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Matthew 1:18 and 20 say, “Now the origin of Jesus Christ was in this way: His mother, Mary, after she had been engaged to Joseph, before they came together, was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit...For that which has been begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit.” According to the Gospel of Matthew, the origin of Jesus is a story of the Spirit and is entirely outside religion. Jesus was born in the land of Judea. At the time of His birth, Judaism was a strong religion. Judaism is not a Gentile religion or a heathen practice but an orthodox religion. This religion was established in the Old Testament with a holy temple, altar, priestly system, rituals for offering sacrifices, and ways of worshipping God. These are the items that constitute Judaism as an orthodox religion.

However, the birth of Jesus took place outside religion. God sent an angel, Gabriel, to a young virgin (Luke 1:26-27). Who could imagine such a thing? If we were God, we would send a messenger to the home of a priest in Jerusalem. According to our concept, if Jesus is to be born, He should be born in Jerusalem, in the holy temple, and in the home of a priest. Furthermore, He should be born as a priest. But God is different from us. We have religious concepts and natural concepts, but God does not have any of these. God sent Gabriel to Galilee, an insignificant lower-class province. Gabriel went to a little city called Nazareth in Galilee. He did not go to a wealthy family but to a poor and humble family and even to a weak and fragile virgin. This shows that the birth of Jesus took place outside religion; it was against religious tradition and contrary to cultural regulations. His birth was a story of the Spirit.

It is a pity that Christianity has put Christ into religion and made Him a religious figure. The Jesus we believe in is not a religious figure, nor is He in religion. Where is He? He is in the Spirit.

Christ was born outside religion, outside Jerusalem, outside the holy temple, and outside the priestly system. He was born in the lowly region of Galilee to a poor and humble family in Nazareth through a weak and fragile girl. This is seemingly negative. However, Mary was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit. This was not of religion, tradition, culture, or regulation. It was entirely a story of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20).

At the time of Christ’s birth there were Gentile religions. Now even Christianity has turned into a religion. Christianity has regulations, methods, and doctrines, but it lacks the Spirit. We must see that the age has turned. The Lord desires to turn His church away from religion, doctrines, and regulations and from the law and rituals. He wants the church to turn away from everything outward to the Spirit. The Lord Jesus was not in religion, nor was He a religious figure. The conception and birth of the Lord Jesus was altogether of the Spirit. We did not receive the founder of a religion or a savior in religion. We received the living Christ, who is altogether in the Spirit. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and His birth was outside religion.

Christ was apparently the same as any other human being, and He had a lowly status. According to the prophecy in the Bible, He was to be born in Bethlehem, but He was conceived in Nazareth. This is wonderful. When the time came for Him to be born, God exercised His mighty hand to arrange the environment to take Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, her days were fulfilled, and the Lord Jesus was born. This fulfilled the prophecies in the Bible. After a short period of time, they left Bethlehem and went down to Egypt, and from Egypt they returned to Nazareth. Nazareth was in a despised region. The Lord grew up in a poor family, and He grew up gradually, just like any other human being. However, within Him there was something different. This something was the Spirit. God does not desire religion, rituals, or doctrines. Neither does He desire spectacular material things, such as buildings. Rather, He desires the inner story of the Spirit. The Lord wants to turn the age. He does not want us to pay attention to religion, rituals, ordinances, methods, regulations, or doctrines. The Lord wants us to pay attention to Him as the living Spirit.

Are our meetings in religion? Do we have ordinances, methods, or regulations in our meetings? God does not want any of these things. God wants us to meet in spirit. Should we be quiet or noisy when we worship God? Some may say that we should be noisy; if this is the case, we have a noisy religion. Others may say that we should be quiet; if this is the case, we have a quiet religion. Saying that we should be quiet is wrong, and saying that we should be noisy is also wrong. Being noisy is of no value, and likewise, being quiet is of no value. We do not want to be quiet, nor do we want to be noisy. We want the Spirit. We do not care for silence or for noise. We care only for the Spirit. If the Spirit is with us, we can be in Nazareth or in Bethlehem. What matters is that we are in the Spirit and that the Spirit is with us.

We need to be delivered from our natural concepts and our religious thoughts. We do not care about outward things. We only care about the Spirit in us. As long as the Spirit of the Lord Jesus is present, it is right even to be in a manger. Today Christ is not concerned with outward things, which are material, visible, religious, systematic, doctrinal, and ritualistic; He is concerned with the Spirit in us.

