What pure religion is, and isn't...

The so-called 'sacraments' in the visible churches are really not just the highway the devil rides in on to corrupt and defile and control those churches, but they aren't even biblical.

The Roman Catholic church had seven 'sacraments' (they needed many to support their sacerdotalism and priestcraft). The reformers subtracted five saying Jesus only 'instituted' two: baptism and the so-called Lord's Supper (sometimes called Eucharist or Communion).

But did Jesus 'institute' such things? such rituals?

No. Baptism is a ritual symbolic of becoming born again, but it doesn't regenerate you (orthodox Christians agree with this). And John the baptist said he baptises with water (like the Jews did) but Jesus would baptise with fire. This means Jesus would send the Holy Spirit to regenerate, which is baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is the only baptism that means anything, and it isn't effected by clerics in churches.

The so-called 'Lord's Supper' is just inane through and through. I mean, the way it's presented as a ritual in a church. It's an awkward, meaningless choreography worthy of maybe something troubled teenagers could make up as a ritual to be performed on the athletic fields of their local school at night. That it's made the centerpiece of worship just shows how shallow churchianity Christians have always been.

But all Jesus said in all the Scripture passages referring to this so-called 'sacrament' is when you eat and drink remember me. It's solely a command to remember the death of Jesus and the meaning of it all and your connection to it and him. Because human beings eat often (usually 3 times a day) so it's a good thing to tack such a command onto. It's also a ritual feast. It's not some solemn ritual that highlights some asinine cleric and his reading of 'liturgy', which they claim is the word of God but usually isn't.

Jesus said twice, strongly, that he hates priestcraft. And the Bible speaks often of stumblingblocks that exist to pull people away from the effectual work of the word and the Spirit in regeneration. Ritual sacraments do this.

And they aren't 'means of grace.' Orthodox types (i.e. on-the-mark biblical types) agree with this. The word of God is the primary means of grace. Prayer as well. Fasting as well. Doing the two great commandments of Jesus as well. Forgiving your debtors as well.

Quakers and the Salvation Army don't recognize any 'sacraments.' You don't have to become a Quaker or join the SA, though, to not recognize such unbiblical nonsense.

Pure religion is becoming engrafted with the word of God (James 1:21 AV), five solas doctrine, doing the two great commandments, prayer and fasting, forgiveness (James says it is visiting orphans and widows and keeping yourself unspotted from the world, which is to say it is both active and passive). Spiritual warfare also is pure religion. Assembly and helping the brethren (fellow believers) is also part of pure religion, but that - assembling - is defined in many ways in the Bible, primarily: wherever two or more meet in his name he is there.

If you've experienced regeneration you've experienced baptism by the Holy Spirit. And you can remember Jesus - his body and his blood - and your faith and what it all means anytime you partake of food and drink.

A final note: being filled with the Holy Spirit is something different from baptism of the Holy Spirit (regeneration). Regeneration happens just once, but being filled with the Holy Spirit is something that can happen over and over. It results from engaging the word of God (in a non-desultory manner but a dedicated, complete, humble and zealous manner), prayer, meditation on the word, "I am here" watchfulness ("I am here, Lord" -- good O.T. phrase, all you New Age/Gnostic/Pietist police...you who police any percieved sign of heterodox 'mysticism' or practice, yet who ironically swallow the New Age bible versions - Bible translations based on the corrupt manuscripts newly 'discovered' by 19th century atheists and spiritualists and 'instituted' rather quietly into the lives of Christians - like babies swallowing Gerber's creme beans). It - being filled with the Holy Spirit - is how you develop godliness. It provokes war within you with your carnal nature. It provokes godly war between you and the world, and you and the devil. It provokes your limits as well thus giving you opportunity to extend your limits. Out of that struggle potential development in active, progressive sanctification occurs...