What works: religion or relationship?

The Scriptures tell us: “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits* of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8 ESV)

Religion by definition, according to Webster’s is: “a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices.”

On the contrary, relationships by definition is: “the relation connecting or binding participants in a relationship.”

In the name of religion, all of us have seen headlines of people being put to death, people being put out, and people being segregated. Whether it was the religious crusades of the ages past, the struggles that have taken place between the Catholics and Protestants in Ireland, or even into today, the continual struggle that we see between the Jews and Muslims in the Middle East.

Really, when you consider the question as to: What works? Religion or relationship, you must consider the fact that religion doesn’t save anyone. It didn’t in the Bible days, and it certainly doesn’t today.

In fact, in the name of religion Cain was killed, the prophets of old were killed, Jesus was put to death, the apostles were shown an early death, and early Christians were burned at stakes and fed to lions.

Consider this: Adam and Eve were spared death because of a relationship with God, God spared the earth from complete destruction because of Noah’s relationship with Him, Lot’s life was spared because his cousin Abraham had a relationship with God, David was spared death because of his relationship with God, not to mention the countless others that had the same outcome due to the simple fact that they had a personal relationship with God.

John the Revelator said this: “And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we are in God because we are in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.” (1 John 5:20 NLT)

He says that the Son of God has come so that we can know the true God. When a person knows someone, they are familiar or have direct cognition with that person.

Even the Apostle Paul, prior to his conversion, was out to arrest the Christians, of his day, all in the name of religion. Notice though, when he had his encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, he started a new phase in his life.

The Lord knocked Saul (later Paul) to the ground and blinded him saying basically, “Why are you using your religion to maim and hurt those that actually have a relationship with me?”

From that blinding experience, Saul was led into the city where all of a sudden for the first time he got to find out what a relationship with God was all about when he received the gift of the Holy Spirit (God in him). It’s not a coincidence that God changed his name from Saul, meaning “asked for, wished for” to Paul, meaning “small and humble.”

He went from religion based on humanity’s religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices where man is puffed up, to a relationship with God, where as humanity we realize that we are small and God is great. In fact it was the Apostle Paul, after he had suffered immensely at the hands of many different facets of society including government and religion, weather calamities, and nature. He counted all that he had accomplished as but “dung.”

You or I would count all of our accomplishments. We would place all of our certificates, awards, medals, trophies and the like on the wall for all to see, yet Paul understood that his quest was not to have religious accolades, but to truly have a relationship with God.

Paul wrote: “that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:10-12 KJV)

Again, similar to what John wrote, Paul wanted to know Jesus, not just have religion.

The real question comes down to you and me directly: “What do you want in your life: religion with all of its traditions, rituals, and institutions, or a personal relationship with the creator of the world, Jesus Christ based on His word, the Bible?”

With religion you set yourself up for being hurt, with relationship you set yourself up for heaven. With religion you only get to know about God, with relationship you get to personally know God for yourself. With religion you simply read of those in the Bible that knew Jesus Christ, with a relationship you experience Him for yourself. With religion you simply accept a belief, with relationship you receive Jesus Christ into your heart and life through repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Stop pretending that you know God, if all you know is religious ritual. Start praying, asking God to reveal his truth to you, so that you may have a personal relationship with Him.

You decide – religion or relationship. Religion saves no one; relationship with Jesus Christ can save everyone.