This point has been briefly mentioned in earlier posts, but it deserves a dedicated reflection. It concerns the accuracy of modern Christianity in transmitting the true intent behind Jesus’ teachings—particularly his guidance toward spiritual enlightenment, or what he described as the kingdom of heaven within. Jesus spoke of a profound spiritual awakening, a rebirth of consciousness that transcends ego and reconnects the individual with divine oneness. He gave specific, practical instructions on how to attain this state: forgive unconditionally, serve selflessly, love your enemies, seek the inner enlightened state available to us all he called heaven, become like children in humility, and release attachment to wealth and status.
Yet none of his instructions included:
- “accept me as your lord and savior”
- “accept me as the son of god”
- “accept that I died for your sins”
In fact, if he ever did provide these instructions to his followers, this would have been a massive red flag for Jesus as a spiritual teacher, as it would have been incredibly egotistical for him to demand/command worship as well as the subtle implication that you need to insist that you’re on team Jesus and not other faiths which would have only served to divide us and separate us from our brothers and neighbors.
These phrases, while now central to much of modern Christian dogma, are conspicuously absent from Jesus’ own calls to action. Instead, his emphasis was always on personal transformation—on doing rather than declaring. His words were not aimed at securing allegiance, but at igniting awakening. This article will explore the implications of that omission, and what it reveals about how Christianity has evolved away from the path of inner spiritual practice and toward an externalized belief system.
Jesus’ declaration that he had achieved oneness with our Father—a state of enlightenment—was never intended as a call to be worshiped. Rather, it should have served as an invitation for others to seek and attain that same divine unity. Yet, many Christians have been told their entire lives that salvation hinges on specific verbal declarations such as “accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior.” These phrases have become central to modern Christian worship, often seen as requirements for being “born again.” But the truth is, Jesus never once instructed us to make these proclamations. Despite this, many will likely continue repeating them, unaware that they stem more from institutional tradition than from the words of Jesus himself.
Christians should recognize that these popular declarations—such as “Jesus is Lord”—are ultimately empty if not accompanied by a genuine effort to follow the actual teachings Jesus gave. His instructions were the true keys to spiritual awakening: a path back to the divine bliss and unity symbolized in the story of the Garden of Eden. For too many, proclaiming belief is seen as the final step in their spiritual journey, as if simply saying the words is enough to be “born again.”
But unless one undergoes a deep and transformative shift in consciousness—an inner awakening that leads to the experience of total unity with our Father and with all of humanity—then the essence of Jesus’ message has not yet been realized. He taught that heaven is within us, accessible now, not merely promised after death. If that experience still feels distant, then this may be your call to realign with the true purpose of his teachings—and to go beyond merely stating what you accept or believe. The real journey begins when belief transforms into a spiritually awakened human.
The insistence that Christians must make these declarations—such as accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior—was a development that emerged after his death. These doctrines were constructed by those who misunderstood or deliberately reinterpreted his message. They conflated Jesus’ statements about being “one with the Father” with a claim to be uniquely a singular God himself. In doing so, they overlooked the profound spiritual truth he was pointing to: that divine unity is something all of us can attain. This same misinterpretation is what led the Roman authorities to condemn him—they failed to grasp the difference between achieving oneness with God and claiming to be God. Unfortunately, that misunderstanding became enshrined in doctrine, leading to the worship of the messenger instead of the practice of his message.
When Jesus said, “I and the Father are one,” he was describing a state of spiritual enlightenment—a profound unity with God, the universe, and all of humanity. This was never a claim to be a literal singular deity walking the earth, but rather a reflection of the oneness we are all capable of realizing. He also reflected a human being who had completely succumbed and surrendered to the Holy Spirit completely, something all of us can do ourselves, in essence making us conduits and proxies for our source and father via the Holy Spirit. Jesus didn’t intend to keep this experience of divine union to himself; on the contrary, he taught his followers how to attain the same state of consciousness. Unfortunately, this message has been misunderstood for centuries. Yet anyone can personally verify the truth of his teachings—by earnestly practicing them and experiencing the spiritual awakening he described.
