Jesus vs Religion – Finding the Truth for Yourself

Posted June 29, 2025 |End Times Watch | River Wilde

Many people follow religion, which can be a good thing, but few truly know Jesus.

In a world filled with temples, traditions, rituals, and rules, it’s easy to mistake religion for relationship. Religion often teaches us to conform, to behave, to fit in. But Jesus? He came to set captives free, not to be bound by the rules of a religion.

The religious leaders of His day—Pharisees and scribes—were obsessed with laws and appearances. Yet Jesus called them “whited sepulchres”—beautiful on the outside, but full of death within (Matthew 23:27, KJV). He didn’t come to prop up man-made systems of control. He came to tear the veil and give every man and woman direct access to God.

Truth is not found in a church building. Truth is a Person.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6, KJV). That means truth isn’t found in religious hierarchy or denominational loyalty—it’s found in knowing Him.

Religion says, “Follow us.”
Jesus says, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19).
Religion says, “Earn your place.”
Jesus says, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
Religion builds walls.
Jesus tore them down.

He broke through the religious system of His time and made it clear: God desires mercy, not sacrifice (Matthew 9:13). He ate with sinners. He touched lepers. He forgave the guilty. He saw people—not just rules.

Yet today, people are still trapped in religious cages—believing that belonging to the “right” church or obeying the “right” rules guarantees salvation. But Jesus warned that many would one day say, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied…cast out devils…done many wonderful works?” And He will reply, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:22–23, KJV).

He didn’t say they didn’t do enough.
He said He didn’t know them.

So how do we know Him?

We know Him through His Word. The KJV Bible speaks with power and purity. Open the Scriptures and meet Jesus in every page—from Genesis to Revelation.

We know Him through prayer—not empty repetition, but heartfelt seeking. He said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock…” (Revelation 3:20, KJV).

We know Him through the Holy Ghost, who leads us into truth: “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13, KJV).

And we know Him through surrender. Not by climbing a ladder of works, but by falling to our knees and trusting in His grace.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith… it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, KJV).

Religion complicates. Jesus simplifies.

The Pharisees added hundreds of laws to the Ten Commandments. But Jesus boiled it down to two:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God… and… love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37–39, KJV).
Love God. Love others. That’s it.

Religion Can Be Good—But It’s Not the Answer

Religion can offer comfort, structure, and community. At its best, it points us to God, encourages moral living, and brings people together in pursuit of truth. But we must not confuse the signpost with the destination.

1. Religion Points to Jesus—But It’s Not Jesus
   Religion is like a map. It can show the way, but it can’t walk it for you.
   “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17, KJV).
2. You Can Be Religious and Still Miss God
   This is one of the most sobering truths in Scripture. The religious leaders of Jesus’ time looked righteous, but they didn’t know God.
   “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!… within full of dead men’s bones” (Matthew 23:27, KJV).
3. Religion Can’t Save You—Only Jesus Can
   Good works, rules, or rituals can’t remove sin. Only the blood of Jesus can save.
   “Not by works of righteousness… but according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus 3:5, KJV).
4. A True Religion Will Exalt Jesus, Not Itself
   Any church, leader, or system that draws more attention to itself than to Christ is missing the mark.
   “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30, KJV).
5. Religion Without Jesus Becomes a Burden
   The apostle Paul warned against turning back to religious bondage:
   “Stand fast… and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1, KJV).

If you’ve been wounded by religion…
If you’ve been confused by doctrines…
If you’ve been told salvation comes through your works or leaders…

Take a deep breath—and go straight to Jesus.

Get alone with your Bible. Cry out to Him. Ask for truth. He promised:
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32, KJV).

The world is growing darker. Deception is increasing. But Jesus never changes:
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8, KJV).

In the end, when the systems fall and the churches crumble, only One will remain standing—the Lamb of God. We will all see one day that a church will not follow a person into heaven, for it will not exist there. We will serve and worship Jesus Christ, directly without a “Middle Man.” This being the case, why do so many people put a religion in between us and Christ?

So, when your religion falls away, as it will in the last days, is your relationship with Jesus Christ sufficient to stand on its own? If not, now is the time to start seeing things in an eternal perspective, and make Him your focus, rather than a religious system.

And you can know Him now.

Not through a religion.
But through a relationship.

Click on the video below for a spiritual feeling, as we worship Christ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14214ubV7bA