Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
James defines "religion" as what Paul would call "good works" and Jesus would call "loving your neighbor as yourself." The problem, at least to my thinking, is not so-called religion, but hypocrisy. Jesus did not condemn religion, especially that given thru Moses. Jesus rather condemned hypocrisy, unbelief, deceptions, preventing others from entering the kingdom.
"Living the Christian life without the indwelling Christ?!?"
For decades I have listened to many talk this way, and they are the most guilty. (Romans 2.1)
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It seems like this issue boils down to an LC perspective and it, I think, is inaccurate. In the LC we were taught we had to exercise our spirit in order to join with the Holy Spirit, to mingle ourselves with God, but the way I see it now, it was all works based. Just like many things LC, works based salvation was preached against, then Lee invented his own but labeled it something else.
Scripture says he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.
If we are talking about 'religion' (this is the LC/bad religion) being some kind of practicing to be a Christian without the Spirit.....the only ones able to do this would be the unregenerated. I don't believe it is possible for a born again Christian to 'practice christianity apart from the Holy Spirit'. That is a distinctly Lee teaching, and I think he used it to make his distinction between his group and the rest of the genuine body of Christ. I don't think his teaching has any validity.