"Being delivered from religious rituals and walking according to the spirit," by Watchman Nee. I love his collection, fully available online but you have to go to the book to read, it won't let me directly link it.

https://www.ministrybooks.org/

Matthew 1:18 and 20 say, “Now the origin of Jesus Christ was in this way: His mother, Mary, after she had been engaged to Joseph, before they came together, was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit...For that which has been begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit.” According to the Gospel of Matthew, the origin of Jesus is a story of the Spirit and is entirely outside religion. Jesus was born in the land of Judea. At the time of His birth, Judaism was a strong religion. Judaism is not a Gentile religion or a heathen practice but an orthodox religion. This religion was established in the Old Testament with a holy temple, altar, priestly system, rituals for offering sacrifices, and ways of worshipping God. These are the items that constitute Judaism as an orthodox religion. However, the birth of Jesus took place outside religion. God sent an angel, Gabriel, to a young virgin (Luke 1:26-27). Who could imagine such a thing? If we were God, we would send a messenger to the home of a priest in Jerusalem. According to our concept, if Jesus is to be born, He should be born in Jerusalem, in the holy temple, and in the home of a priest. Furthermore, He should be born as a priest. But God is different from us. We have religious concepts and natural concepts, but God does not have any of these. God sent Gabriel to Galilee, an insignificant lower-class province. Gabriel went to a little city called Nazareth in Galilee. He did not go to a wealthy family but to a poor and humble family and even to a weak and fragile virgin. This shows that the birth of Jesus took place outside religion; it was against religious tradition and contrary to cultural regulations. His birth was a story of the Spirit. It is a pity that Christianity has put Christ into religion and made Him a religious figure. The Jesus we believe in is not a religious figure, nor is He in religion. Where is He? He is in the Spirit. Christ was born outside religion, outside Jerusalem, outside the holy temple, and outside the priestly system. He was born in the lowly region of Galilee to a poor and humble family in Nazareth through a weak and fragile girl. This is seemingly negative. However, Mary was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit. This was not of religion, tradition, culture, or regulation. It was entirely a story of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20). At the time of Christ’s birth there were Gentile religions. Now even Christianity has turned into a religion. Christianity has regulations, methods, and doctrines, but it lacks the Spirit. We must see that the age has turned. The Lord desires to turn His church away from religion, doctrines, and regulations and from the law and rituals. He wants the church to turn away from everything outward to the Spirit. The Lord Jesus was not in religion, nor was He a religious figure. The conception and birth of the Lord Jesus was altogether of the Spirit. We did not receive the founder of a religion or a savior in religion. We received the living Christ, who is altogether in the Spirit. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and His birth was outside religion. Christ was apparently the same as any other human being, and He had a lowly status. According to the prophecy in the Bible, He was to be born in Bethlehem, but He was conceived in Nazareth. This is wonderful. When the time came for Him to be born, God exercised His mighty hand to arrange the environment to take Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, her days were fulfilled, and the Lord Jesus was born. This fulfilled the prophecies in the Bible. After a short period of time, they left Bethlehem and went down to Egypt, and from Egypt they returned to Nazareth. Nazareth was in a despised region. The Lord grew up in a poor family, and He grew up gradually, just like any other human being. However, within Him there was something different. This something was the Spirit. God does not desire religion, rituals, or doctrines. Neither does He desire spectacular material things, such as buildings. Rather, He desires the inner story of the Spirit. The Lord wants to turn the age. He does not want us to pay attention to religion, rituals, ordinances, methods, regulations, or doctrines. The Lord wants us to pay attention to Him as the living Spirit. Are our meetings in religion? Do we have ordinances, methods, or regulations in our meetings? God does not want any of these things. God wants us to meet in spirit. Should we be quiet or noisy when we worship God? Some may say that we should be noisy; if this is the case, we have a noisy religion. Others may say that we should be quiet; if this is the case, we have a quiet religion. Saying that we should be quiet is wrong, and saying that we should be noisy is also wrong. Being noisy is of no value, and likewise, being quiet is of no value. We do not want to be quiet, nor do we want to be noisy. We want the Spirit. We do not care for silence or for noise. We care only for the Spirit. If the Spirit is with us, we can be in Nazareth or in Bethlehem. What matters is that we are in the Spirit and that the Spirit is with us. We need to be delivered from our natural concepts and our religious thoughts. We do not care about outward things. We only care about the Spirit in us. As long as the Spirit of the Lord Jesus is present, it is right even to be in a manger. Today Christ is not concerned with outward things, which are material, visible, religious, systematic, doctrinal, and ritualistic; He is concerned with the Spirit in us. "Being delivered from religious rituals and walking according to the spirit," by Watchman Nee. I love his collection, fully available online but you have to go to the book to read, it won't let me directly link it. https://www.ministrybooks.org/

(post is archived)

[–] • 0 pt

I agree with most of what is said. However, God is order not chaos. Doctrines and law are good.

(Romans 7:12 KJV) Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. (Romans 7:13 KJV) Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. (Romans 7:14 KJV) For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. (Romans 7:15 KJV) For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. (Romans 7:16 KJV) If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

And also, (1 Timothy 1:8 KJV) But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; (1 Timothy 1:9 KJV) Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, (1 Timothy 1:10 KJV) For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;