Lies Religion Taught Me & The Truth That Set Me Free
Lies Religion Taught Me & The Truth That Set Me Free by Connie Witter www.conniewitter.com Week 2 What Religion Taught Me About God’s Judgment Toward Unbelievers The Lie: Religion Teaches that God is angry and judgmental toward sinners- those who don’t believe But the Truth is found in Jesus: John 1:17-18 says, “17 For while the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.18 No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known]. AMP John 1:17-18: “17 Moses gave us the Law, but Jesus, the Anointed One, unveils truth wrapped in tender mercy.18 No one has ever gazed upon the fullness of God’s splendor except the uniquely beloved Son, who is cherished by the Father and held close to his heart. Now he has unfolded to us the full explanation of who God truly is!” TPT The Law Blinds Us, but Jesus Makes Us See! We are never going to find the Truth about the Father through the law. 2 Corinthians 3:13-18 tells us that even to this day when the law is read a veil lies on people’s eyes so they can’t see that “in Christ it is made void and done away.” AMP. These verses say that the Law puts a veil over our eyes & we lose the power to understand, but when we look to Jesus, the veil is lifted and you see the Father clearly! Jesus said, “When you see Me, you see the Father! I only say what I hear My Father say, and do what I see Him do.” And in Luke 9:35 the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him!” If we want to know the Truth about the Father, look to Jesus & listen to Him! In John 3:16-18, Jesus said: “God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world.” AMP “16 For this is how much God loved the world—he gave his one and only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.17 “God did not send his Son into the world to judge and condemn the world, but to be its Savior and rescue it! 18 So now there is no longer any condemnation for those who believe in him, but the unbeliever already lives under condemnation because they do not believe in the name of God’s beloved Son.” TPT
Religion often paints the Father to be an angry God who judges & condemns sinners. But In John 3:16 Jesus told us that the Father greatly loved & dearly prized every human being. And in Verse 17 Jesus clearly revealed the heart of the Father toward the world. He told us, “The Father did not send Me into the world to condemn or pass judgment on the world, but to be it’s Savior and rescue it.” If God is not condemning and judging unbelievers, where does the condemnation & judgment come from? In John chapter 5 Jesus says this to the religious leaders, “22The Father judges no one, for He has given all judgment (the last judgment and the whole business of judging) entirely into the hands of the Son,24 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the person whose ears are open to My words and believes and trusts in Him Who sent Me has eternal life. And he does not come into judgment [will not come under condemnation], but he has already passed over out of death into life. 40 But You are not willing to come to Me, so that you might have life. 43 I have come in My Father’s name and with His power, and you do not receive Me…45 Put out of your minds the thought and do not suppose [as some of you are supposing] that I will accuse you before the Father. There is one who accuses you—it is Moses, the very one on whom you have built your hopes [in whom you trust].” AMP Jesus once again made it very clear to us that the Father judges & condemns no one! In John 5:22, He told us that the Father gave all judgment to the son. And In verse 24 Jesus says, “those who trust in Him have eternal life and will never be judged or condemned, but has already passed from death into life.” Then in John 5:40-45, He addresses those who are unwilling to come to Him so they might have life. He says put it completely out of your mind & thoughts that I will accuse or condemn you before the Father. It is not I Who accuses and condemns you. It is the law of Moses that accuses & condemns you! (2 Corinthians 3:6-9) Romans 5:12,16-18 tells us that the whole world is drowning in condemnation, but those who receive God’s overflowing grace and free gift of righteousness will reign in life through their union with Jesus! Our good Father sent Jesus to rescue the world from the condemnation that was killing us! His plan has always been to make our hearts whole with His love- Ephesians 1:4 In John 8:4-11, Jesus demonstrates this truth very clearly for us all to see! Jesus rescues and saves a woman who was caught in the very act of adultery from the law that was condemning her. 4 they
said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as
though He did not hear.7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” NKJV When Jesus looked at the woman who was caught in the very act of adultery, He was not angry at her. Instead of punishing her for her sin like the Law required, He gave her mercy! With intense Love, He looked right into her eyes and said, “I do not condemn you!” The Father did not send the Son to condemn the people in the world who are living in sin, He sent the Son to save them!” But what about all those verses that talk about the wrath of God? Remember, God is Love and every emotion and action comes out of His Love for us. If God is Love, then the wrath of God is the wrath of Love. If we want to fully understand the Truth about the anger of God, we must look at Jesus. What was Jesus angry toward? 3 times in the Gospels we see instances when Jesus was angry: 1. In Mark 3:1-6 Jesus revealed the anger and grief that filled the Father’s heart as he witnessed the hardness of heart and unbelief of the teacher’s of the Law. They were more concerned about keeping religious laws then healing a man with a withered hand.
