Religion - The Sin of Cain

"I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known your faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 89:1 This could only be written by someone who has known God personally. He is so moved by the faithfulness of God that he bursts forth singing of his tender mercies. This is not "religion," this is personal relationship, the "born again" life, and it is what all true believers experience. "Religion" is a system commanding what we must do for God. On the other hand, relationship or covenant, is what God does for us. God is not pleased with religious rituals, in fact they are a stench in his nostrils. Man seeks to please God, or to impress God, or to appease God with something "religious," but God calls this profane. Religious rituals make man FEEL holy, but true holiness is the man bowed before the Lord in repentance, waiting on his mercy and seeking his will. When God reveals his will to a believer, it will never consist of some religious ritual. It will not consist of lighting a candle or trusting in a statue or a medal, no, when God reveals his will to a believer it will consist of repentance - and then the man or woman whose life is surrendered to God will experience the touch of God in his life in such a way that it will cause him to sing of God's mercies forever and make known his faithfulness as he testifies to all of what God has done. "Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in FALSE HUMILITY...: Colossians 2:18 Religious ritual is false humility. Priests wearing silks and satins and parading with a cross or a statue is the picture of false religion. The next time you observe such "holy" occasions, look at the priests and bishops parading in their regalia and know you are looking at false religion; many or even most of those parading as such are not even saved. vs 23: "These things indeed have an APPEARANCE of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of NO VALUE against the indulgence of the flesh." The Lord is not impressed with man's religion, he is looking for a surrendered heart. Rosaries and statues and candles and processions - these are worthless because by doing these things man assures himself that he's doing something "holy." ...But it's FAR from holiness, in fact it's profane. Man has sanctified the profane and profaned the sacred. If you want to please God, bow your heart before him. Bring down your pride. Confess your sin. Open your heart to whatever he will say to you. And above all, immerse yourself in his Word, the Bible. “But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my Word." Isaiah 66:2 Put away the profane religious rituals, flee from them. God doesn't want a rosary, he wants a heart. You can't replace repentance with statues or candles or rituals. You can't bring your offering to God YOUR WAY, that is the sin of Cain who did not come to God with the lamb sacrifice, but with the works of his hands - and he was rejected. You have to come to God HIS way, and to know his way you have to know his Word. He is looking for those who will know the TRUTH, and who will worship him in spirit, and in truth. "God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and TRUTH." John 4:24