Who am I? Why am I even here? What is my purpose in life? I think these are probing questions that just about all of us have found ourselves asking at one point or another along the journey of life. In desperation to find answers to these questions, hope, and satisfaction, people try turning to any number of different things, often only to find themselves leaving disappointed, empty-handed, and on the road searching once again. One of the things that I’m afraid too many people cling to as the answer is organized religion. What, might you ask, is wrong with that? Isn’t religion supposed to be a good thing because it’s all about Jesus and loving others? Well….yes and no.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say something that might come as a surprise to some: I love Jesus, but not religion. Religion can be a good thing, but the truth is that far too many people confuse the idea of being religious with having a relationship with Jesus Christ. I have grown up in church all my life, and I’ll be the first to admit that I do often participate in different religious activities with my church. BUT, one thing that has really hit home to me after all these years is that religion will not give you meaning in life, and all the religious things we do are completely empty and meaningless unless we truly FIND Jesus. In fact, if we approach it in the wrong way, religion can wind up being more about self and personal glory than about Jesus and others. Doing religious things does not give us purpose and answers in life; rather, purpose and meaning come when we have a personal relationship with and a love for Jesus Christ that flows from a heart that is truly devoted to Him.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say something that might come as a surprise to some: I love Jesus, but not religion. Religion can be a good thing, but the truth is that far too many people confuse the idea of being religious with having a relationship with Jesus Christ. I have grown up in church all my life, and I’ll be the first to admit that I do often participate in different religious activities with my church. BUT, one thing that has really hit home to me after all these years is that religion will not give you meaning in life, and all the religious things we do are completely empty and meaningless unless we truly FIND Jesus. In fact, if we approach it in the wrong way, religion can wind up being more about self and personal glory than about Jesus and others. Doing religious things does not give us purpose and answers in life; rather, purpose and meaning come when we have a personal relationship with and a love for Jesus Christ that flows from a heart that is truly devoted to Him.
I have a Facebook page, and one of the things it asked me to do when I created my page was to categorize my religion. Rather than listing a specific religious denomination, I wrote: “It’s not a religion that I have but a relationship with Jesus Christ.” It’s the relationship that counts, not the title of a denomination. In this post I want to briefly share with you six reasons why I have a relationship with Jesus Christ rather than a religion, and why I love Jesus, but not religion. Some of these points are closely related, but please stick with me! :) I feel these points are very important….
1. Religion focuses primarily on ritualistic actions. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ focuses not only on the actions, but also on the WHY behind those actions. If we blindly perform certain actions, such as attending church a certain number of times each week, praying prayers, memorizing and reciting scriptures, complying with a certain form of dress, tithing of our earnings, abstaining from certain behaviors, etc. simply because someone tells us to, then we are probably focusing too much on religion and too little on our relationship. There are many people that just “go through the motions” but if they don’t understand WHY they are doing something, then what they are doing really is quite meaningless. The unfortunate result is people that perform the ritualistic actions without personally knowing why they are doing them often wind up getting “burned out” and ditching God because there was no true purpose to their actions.
Matthew 6:7 says: “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”
This verse serves as just one example to us of how we shouldn’t do things mindlessly out of habit (“vain repetitions”) so that we appear spiritual, but that our actions ought to go deeper. The actions don’t bring meaning by themselves; rather, the actions combined with the motive behind those actions is what is of value. The true purpose behind our actions ought to be to please Jesus Christ and grow closer to Him. Any other motivation for religious actions then usually is a selfish one.
1. Religion focuses primarily on ritualistic actions. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ focuses not only on the actions, but also on the WHY behind those actions. If we blindly perform certain actions, such as attending church a certain number of times each week, praying prayers, memorizing and reciting scriptures, complying with a certain form of dress, tithing of our earnings, abstaining from certain behaviors, etc. simply because someone tells us to, then we are probably focusing too much on religion and too little on our relationship. There are many people that just “go through the motions” but if they don’t understand WHY they are doing something, then what they are doing really is quite meaningless. The unfortunate result is people that perform the ritualistic actions without personally knowing why they are doing them often wind up getting “burned out” and ditching God because there was no true purpose to their actions.
Matthew 6:7 says: “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”
This verse serves as just one example to us of how we shouldn’t do things mindlessly out of habit (“vain repetitions”) so that we appear spiritual, but that our actions ought to go deeper. The actions don’t bring meaning by themselves; rather, the actions combined with the motive behind those actions is what is of value. The true purpose behind our actions ought to be to please Jesus Christ and grow closer to Him. Any other motivation for religious actions then usually is a selfish one.
2. Religion views outward appearance and performance as a measure of holiness, while a personal relationship with God looks at the condition of the heart. Far too many Christians place too much emphasis on the outward appearance. In their mind, if you dress a certain way, then surely you are spiritual. If you attend church every time the doors are open, then you are spiritual. If you give a certain amount of money to the church, then you are spiritual. The problem is that you can be the best dressed, most faithful, sacrifical church member and still have a heart problem. Many people seek to perform all the outward actions that will make themselves look good. Notice I said “perform.” Too many people act as if they are on a stage to put on a grand display of outward actions to please the people, when in reality, the condition of their heart stinks. As my childhood pastor used to say, a lot of people “play church.” In other words, they adjust their behavior to appear spiritual when the church doors are open, but then go out and live it up the rest of the week however they please with no change of heart. God can see right through the outward show.
