The video is indeed catchy but unfortunatley very unbiblical. I Aplaud his zeal but must point out that it is not ccording to knowledge. The Bible clearly tells us what religion is supposed to look like. God defined religion in James 1:26-27. james actualy uses the word. In fact the entirty of James is written to teach us how our relgion is to be practiced. It is a controled tounge, looking out for the helpless and keeping oneself unstained from the world. It is very clear in the KJV. This enthusiatic young man has fallen into the same trap that so many have fallen into. He has allowed the world to define the words and is arguing from the world view of the ungodly. The world does not like Gods definition so what it does is it redefines the word and shoots it down from it’s straw man approach. There is not doubt that salvation is manifested thru obedience to the word that results in good works. That is our religious duty as christians. Any thing else short of this is falling short of how the bible defines religion. Remember that God in james is not only defining religion but is also telling us how it is to be practiced. What this young man is unwittingly doing is violating Gods rules governing religion. By letting the world define what it is he has become stained by the world and in reality is violating the very word of God that he is trying to promote. Religion is good. It is very good for it is how God directs our lives. Any religion that is not inaccord with James and the entirity of the word does not meet the criteria for religion. Just like math is not math if it does not follow the rules of math as set forth by logic. Religion is not religion if it does not fit the criteria as defined in James. All else is paganism. That is what the Bible calls it. What this young man should be asking is why do we let the world define the words and terms and set the rules for the debate.  

I understand where School and Jeremiah is coming from, however this is my personal testimony,

I had the religion down-pat, I went to church every Sunday, sometimes 3 times a week, go to cell, don’t smoke, never got drunk, don’t cuss, I pray, read the bible and because I am not overtly religious, I even thought I was not self-righteous. But I was an utter fool, I was trying so hard to help myself into salvation that I had rejected  the cross. Yes I knew that Jesus died to set me free from sin, yet I continued to strive in my own flesh to be righteous. It comes in subtly like how I feel in better standing with God if I had fulfilled a certain religious act like praying or reading my bible than being focused and relying consistently and solely on Jesus for my salvation.

Religion only is a good moral guide because it provides the Law that points us towards and convicts us on the standard that God will judge our lives. Yet without the revealed knowledge and the full (yes full and only) faith in Jesus’ work on the cross we will NEVER be considered righteous. Just as Paul the Apostle said in Phillipians 3: 4 – 9
“If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:
5circumcised
on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a
Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law,c blameless.
7But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
8Indeed,
I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all
things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
9and
be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from
the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness
from God that depends on faith.”

The eternally important question is not “Is the practice of religion good?” but “Why do you practice religion?” Is Jesus and the Gospel the central focus of why you do what you do? If not, like in my case, my own deceitful heart has become a stain before the Lord. I was trying to do Gospel + religious acts to reach God, but that would mean I said to my Messiah, “You are not enough for my salvation, I need to meet you halfway”. But that is not the Gospel, for it is only by faith in Christ’s work on the cross that we are justified and is considered by God as righteous as recounted in the roll-call of people in Hebrews 11 deemed by God as righteous. Our good deeds and our communion and fellowship with fellow believers will then spring forth from the grace that the Lord our God has shown us.

Bball1989′s video woke my spirit from its stupor. I was offended, I was outraged and I was convicted. Today this is my testimony and my soul will sing of nothing else when I meet my Beloved Saviour.