The religion of Jesus, as it was delivered, gives you something in common with everyone else.
But it doesn’t feel like that sometimes! We need to understand that the religion of Jesus was changed by the early converts. Two great mistakes were made that disrupted the unity of His message.
“The effort to connect the gospel teaching directly onto the Jewish theology, as illustrated by the Christian doctrines of the atonement—the teaching that Jesus was the sacrificed Son who would satisfy the Father’s stern justice and appease the divine wrath. These teachings originated in a praiseworthy effort to make the gospel of the kingdom more acceptable to disbelieving Jews. Though these efforts failed as far as winning the Jews was concerned, they did not fail to confuse and alienate many honest souls in all subsequent generations.
The second great blunder of the Master’s early followers, and one which all subsequent generations have persisted in perpetuating, was to organize the Christian teaching so completely about the person of Jesus. This overemphasis of the personality of Jesus in the theology of Christianity has worked to obscure his teachings, and all of this has made it increasingly difficult for Jews, Mohammedans, Hindus, and other Eastern religionists to accept the teachings of Jesus. We would not belittle the place of the person of Jesus in a religion which might bear his name, but we would not permit such consideration to eclipse his inspired life or to supplant his saving message: the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.” 149:2.3.1-2.
Those who sought out his spiritual guidance were looking to have their faith nucleus reoriented. Behold all things can become new! No building required! We must take hold of our genuine personal nature and be directed from the top down. Spirit informing mind.
Remember, the law of the universe is:
mind over matter and spirit over mind.