God looks at the condition of the heart, not on our outward appearance of holiness. Perhaps that’s why in Psalm 51:10 we are reminded to pray: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” In other words, God wants us to get our heart in shape. Don’t get me wrong. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t please God with our outward appearance….it simply means that the outward display is not what matters most to Him. Perhaps a more familiar verse is 1 Samuel 16:7b that says: “… for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”
3. Participation in religion too often becomes a mindless chore focused on complying with human standards, while a true relationship with God is one that must be nurtured willingly and purposefully. Let’s look for a moment at the analogy of a parent/child relationship. Some children mindlessly just do what is expected of them because they want to please their parents in order to “get them off their back.” Pleasing their parents becomes like a chore that gets old really fast because there is no personal desire to do so. On the other hand, there are children that willingly and purposefully do what their parents ask them to do because they love them and truly want to please them. Doing what is right to please their parents doesn’t get burdensome because they are truly filled with love for their parents.
The difference between religion and a true relationship with God reflects the difference between the two types of children mentioned above. Far too many people in organized religion get so caught up in doing all the things they feel are required by their religion that they lose sight of the meaning behind why they are doing them. This causes participation in religion to become like a chore to which many people soon get turned off. It essentially just becomes too much work. In a true relationship with Jesus Christ, however, one loves Him with all their heart, and their actions flow out of that love that they have for Him. They are not attending church, reading their Bible, praying, giving to others, etc. because they feel like they have to, but because Christ has filled their heart with so much love that those actions simply flow as a natural response.
God looks at the condition of the heart, not on our outward appearance of holiness. Perhaps that’s why in Psalm 51:10 we are reminded to pray: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” In other words, God wants us to get our heart in shape. Don’t get me wrong. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t please God with our outward appearance….it simply means that the outward display is not what matters most to Him. Perhaps a more familiar verse is 1 Samuel 16:7b that says: “… for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”
3. Participation in religion too often becomes a mindless chore focused on complying with human standards, while a true relationship with God is one that must be nurtured willingly and purposefully. Let’s look for a moment at the analogy of a parent/child relationship. Some children mindlessly just do what is expected of them because they want to please their parents in order to “get them off their back.” Pleasing their parents becomes like a chore that gets old really fast because there is no personal desire to do so. On the other hand, there are children that willingly and purposefully do what their parents ask them to do because they love them and truly want to please them. Doing what is right to please their parents doesn’t get burdensome because they are truly filled with love for their parents.
The difference between religion and a true relationship with God reflects the difference between the two types of children mentioned above. Far too many people in organized religion get so caught up in doing all the things they feel are required by their religion that they lose sight of the meaning behind why they are doing them. This causes participation in religion to become like a chore to which many people soon get turned off. It essentially just becomes too much work. In a true relationship with Jesus Christ, however, one loves Him with all their heart, and their actions flow out of that love that they have for Him. They are not attending church, reading their Bible, praying, giving to others, etc. because they feel like they have to, but because Christ has filled their heart with so much love that those actions simply flow as a natural response.
4. Religion by itself often shuns people when they don’t measure up, while in a relationship with God we find the hope and assurance of grace and forgiveness. Now I know that crimes against the religious faith may not be viewed as seriously in some denominations as they used to be, but I remember reading in the history books about certain religious groups that would excommunicate or even torture members of their faith if they failed to obey the religious commands. The problem with this approach of religion is that it in no way reflects the message of grace and forgiveness as offered by Jesus Christ in the Scriptures.
While people may not be subject to the gruesome guillotine anymore for disobeying the commands of their religion, I believe there are some modern faiths where people are judged and not treated the same if they commit a sin against the beliefs of the church. I’m so thankful that in my personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I know that I am forgiven when I ask Him. Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” No matter what we have in our past or the recent mistakes we have made, God promises to forgive if we ask Him. And the message that Christ wants us to live in our daily lives is, “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).
5. Religion is often passed down through family history with expecations of future generations to follow, while a relationship with God is an individual choice that we each must make for ourself at a time of our own choosing. Many times you’ll hear people say “I’m Catholic” or “I’m Lutheran” or "I'm Baptist." When you ask what they believe or why they believe it, the response you may hear is: “I don’t know….because it’s tradition?” Or “I believe that because it’s what my family always told me is true.” Many generations of people often tightly grasp certain religious convictions simply because their predecessors believed a certain way and told them that’s just the way it is. What I love about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is that it emphasizes the necessity of a personal choice to accept Christ. Nobody can accept Christ for you. Nobody can force you to accept Christ. Nobody can enter into a personal relationship with Him for you based on simple family religious history. Everyone must choose for himself. As Romans 10:13 says: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
The key word is “call.” We each must call upon the Lord to receive Him. Everyone has the opportunity to “call upon the name of the Lord,” but some unfortunately choose not to. It’s not something we automatically are granted or forced to believe due to our family’s religious heritage. We have a free choice.