His path was not about worshiping, but about transformation via his easily laid out instructions. Focusing on his worship instead of his instructions will guarantee any of his followers a path to nowhere. He directed all worship towards our greater father the universe, taught us to invoke the spirit of the universe which he referred to as the Holy Spirit as well as non egoistical practices that were genuinely humane, selfless and empathetic lessons we all know by heart by many rarely put into actual application.
In many ways, Jesus and the Buddha share a striking similarity: neither sought worship, but instead devoted their lives to guiding others toward spiritual awakening and enlightenment. Their teachings, though emerging from different cultural contexts, align in profound ways. In fact, many of the core principles in Buddhism beautifully complement and deepen the message Jesus conveyed. It is not uncommon for Christians to also embrace Buddhist practices, as both traditions emphasize compassion, selflessness, inner stillness, and the transcendence of ego. What ultimately matters is not religious affiliation, but whether the transformational guidelines Jesus gave are actually followed—and Buddhist teachings can serve to reinforce and illuminate that path.
For conservative Christians who may feel conflicted, it’s important to understand that embracing the core teachings of Buddhism does not betray or disobey Jesus. Buddhism, after all, is not a religion in the traditional sense—it is a spiritual practice aimed at spiritual awakening from our egos. Similarly, there is strong reason to believe that Jesus never intended to establish a formal religion either. His ministry was not about building institutions, but about offering a path to spiritual awakening. Organized religion, by its nature, often divides people into competing groups—something that runs counter to Jesus’ message of universal love, forgiveness, and unity. At the heart of his teachings was a call to recognize our shared humanity and to foster peace by seeing ourselves in one another. It is unthinkable that our greater Father—the universe—would condition enlightenment or heaven on adherence to specific religious labels or teams, as if divine love were selective or biased. The path to awakening was meant for everyone, not just a chosen few.
Many Christians believe that only those who explicitly declare themselves as Christians will experience heaven or enlightenment—even if people of other faiths live in full alignment with the teachings of Jesus. This belief is deeply flawed. The attainment of spiritual truth and enlightenment is not determined by one’s religious affiliation, but by the life one chooses to lead and the values one embodies. To suggest that the universe, our greater Father would prioritize labels over love, or affiliation over action, is to ignore the very essence of Jesus’ message. His teachings were rooted in unity, not division—in compassion, not exclusion. The idea that the divine would desire segregation among humanity contradicts everything Jesus stood for.
Ultimately, what matters most is not the label you place on yourself, but whether you genuinely follow the instructions that lead to spiritual awakening. In fact, an atheist who sincerely lives according to Jesus’ teachings—by loving others, practicing forgiveness, showing compassion, and avoiding unnecessary conflict—may be closer to enlightenment than a self-proclaimed Christian who ignores those very principles. You don’t need to call yourself a Christian to embody the spirit of Christ’s message. The most authentically “Christian” people are not those with the most Jesus bumper stickers or religious declarations, but those who live in alignment with his teachings—even if they don’t identify with the Christian label at all.
This diluted version of Christianity is often referred to as “easy believism”—the notion that salvation, eternal life, and spiritual truth can be secured simply by professing belief in Jesus. It’s a shallow and incomplete approach, reducing a profound spiritual path to a few spoken words. At best, it’s a half-hearted form of Christianity that avoids the effort required to genuinely follow Jesus’ teachings, and in doing so, forfeits the transformative rewards his path offers. Ironically, an atheist who unknowingly lives in accordance with Jesus’ principles—by practicing compassion, forgiveness, humility, and love—may be far more aligned with our greater Father than the self-proclaimed Christian who disregards everything Jesus actually taught. True spiritual harmony isn’t found in titles—it’s found in how one lives.
In the end, worshiping Jesus or declaring him as your Lord, Savior, or God was never part of the message he taught. What he did offer were clear, practical guidelines for how to live a life that leads to spiritual awakening—a path to unlocking the heaven or enlightenment that already exists within each of us. These teachings were not meant to be selectively followed or molded to fit personal comfort; they were meant to be practiced faithfully and wholeheartedly. The true power of Jesus’ message lies not in titles or declarations, but in the transformation that comes from living his instructions with sincerity and integrity.
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