2. In Mark 10:13-16 Jesus was angry because the disciples were keeping the little children from coming to him. 3. In Matthew 21:12-14 Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers in the temple. He was angry that they were making people pay for their forgiveness, when forgiveness was free! He was the Lamb that took away the sins of the world! Jesus sat with sinners and was their friend, and the Religious leaders judged Him for it! Mark 2:15-17. Not once in Scripture does Jesus condemn, judge, or punish some one who was living in sin or acting badly. Jesus showed us very clearly that the Father’s anger is against anything that keeps those He loves from experiencing His Life. Every time we see Jesus display any type of anger in the Gospels it was when He encountered the teachers of the Law. Not only was He angry at the religious system that robbed the people of experiencing His Life, but He was also grieved for the religious teachers themselves because their hardness of heart kept them from personally receiving His gift of eternal life. Jesus loves the teachers of the Law, but He is angry at their religious teaching that produces fear and condemnation in the hearts of those He loves. (Matt. 23:13)
Our Heavenly Father is Love and everything He does is an act of Love. Although everyone will not receive His gift of Love, and will choose instead to trust in themselves and live in the condemnation of their own sin, His heart’s desire is that all men would be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth (II Timothy 2:4). Our good Father greatly loves and dearly prizes every person in the world! There is a difference between righteous anger and unrighteous anger. Righteous anger is to experience anger and grief because of the pain a person’s actions are bringing himself or others. It is not an anger at the person, but at the action that brings pain. Righteous anger motivates us to stand for truth and defend the innocent. Unrighteous anger is wanting a person to pay for their sin. It is a desire to inflict pain on someone for the pain they have inflicted on you or others. (II Corinthians 12:20, Galatians 5:19,20, Ephesians 5:31; James 1:20) Jesus didn’t come to destroy men’s lives, He came to save them. Read Luke 9:53-56: “53 But [the people] would not welcome or receive or accept Him. 54 And when His disciples James and John observed this, they said, Lord, do You wish us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did? 55 But He turned and rebuked and severely censured them. He said, You do not know of what sort of spirit you are, 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” AMP Jesus taught us so clearly in these verses that those who are preaching that the Father is judging or punishing people for their sin do not know the true heart of the Father. The Father did not send Jesus to condemn man. All men were already trapped in condemnation (Romans 5:18). Jesus came to rescue them from condemnation. He didn’t come to judge or punish them for their sin, but to offer them His free gift of eternal Life! In Luke 6:35-36 Jesus clearly teaches us how our good Father treats those who do evil things & are unthankful. 35 Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind and merciful to those who are unthankful and wicked." NLT 36 Show mercy and compassion for others, just as your heavenly Father overflows with mercy and compassion for all.” TPT Jesus said that when you do good to your enemies and are kind and merciful to those who don’t deserve it, you are acting just like your Father. Your Heavenly Father is not angry and mad at the unthankful and wicked, He is kind and merciful! Our Good Father Has Given Us the Ministry of Reconciliation
2 Corinthians 5:18-2118 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. NLT Our Ministry is to tell the world that the Father is not holding their sins against them! Come back to God! Say yes to Jesus! He dearly loves and greatly prizes you! Jesus became sin so that you might become the righteousness of God through Him!
Religion often paints the Father to be an angry God who judges & condemns sinners. But In John 3:16 Jesus told us that the Father greatly loved & dearly prized every human being. And in Verse 17 Jesus clearly revealed the heart of the Father toward the world. He told us, “The Father did not send Me into the world to condemn or pass judgment on the world, but to be it’s Savior and rescue it.” If God is not condemning and judging unbelievers, where does the condemnation & judgment come from? In John chapter 5 Jesus says this to the religious leaders, “22The Father judges no one, for He has given all judgment (the last judgment and the whole business of judging) entirely into the hands of the Son,24 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the person whose ears are open to My words and believes and trusts in Him Who sent Me has eternal life. And he does not come into judgment [will not come under condemnation], but he has already passed over out of death into life. 40 But You are not willing to come to Me, so that you might have life. 43 I have come in My Father’s name and with His power, and you do not receive Me…45 Put out of your minds the thought and do not suppose [as some of you are supposing] that I will accuse you before the Father. There is one who accuses you—it is Moses, the very one on whom you have built your hopes [in whom you trust].” AMP Jesus once again made it very clear to us that the Father judges & condemns no one! In John 5:22, He told us that the Father gave all judgment to the son. And In verse 24 Jesus says, “those who trust in Him have eternal life and will never be judged or condemned, but has already passed from death into life.” Then in John 5:40-45, He addresses those who are unwilling to come to Him so they might have life. He says put it completely out of your mind & thoughts that I will accuse or condemn you before the Father. It is not I Who accuses and condemns you. It is the law of Moses that accuses & condemns you! (2 Corinthians 3:6-9) Romans 5:12,16-18 tells us that the whole world is drowning in condemnation, but those who receive God’s overflowing grace and free gift of righteousness will reign in life through their union with Jesus! Our good Father sent Jesus to rescue the world from the condemnation that was killing us! His plan has always been to make our hearts whole with His love- Ephesians 1:4 In John 8:4-11, Jesus demonstrates this truth very clearly for us all to see! Jesus rescues and saves a woman who was caught in the very act of adultery from the law that was condemning her. 4 they