While people may not be subject to the gruesome guillotine anymore for disobeying the commands of their religion, I believe there are some modern faiths where people are judged and not treated the same if they commit a sin against the beliefs of the church. I’m so thankful that in my personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I know that I am forgiven when I ask Him. Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” No matter what we have in our past or the recent mistakes we have made, God promises to forgive if we ask Him. And the message that Christ wants us to live in our daily lives is, “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).
5. Religion is often passed down through family history with expecations of future generations to follow, while a relationship with God is an individual choice that we each must make for ourself at a time of our own choosing. Many times you’ll hear people say “I’m Catholic” or “I’m Lutheran” or "I'm Baptist." When you ask what they believe or why they believe it, the response you may hear is: “I don’t know….because it’s tradition?” Or “I believe that because it’s what my family always told me is true.” Many generations of people often tightly grasp certain religious convictions simply because their predecessors believed a certain way and told them that’s just the way it is. What I love about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is that it emphasizes the necessity of a personal choice to accept Christ. Nobody can accept Christ for you. Nobody can force you to accept Christ. Nobody can enter into a personal relationship with Him for you based on simple family religious history. Everyone must choose for himself. As Romans 10:13 says: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
The key word is “call.” We each must call upon the Lord to receive Him. Everyone has the opportunity to “call upon the name of the Lord,” but some unfortunately choose not to. It’s not something we automatically are granted or forced to believe due to our family’s religious heritage. We have a free choice.
6. Religion often demands some sort of work for salvation. It is manmade. A relationship with Jesus Christ and salvation through Him says: “Here is a free gift. Just reach out and accept it by faith.” Too many religious faiths teach that you have to work your way to Heaven or earn Christ’s acceptance by doing good deeds, getting baptized, or successfully completing different church programs. Others teach that if you make a mistake you can lose your salvation through Christ and have to work to get that security back. I’m so thankful that God’s Word says we can freely have a relationship with Christ, and we can know for sure that we have a home in Heaven when we die. All we have to do is by faith reach out and take the free gift that Christ offers us. Ephesians 2:8-9 says: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
My childhood pastor used to say that so many people miss Heaven by a few inches- the distance from their head to their heart. Many people have the “head knowledge” but not the “heart knowledge.” In other words, they do all the spiritual things they should and know in their mind that God can save, but they never pray in their heart to accept Him. We don’t have to work for our salvation. Jesus Christ already paid the price for our salvation on the cross. We just have to accept Him.
. . . Phew! That took a lot of words to say, but I hope you’re still with me! If you are reading this and do not believe exactly the same, I hope you sincerely understand that my purpose was not to offend those who believe differently. I simply believe that God wants me to share the truth, and this is what (to the best of my ability) I understand as the truth based on God’s Holy Word. After all this has been written, I can be the first to admit that my relationship with God is not always what it should be and I’ve made many mistakes in my life, but I am so thankful that it is something I can strive to grow in each and every day. And for those out there that are still searching, there is meaning and purpose in life when you build that relationship and truly FIND Jesus. It’s not about outward religious rituals that are prescribed by some church. It’s about finding and living for the One who found us and gave everything that we might live.
Photo Credits:
Religion vs. Relationship
http://www.lawrencewilson.com/religion-vs-relationship/
Heart Check
http://niesapurple29.blogspot.com/2012/06/check-your-heart.html
Mercy and Grace
https://kingintraining.wordpress.com/tag/compassion/
Gift of Salvation
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Doctrines/Lordship%20Salvation/gift_vs_reward.htm
My childhood pastor used to say that so many people miss Heaven by a few inches- the distance from their head to their heart. Many people have the “head knowledge” but not the “heart knowledge.” In other words, they do all the spiritual things they should and know in their mind that God can save, but they never pray in their heart to accept Him. We don’t have to work for our salvation. Jesus Christ already paid the price for our salvation on the cross. We just have to accept Him.
. . . Phew! That took a lot of words to say, but I hope you’re still with me! If you are reading this and do not believe exactly the same, I hope you sincerely understand that my purpose was not to offend those who believe differently. I simply believe that God wants me to share the truth, and this is what (to the best of my ability) I understand as the truth based on God’s Holy Word. After all this has been written, I can be the first to admit that my relationship with God is not always what it should be and I’ve made many mistakes in my life, but I am so thankful that it is something I can strive to grow in each and every day. And for those out there that are still searching, there is meaning and purpose in life when you build that relationship and truly FIND Jesus. It’s not about outward religious rituals that are prescribed by some church. It’s about finding and living for the One who found us and gave everything that we might live.
Photo Credits:
Religion vs. Relationship
http://www.lawrencewilson.com/religion-vs-relationship/
Heart Check
http://niesapurple29.blogspot.com/2012/06/check-your-heart.html
Mercy and Grace
https://kingintraining.wordpress.com/tag/compassion/
Gift of Salvation
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Doctrines/Lordship%20Salvation/gift_vs_reward.htm