viewoutsidethepew

Just because God tolerates something does not mean it fits with the Divine Will, nor that Creator approves.

For instance:
I. Nothing in Scripture approves of, or calls for, buildings to be erected for God. Instead the Bible is fairly clear that this goes against the will of God.
1. There was to be only one physical Temple (Deuteronomy 12, especially verses 13-14).
2. When Peter wanted to erect memorials to the event on the mount of transfiguration the Bible notes he didn’t know what he was saying, and no such memorials were ever built (Luke 9:33 – see the whole story in Mark 9:2-13=Matthew 17:1-13=Luke 9:28-36).
3. Paul makes it clear that we, in our flesh, are the Temple of God, nor does he anywhere call for building projects (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19).

II. I recall many years ago a traveling “faith healer” was exposed as a fake, except that some people were actually healed during the services. Why? When someone is open to the working of God, God moves ahead, whether that person is in worship or anywhere else. A few real healings does not make a fake the real thing.

St. Paul’s statue on the Holy Cross Chapel, Prague Castle (with a Latin quotation from First Corinthians 15:10) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

III. Religion functions as a hierarchy, with persons (or Committees/Boards) having power over other believers. This goes contrary to the teaching of Jesus (“Then a quarrel broke out among the disciples. They argued about who should be considered the greatest. Jesus said to them, ‘The kings of nations have power over their people, and those in authority call themselves friends of the people. But you’re not going to be that way! Rather, the greatest among you must be like the youngest, and your leader must be like a servant. Who’s the greatest, the person who sits at the table or the servant? Isn’t it really the person who sits at the table? But I’m among you as a servant’ ” [Luke 22:24-27 God’s Word]). This repeats in the instructions of God through Paul (“Don’t act out of selfish ambition or be conceited. Instead, humbly think of others as being better than yourselves. Don’t be concerned only about your own interests, but also be concerned about the interests of others” [Philippians 2:3-4 God’s Word]). So just because God has not burned organized religion up in sulphuric fumes doesn’t mean this form of organization reflects the Divine will.

Why does God do this?

Because “The Lord is compassionate, merciful, patient, and always ready to forgive” (Psalms 103:8 God’s Word, see also Nehemiah 9:17b, Psalm 145:8, Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2, Nahum 1:3).

So stay alert and don’t get fooled, “even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it’s not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants who have God’s approval. In the end they will get what they deserve” (2 Corinthians 11:14b-15 God’s Word).