Resisting Religious Pressure

Paul was emphatic that believers resist religious pressure to relate to God through the law of Moses or by a religious/discipleship system rather than through the grace of Jesus.

Let's read what Paul wrote to these pressurized believers.

Galatians 5:1

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Colossians 2:8

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

Colossians 2:16

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

The pressure these believers were under was placed upon them by spiritual leaders.

The pressure was to walk away from grace...

...to walk away from the cross and seek to be in right relationship with God through adherence to the law or to the requirements of a religious or discipleship system.

Paul encouraged the believers to not give in to the pressure of religious leaders.

Paul encouraged the believers to not give power to these leaders.

He exhorted them to say "no" to these leaders who were seeking to lead them to a work-based or observance-based means of gaining God's acceptance.

The acceptance of God is through Jesus alone.

It is through the cross alone.

It is through grace alone.

If pressure is being placed on you to gain God's acceptance by adhering to a work-based, discipleship-based, or religious-based system, you are free to say no.

Do not let anyone lead you away from the grace of Jesus.

If there is anything we can do to gain God's acceptance, then Christ died in vain.

Paul stated it this way to Peter in Galatians 2:21,

"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness (innocence before God and acceptance by God) could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

The reason Peter set aside the grace of God was because he was pressured by the men sent from James.

I will examine this in the next blog.