I touched briefly on this topic in my last post, but ever since then I've been feeling the Spirit in me nudging me to delve deeper into "religion vs. relationship", to fully explain the truths He has shared with me and that have been revealed to me through the seeking of God's Word and studying the scriptures.
In order to see the difference between the two, lets define them. Here's the definition of 'Religion' according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary...
Here's what Wikipedia had to say about Religion...
"Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values.[1] Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the universe. They tend to derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the cosmos and human nature."
From the definitions above, 'Religion' is defined as something we humans practice in order to please God; to try to gain his favor or approval in our lives. There's a problem with that though. God cannot approve of the spiritually dead. God only accepts what is holy, and there is only one of us who ever lived a perfectly holy and blameless life, His Son, Jesus Christ.
(NIV) Romans 3:10- "As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;"
(NIV) Romans 3:23- "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
If you are not in Christ, you are in Adam and are spiritually dead. As I pointed out in my last post, we are all born into the world spiritually dead because of Adam & Eve and their betrayal in the Garden of Eden.
Bob George explains it this way in his book Classic Christianity. "From God's point of view there are only two kind of people in this world: those who are in Adam, and those who are in Christ. To be "in" somebody might sound strange, but put simply, it means that they are your family head. The two family heads in this world are Adam & Jesus Christ."
When we are in Christ, God sees us as totally acceptable and righteous in His sight-not because of what we do, because of what Christ has done for us. Without Christ none of us can be counted as holy or blameless in God's sight, and nothing we do, including serving a religion, can change that fact.
Now let's define relationship. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary says...
Relationship- (1) the state of being related or interrelated; (2) the relation connecting or binding participants in a relationship; Kinship. (3) a romantic or passionate attachment.
I like what Mark Hall, (lead singer of Casting Crowns), wrote in his book The Well..."Have you ever sensed God trying to break through, saying 'I am NOT a book. I am a Person who wants to know YOU!' ?"
In order to see the difference between the two, lets define them. Here's the definition of 'Religion' according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary...
"Religion: (1a) the service and worship of God or the supernatural; (b) commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance. (2) a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices; a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith."
Here's what Wikipedia had to say about Religion...
"Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values.[1] Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the universe. They tend to derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the cosmos and human nature."
From the definitions above, 'Religion' is defined as something we humans practice in order to please God; to try to gain his favor or approval in our lives. There's a problem with that though. God cannot approve of the spiritually dead. God only accepts what is holy, and there is only one of us who ever lived a perfectly holy and blameless life, His Son, Jesus Christ.
(NIV) Romans 3:10- "As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;"
(NIV) Romans 3:23- "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
If you are not in Christ, you are in Adam and are spiritually dead. As I pointed out in my last post, we are all born into the world spiritually dead because of Adam & Eve and their betrayal in the Garden of Eden.
Bob George explains it this way in his book Classic Christianity. "From God's point of view there are only two kind of people in this world: those who are in Adam, and those who are in Christ. To be "in" somebody might sound strange, but put simply, it means that they are your family head. The two family heads in this world are Adam & Jesus Christ."
When we are in Christ, God sees us as totally acceptable and righteous in His sight-not because of what we do, because of what Christ has done for us. Without Christ none of us can be counted as holy or blameless in God's sight, and nothing we do, including serving a religion, can change that fact.
Now let's define relationship. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary says...
Relationship- (1) the state of being related or interrelated; (2) the relation connecting or binding participants in a relationship; Kinship. (3) a romantic or passionate attachment.
Dictionary.com says...
Relationship- 1. a connection, association, or involvement. 2. connection between persons by blood or marriage. 3. an emotional or other connection between people.
From these short definitions, a relationship sounds like much more than a religion. It is defined as a deeper, more personal connection between persons. You see, God longs to have a real connection with us. That was His plan from the creation of the world!
I like what Mark Hall, (lead singer of Casting Crowns), wrote in his book The Well..."Have you ever sensed God trying to break through, saying 'I am NOT a book. I am a Person who wants to know YOU!' ?"
God didn't just send Jesus to us to help get us out of hell, he also sent him to get Himself out of heaven & into US! The real goal of the Christian life is to get to KNOW CHRIST, and the motivation for such is the love & grace of God shown to us by him sending his Son to die on the cross for us. It is our Heavenly Father's desire for us as believers, to "express our faith through love".
Jesus told us so in John 13:35-- "All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another".
As believers, and beloved children of God, we are called to live according to the same pattern as our Lord Jesus Christ. When "we receive God's love & become channels of that love to others, we can walk in the assurance that we are fulfilling the highest purpose of God in our daily lives."--Bob George Classic Christianity.
Jesus told us so in John 13:35-- "All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another".
As believers, and beloved children of God, we are called to live according to the same pattern as our Lord Jesus Christ. When "we receive God's love & become channels of that love to others, we can walk in the assurance that we are fulfilling the highest purpose of God in our daily lives."--Bob George Classic Christianity.
The sad thing is, many Christians today seem to miss the fact that a
relationship w/Christ is more than just accepting him & receiving
salvation. Once we come to know the Truth, we are called to a way of
life where God sits above all and works through us to accomplish his
perfect will on earth.
"As Christians, the God who created this universe lives in us & wants to use our bodies every day of our lives to show His love and grace to the world around us! God lives in you and wants to produce fruit through you that will endure for eternity!"--Bob George Classic Christianity
"As Christians, the God who created this universe lives in us & wants to use our bodies every day of our lives to show His love and grace to the world around us! God lives in you and wants to produce fruit through you that will endure for eternity!"--Bob George Classic Christianity
That is so much more than a religion! Yet many of
us in the faith treat our relationship w/Christ as such, completely
missing out on what God intended for us to experience as his children &
heirs of the promise. Wake up brothers and sisters of faith, life is too short to miss the REAL thing!
We know that religion cannot deliver what it promises, for if it could Christ died for nothing. I don't know about you, but I don't believe for one second that God would send his One & Only Son, whom He loves above all else, to die on the cross in vain. Religion
cannot deliver what it promises. Religion will never get you a
relationship with the one true God, because there is never enough that
we
can do on our own to "earn" God's favor.
The only one who has God's favor is Christ, and the only way we can be made acceptable in God's sight is by accepting Him. It was God's plan all along, from before Satan defied Him, to make a way for the world to be reconciled to Him and restore the lives of men. Religion, with all its traditions, rituals, customs, well-meaning beliefs & moral ethics, cannot do that for you friends--only Christ can.
The only one who has God's favor is Christ, and the only way we can be made acceptable in God's sight is by accepting Him. It was God's plan all along, from before Satan defied Him, to make a way for the world to be reconciled to Him and restore the lives of men. Religion, with all its traditions, rituals, customs, well-meaning beliefs & moral ethics, cannot do that for you friends--only Christ can.
(NKJV) John 14:6-- Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
"God has not called us to change our lives, but to experience the 'exchanged life'. We give Christ all that we are-spiritually dead, guilty sinners--and Christ gives us all that He is--resurrected life, forgiveness, righteousness, love & acceptance." Bob George Classic Christianity
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