Don't Give Me That Old-Time Religion!

by David J. Stewart
 

Religion is the worst thing that ever happened to this world.  Religion can't save anybody!  The Devil is a liar , and the father of lying (John 8:44).  The Devil has lied to the world's masses, teaching man that there are many ways to Heaven.  Even Oprah Winfrey, who grew up in a Baptist church, has gone the way of Satan by falling for the Devil's lie that there are many ways to God.  The Word of God plainly teaches that there is ONLY ONE WAY to God the Father, through Jesus Christ -- "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me," John 14:6.  Jesus Christ came to this earth bodily, possessing the fulness of the GODHEAD (Colossians 2:9).  Jesus Christ was the incarnation of the True and Living God.  When people met Jesus, they were meeting God --"He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not," John 1:10 (also see John 1:1-3).

I had heard the song, "Give Me That Old Time Religion" my entire life without ever thinking twice about the lyrics.  It just shows how subtle the Devil is.  Here are some of the lyrics...

Give me that old time religion
Tis the old time religion,
Tis the old time religion,
And it's good enough for me.

It will take us all to heaven.
It will take us all to heaven.
It will take us all to heaven.
And it's good enough for me.

It will take us all to Heaven?  Excuse me!  I don't think so.  Religion might take you to Hell, but it definitely WON'T take you to Heaven.  Religion is a guaranteed road straight into Hell and damnation.  The world has long worshipped manmade religions, following the doctrines of men rather than the commands of God (Mark 7:7).  "Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar" -Romans 3:4.  Here's my recommended version of "Old Time Religion"...

Give me Jesus as my Saviour,
Give me Jesus as my Saviour,
Give me Jesus as my Saviour,
He's good enough for me.

Jesus will take us all to heaven.
Jesus will take us all to heaven.
Jesus will take us all to heaven.
And He's good enough for me.

Unfortunately, Jesus isn't even mentioned in the song.  Jesus Christ is the only Way to God the Father, the only Way to Heaven.  If we want to speak about the "Old Time Religion," then we had better not leave out the name which is above every other name...the name of JESUS!  I don't see any mention of Jesus or the Saviour, just "religion."  Whether old or new, religion is of the Devil.  Cain thought he would impress God with the works of his hands, his religion.  God was very displeased.  Abel did not try to impress God with religion, but rather trusted in the coming Saviour.  God is not impressed my friend with what you can do for Him.  Rather, God is impressed when we trust in the atoning work of Christ our Saviour.  If you want to make God happy, then believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  God is pleased when we come to Him through His Son Jesus.  Jesus never founded a religion. 

Then, just as today, song writers are prone to avoid being too truthful for fear of being rejected and ostracized by the world.  If you want to sell anything "Christian" in the world, you'll have to water it down.  Why do you think there have been over 200 new Bible version in the past 30 years alone?  Each version waters down the Word of God, ALL of them diminishing Christ's deity.  The 1611 King James Bible uplifts the deity of Jesus Christ, which is exactly why the Devil's crowd hates it so much.  The King James Bible in 1st Timothy 3:16 declares, "God was manifest in the flesh."  This testifies to the fact that Jesus Christ came into this earth as God incarnate, in the flesh.  The same Scripture in the New International Version (NIV) reads, "he was revealed in a body."  Who is he?  What kind of body?  Philippians 2:6 is much worse.  Every place in the New Testament where the King James Bible says that someone bowed to WORSHIP Jesus, the NIV changes the world to "knelt."  But you can kneel before a king without worshipping him.  Those evil Bible-corrupters even removed the word "begotten" from John 3:16, which is blasphemy.  Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, but we are all adopted sons (Galatians 4:6).  God has many sons, but only one begotten Son.  The NIV is Devilish.

Now I don't think it is blasphemy to sing the song.  Only because I believe most of the people who sing the song recognize being born again as "the old time religion." However, the honest truth is that being born again is NOT any religion.  It wasn't then and still isn't today.  My preference is to abandon the song completely.  I just don't feel comfortable singing any song that obliterates my Saviour.  If I did sing the song, I'd be singing my own version with the name of Jesus being repeated over and over.  Of course, this would make some people very mad.  Hey, if you want to make religious people angry very quickly, just talk about Jesus.  I remember witnessing to an old catholic man a long time ago.  He was agreeing with everything I was saying, until I mentioned the name of Jesus.  He was talking about how Wonderful and Loving God was until I mentioned "Jesus."  The moment I mentioned Jesus, his face became angry and he cursed the name of Christ.  The masses of the world will accept all types of religion, just so long as you don't hold to the view that Jesus is Almighty God and the only Way to Heaven.  No sir, I DON'T want the "Old Time Religion," it's NOT good enough for me.  I'll stick with my Precious Saviour, Jesus Christ.