When I choose to run from Him into the darkness He is with me. He never demands that I leave my sin, He’s waiting for me to invite Him into that moment.
Christianity: the only faith that is not a religion.
Religion: “to be bound” by rules, regulations, & rituals in order that one may attain salvation.
Jesus Christ: freedom from religion & the most anti-religious person that ever lived.
Your skirt is too wrinkled. You can’t wear that to church. She’s the loud, trouble-making one. Follow the rules. You forgot to pray today. You swore a lot today. You skipped church today. God is mad at you. Memorize the Bible verses. Follow the rules. Don’t mess up. You should love God because we told you to. You have to attend Bible study every week. Where are your manners? Sing the hymns in church. You have to be baptized. Take communion. Tithe your money. Follow the rules.
My childhood. Most of these things were for my benefit to establish a solid Christian foundation taught to me by my parents and to learn how to honor my father and mother, which I am grateful for. The rest of these things were instilled in me from the church, from teachers, from Christians who knew how to walk, talk, and present themselves the way a Christian should. Rules. Regulations. Patterns. “Do’s & Don’t’s.”
I have to dress my best for church. I have to raise my hands when I worship. Oh no, I’m late. Do they know about my sins? I have to smile. I have to be happy. Follow the rules. I have to read my Bible. I need to claim the correct denomination. They know more Bible stories than me. I skipped church today. God is mad at me. Am I tithing enough? Follow the rules. I hope they see me praying. How’s my performance? Do I sound spiritual enough? I should talk about God more so I look Holy. Follow the rules.
My adulthood. I was a Christian. I walked the walk and talked the talk. I was religious. Why was there something still missing?
Religion: Humanity trying to reach God by their own efforts.
Truth: We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ & demonstrated by good works but it is not the works themselves that actually save us.
For centuries, people have searched for a way to Heaven other than Jesus Christ. If we focus on Jesus, religion takes care of itself, our actions take care of themselves, and our conversations take care of themselves.
When we accept true Christianity in Jesus Christ, we accept a person, not a religion.
Religion: always man-made.
The famous apostle Paul lived the first half of his life as a religious man. He persecuted Christians. He worshipped religion. He walked the walk and talked the talk but lacked the relationship. He was the Saddam Hussein of his time. And yet God still pursued him and saved him.
I’ve done terrible things in my past. My testimony involves a lot of religion and not a glimpse of a relationship with Christ. My past involves a lot of drinking, partying, boyfriend after boyfriend, lying to my parents, skipping a lot of school, getting arrested for stealing, and the list goes on and on. I don’t deserve salvation. I don’t deserve such a relentless love that Jesus gives me. But no one is too far for God to save them and He loves me anyways, in my mess and in my sin.
Christianity: a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jesus isn’t concerned with our performance or our denomination or how many Bible verses we can memorize or even with converting people. He’s concerned with transforming us; he’s concerned with our heart condition and with having a true relationship with us.
Simple salvation lies within the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). Christ alone saves us and not by our works, good deeds, or performances. The Lord’s righteousness is credited to us by faith alone, not works or acts.
Religion: appearance & ‘works’ oriented.
So why did I care? Why was I so concerned about performing? I am a sinner saved by grace and I now live for an audience of One. My relationship with my Savior is all that matters and not how “good” of a Christian I am.
If you give your life to religion, you will be let down one day when you take your last breath because it’s not going to be religion holding your hand taking you across the Jordan, it’s going to be Jesus standing on the other side who is going to hold your hand, and he’s been holding your hand even before you got there.
Growing up, I loved God because that’s what I was told to do. But now, I am in love with God because of the intimate relationship I share with Him and that is all He cares about.
Christianity: free salvation through Jesus Christ. He did the work for us.
We teach people about the works, the actions, the rules, the do’s & don’t’s, the philosophy of Christianity. But are we telling them about Jesus? About how He relentlessly pursues and loves each individual more than anyone on this earth ever could? What is our focus? Are we in relationship or in religion?
I’ve given up my religion. I am free. I’ve dove deep into the waters of intimacy with my Christ and stand firm in the identity I possess through Him and through His death on the cross for me. He died for me and for the rest of this world. How can I not desire a relationship with Him after knowing that? The one who people deny, who I denied before, is the one who comes for them, chasing them, pursuing them, after them. He leaves the 99 to go find the one who is lost because He loves us. He pursues us even when we aren’t pursuing Him. That is all that matters.
Christ died for you and He would do it again and again and again. If you have questions or just want to talk more about the beautiful salvation that is found in Christ, please contact me!
Click the YouTube video below to listen to one of my favorite songs about God’s overwhelming, never ending, reckless love. Be blessed.
