Should followers of Jesus view their walk with Him as more of a religion or a relationship?
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I see so many debates online about how our walk with the Lord should be a religion. Others argue that it isn’t religion at all, but a relationship.
Some people claim that God is all rules and no true friendship. Others want to tell you that God gives infinite grace so that you can do whatever you want and stay close buddies with him, no commandments
If you’re confused about where your relationship with God stands on the religion-relationship, keep reading!! Details about receiving weekly emails to my posts are at the bottom if you’re interested in reading more!
Defining “Religion” and “Relationship”
If we first break down the definition of religion, we read that it is a “belief or worship of a superhuman power or God”.
Religion is to belief in the one true God. Religion is to worship God and follow his guidance.
Relationships are defined as the way in which two people are connected, or the state of being connected.
Relationship with Jesus is connection with Jesus and the choice to be close to him.
Relationship is the depth of our walk with Jesus and the dynamic ups and downs, connections, emotions, and companionship that we receive daily with Jesus. It goes further than just the instructions he gives us.
“Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
“You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” (Psalm 56:8)
“God will continually revitalize you, implanting within you the passion to do what pleases him.”
(Philippians 2:13)
It includes belief and worship, but it isn’t the end of our place with him. If we just stated that we believed in him and worshipped him on Sunday morning, but we didn’t do anything else with Jesus, how closely are we walking with him? What is the depth of the connection to Jesus?
I think that some of us are scared of the thought of going all in with Jesus, possibly because we’ve been in bad relationships, situations and seasons with people or things we shouldn’t have trusted or followed. A lot of our thoughts will subconsciously place Jesus in the same category.
Jesus is the only 100% secure relationship that you and I will ever have with someone. People will hurt us; Jesus will never hurt us.
In first Corinthians 13:4-7, the Bible reads that love is patient, love always protects, always trusts, it always hopes and always perseveres.
Religion or Relationship?
We can keep all of the rules that Jesus has given us but if we don’t care to know him then the reading we’re doing in the word isn’t completely reaching us.
With Jesus, we have to take both. Religion and relationship are key with Him. Why not utilize both?
“My beloved ones, just like you’ve always listened to everything I’ve taught you in the past, I’m asking you now to keep following my instructions as though I were right there with you. Now you must continue to make this new life fully manifested as you live in the holy awe of God—which brings you trembling into his presence.”
(Philippians 2:12)
This passage shows that there is both aspects to our walk with God. We can have both; saying that we have a relationship with God doesn’t mean that we don’t follow him, and saying that our religion is Christianity doesn’t demote the deep connection we have with God.
One of my favorite things about Jesus is that he holds emotion and logic together. This means that he would walk with us with intuition and emotion at the same time.
He knows how to control both perfectly and as we become more like him, he teaches us through our life to hold both of them simultaneously.
Christianity is more than checking off boxes and making sure that you look righteous in front of others. It is the best relationship that you can ever choose and he is the best religion that you can ever choose, as he is the only true religion.
““Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
(Matthew 7:21-24)
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