Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus || Spoken Word
What if I told you Jesus came to abolish religion?
What if I told you voting Republican really wasn't His mission?
What if I told you Republican doesn't automatically mean Christian
And just because you call some people blind doesn't automatically give you vision?
I mean, if religion is so great, why has it started so many wars?
Why does it build huge churches but fails to feed the poor?
Tells single moms God doesn't love them if they've ever had a divorce
But in the Old Testament, God actually calls religious people whores
Religion might preach grace, but another thing they practice
Tend to ridicule God's people; they did it to John the Baptist
They can't fix their problems, and so they just mask it
Not realizing religion's like spraying perfume on a casket
See, the problem with religion is it never gets to the core
It's just behavior modification, like a long list of chores
Like, "Let's dress up the outside, make it look nice and neat"
But it's funny that's what they used to do to mummies while the corpse rots underneath
Now I ain't judging; I'm just saying, quit putting on a fake look
‘Cause there's a problem if people only know you're a Christian by your Facebook
I mean, in every other aspect of life, you know that logic's unworthy
It's like saying you play for the Lakers just because you bought a jersey
See, this was me too, but no one seemed to be on to me
Acting like a church kid while addicted to pornography
See, on Sunday I'd go to church, but Saturday getting faded
Acting if I was simply created to just have sex and get wasted
See, I spent my whole life building this facade of neatness
But now that I know Jesus, I boast in my weakness
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Because if grace is water, then the Church should be an ocean
It's not a museum for good people—it's a hospital for the broken
Which means I don't have to hide my failure; I don't have to hide my sin
Because it doesn't depend on me; it depends on Him
See, because when I was God's enemy and certainly not a fan
He looked down and said, "I want that man."
Which is why Jesus hated religion, and for it He called them fools
Don't you see so much better than just following some rules
Now let me clarify—I love the Church, I love the Bible, and yes, I believe in sin
But if Jesus came to your church, would they actually let Him in?
See, remember He was called a glutton and a drunkard by religious men
But the Son of God never supports self-righteousness—not now, not then
Now back to the point—one thing is vital to mention
How Jesus and religion are on opposite spectrums
See, one's the work of God, but one's a man-made invention
See, one is the cure, but the other's the infection
See, because religion says "do"; Jesus says "done"
Religion says "slave"; Jesus says "son"
Religion puts you in bondage, while Jesus sets you free
Religion makes you blind, but Jesus makes you see
And that's why religion and Jesus are two different clans
Religion is man searching for God; Christianity is God searching for man
Which is why salvation is freely mine, and forgiveness is my own
Not based on my merits, but Jesus' obedience alone
Because He took the crown of thorns, and the blood dripped down His face
He took what we all deserved—I guess that's why you call it grace
And while being murdered, He yelled,
"Father, forgive them; they know not what they do."
Because when He was dangling on that cross, He was thinking of you
And He absorbed all your sin, and He buried it in the tomb
Which is why I'm kneeling at the cross, saying, "Come on, there's room"
So for religion—no, I hate it; in fact I literally resent it
Because when Jesus said, "It is finished," I believe He meant it
About “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus”
Jeff Bethke’s poem Jesus > Religion was written, and introduced, in 2012 through a 4-minute video titled, Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus. It literally became an overnight sensation, with 7 million YouTube views in its first 48 hours (and 23+ million in a year). The message blew up on social-media, triggering an avalanche of responses running the gamut from encouraged to enraged. It Also later inspired his Book, Jesus > Religion: Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, And Being Good Enough.
A poem I wrote to highlight the difference between Jesus and false religion. In the scriptures Jesus received the most opposition from the most religious people of his day. At it’s core Jesus' gospel and the good news of the Cross is in pure opposition to self-righteousness/self-justification. Religion is man centered, Jesus is God-centered. This poem highlights my journey to discover this truth. Religion either ends in pride or despair. Pride because you make a list and can do it and act better than everyone, or despair because you can’t do your own list of rules and feel “not good enough” for God. With Jesus though you have humble confident joy because He represents you, you don’t represent yourself and His sacrifice is perfect putting us in perfect standing with God!–Jefferson Bethke
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