One of the primary purposes of Defining Words is to resource ministries with teaching materials. Feel free to print out and use this post as a handout when teaching on the Religious Spirit. The following �15 Signs of a Religious Spirit� are derived from the Book of Jude, and from Jack Deere�s teaching Exposing the Religious Spirit. This list delineates a spectrum of expressions of the religious mindset. Manifestations of the religious spirit are not limited to Christianity, but can be identified in any false religion as well. Your thoughts and comments are most certainly welcome.
1. RIFT - One with a religious spirit believes he has a mission to tear down error or what he believes is wrong.
2. REBUKE - He has a hard time receiving rebuke from someone less spiritual than he.
3. REBELLIOUS - He will not listen to people, because he can hear from God.
4. REPULSED - He immediately notices what is wrong with people, or the church, rather than looking for what is right.
5. RIGOROUS - He keeps score on his spiritual life and carries guilt when he doesn�t add up to the Lord�s standards.
6. REJECTING - He feels as though he has been appointed to fix everybody else.
7. RIVAL - He may feel as though he is truly closer to God than others, and his life or ministry is more pleasing to God in comparison.
8. RANKS - He takes pride in spiritual discipline or spiritual maturity and ranks himself against others.
9. REPUTATION - He will do things in order to be noticed or affirmed by people.
10. RIGID - Religious spirits are overly repulsed by �emotionalism.�
11. RAUCOUS - Seemingly converse to the prior, a religious spirit will use emotionalism or hype to manipulate people.
12. RESISTANT - He will tend to resist the supernatural or reject spiritual manifestations he cannot understand.
13. REACTIONARY � He will overreact to carnality or immaturity in the body of Christ.
14. RENEGADE - He will not fully commit to a church or lend a hand to help if the group is not �perfect� in their theology.
15. REFRAIN - He will tend to be suspicious of or even oppose new moves of God.
God commands us in the NT like in the OT to be HOLY like God is HOLY.
Living Before God Our Father!!!!
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is HOLY, you also be HOLY in ALL your conduct, 16 because it is written, �Be holy, for I am holy.�
17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one�s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
1 Peter 1
Thus, all what is written above is NOT biblical! Forget it and ONLY obey what God said here in the Bible. Do NOT listen to invented doctrines of people which CONTRADICT to what God said in the HOLY Bible.
EVERYTHING what is written above is NOT biblical because there are NO such verses in the Bible. What is NOT in the Bible is NOT true! The Bible shows us how to see and discern the false doctrines from what God says. What is NOT in the Bible is NOT true.
