Commandments, the entire Law of God, and the religion that comes from it, have no place in your life. Now you live by faith in the indwelling Holy Spirit of God to guide you and lead you from within as you respond to the love of God that meets the desires of your heart.