John 14:23; Luke 10: 30-37; John 8: 1-11; Mark 12: 33; Galatians 4:4-7
4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
One of the greatest misconceptions we can have, is to mistake religion for relationship – this is common in most religions, including Christianity. Religion is characterized by a set of beliefs, rules, practices, and ritual observances. It will almost seem as if the emptiness of such pursuits is masked by the moral values or strict adherence to the dos and don’ts of such a culture.
The truth about having a religion is that it dominates one’s thinking, and sometimes paralyses your reasoning – caught up in the dos and don’ts of daily moral routines, one may fail to recognize opportunities to show mercy, demonstrate God’s love, and/or power. In the story of the good Samaritan, the Priest, and the Levite were all religious people, but apparently engrossed in their religious pursuits (or responsibilities) and never showed any deed of kindness to the wounded man. For the woman caught in adultery, the religious teachers had no iota of mercy left in them – this woman had violated the law, failed in moral standards, and deserved to die!
In the two examples above, Jesus demonstrates the fact that kindness defies religious practices, and culture; mercy overrides religious set of rules. God’s love supersedes religious beliefs, and man-made traditions! You wouldn’t dare believe that all of Christ’s sufferings, shame, pain, and humiliation was for us to have only a set of ritual observances framed by our own parochial minds – God forbid!
Jesus died that we may have a relationship with Him; a deeper knowledge and intimacy – not the superficial acquaintance produced by a casual religious set of rules. A relationship is firmly rooted in the knowledge that God loved us enough to die for us; and so we genuinely commit ourselves to loving Him with all of our heart, soul, mind. Religion is regimented, full of man’s traditions, and robs us of a natural response to God’s love!
A relationship means we respond naturally to God’s love, worshiping Him, pleasing Him, honoring Him with our bodies/minds, knowing him intimately, and living for Him. And this is what God requires of (and desires from) us – nothing thrills His heart more than a voluntary act of worship and reverence. A relationship gives us access to ‘Sonship’ with God, and qualifies us as heirs to His inheritance!
Are you having a religion, or, a relationship with God? Think about it, and prayerfully reflect on your thoughts.