Religion is a set of beliefs, ideas, and values mainly taken out of context based solely around the Law of Moses, norms and customs in the biblical era, and other created obligations used or acted upon in the effort to please and make ourselves acceptable in the sight of God.

A healthy list of religious ideas include the following: No makeup, long dresses, or braided hair for women (1 Tim. 2:9/1 Pet. 3:3); not eating “unclean” animals (Lev. 11); sinning our salvation away, obligation to tithe or a curse will come upon us (Mal. 3:8-10); God teaching/punishing us through sickness; premature death being the will of God; a lack of money to qualify us as holy (1 Tim. 6:10); receiving guilt and condemnation after missing the mark; must come to God through a priest; etc.

These scriptures or ideas were either taken out of context or simply made up by man. Following religious rules in an effort to please God is futile because all our righteousness is like filthy rags in the sight of God (Isa. 64:6). If we can please God by following a set of rules, there would be no need for Jesus. In fact, the Law of Moses was given to increase sin and lead us to Christ (Rom. 5:20; Gal. 3:24).

Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law so that we won’t have to. Through His sacrifice we’ve been freed from the bondage of the law.

Don’t have a mental breakdown trying to keep all the requirements of religion.  Every religious idea has been fulfilled by Jesus and our belief in what He has fulfilled has made us righteous and acceptable to God (2 Cor. 5:21).

Romans 7:6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.