said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as
though He did not hear.7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” NKJV When Jesus looked at the woman who was caught in the very act of adultery, He was not angry at her. Instead of punishing her for her sin like the Law required, He gave her mercy! With intense Love, He looked right into her eyes and said, “I do not condemn you!” The Father did not send the Son to condemn the people in the world who are living in sin, He sent the Son to save them!” But what about all those verses that talk about the wrath of God? Remember, God is Love and every emotion and action comes out of His Love for us. If God is Love, then the wrath of God is the wrath of Love. If we want to fully understand the Truth about the anger of God, we must look at Jesus. What was Jesus angry toward? 3 times in the Gospels we see instances when Jesus was angry: 1. In Mark 3:1-6 Jesus revealed the anger and grief that filled the Father’s heart as he witnessed the hardness of heart and unbelief of the teacher’s of the Law. They were more concerned about keeping religious laws then healing a man with a withered hand.
2. In Mark 10:13-16 Jesus was angry because the disciples were keeping the little children from coming to him. 3. In Matthew 21:12-14 Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers in the temple. He was angry that they were making people pay for their forgiveness, when forgiveness was free! He was the Lamb that took away the sins of the world! Jesus sat with sinners and was their friend, and the Religious leaders judged Him for it! Mark 2:15-17. Not once in Scripture does Jesus condemn, judge, or punish some one who was living in sin or acting badly. Jesus showed us very clearly that the Father’s anger is against anything that keeps those He loves from experiencing His Life. Every time we see Jesus display any type of anger in the Gospels it was when He encountered the teachers of the Law. Not only was He angry at the religious system that robbed the people of experiencing His Life, but He was also grieved for the religious teachers themselves because their hardness of heart kept them from personally receiving His gift of eternal life. Jesus loves the teachers of the Law, but He is angry at their religious teaching that produces fear and condemnation in the hearts of those He loves. (Matt. 23:13)
Our Heavenly Father is Love and everything He does is an act of Love. Although everyone will not receive His gift of Love, and will choose instead to trust in themselves and live in the condemnation of their own sin, His heart’s desire is that all men would be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth (II Timothy 2:4). Our good Father greatly loves and dearly prizes every person in the world! There is a difference between righteous anger and unrighteous anger. Righteous anger is to experience anger and grief because of the pain a person’s actions are bringing himself or others. It is not an anger at the person, but at the action that brings pain. Righteous anger motivates us to stand for truth and defend the innocent. Unrighteous anger is wanting a person to pay for their sin. It is a desire to inflict pain on someone for the pain they have inflicted on you or others. (II Corinthians 12:20, Galatians 5:19,20, Ephesians 5:31; James 1:20) Jesus didn’t come to destroy men’s lives, He came to save them. Read Luke 9:53-56: “53 But [the people] would not welcome or receive or accept Him. 54 And when His disciples James and John observed this, they said, Lord, do You wish us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did? 55 But He turned and rebuked and severely censured them. He said, You do not know of what sort of spirit you are, 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” AMP Jesus taught us so clearly in these verses that those who are preaching that the Father is judging or punishing people for their sin do not know the true heart of the Father. The Father did not send Jesus to condemn man. All men were already trapped in condemnation (Romans 5:18). Jesus came to rescue them from condemnation. He didn’t come to judge or punish them for their sin, but to offer them His free gift of eternal Life! In Luke 6:35-36 Jesus clearly teaches us how our good Father treats those who do evil things & are unthankful. 35 Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind and merciful to those who are unthankful and wicked." NLT 36 Show mercy and compassion for others, just as your heavenly Father overflows with mercy and compassion for all.” TPT Jesus said that when you do good to your enemies and are kind and merciful to those who don’t deserve it, you are acting just like your Father. Your Heavenly Father is not angry and mad at the unthankful and wicked, He is kind and merciful! Our Good Father Has Given Us the Ministry of Reconciliation
2 Corinthians 5:18-2118 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. NLT Our Ministry is to tell the world that the Father is not holding their sins against them! Come back to God! Say yes to Jesus! He dearly loves and greatly prizes you! Jesus became sin so that you might become the righteousness of God through Him!
