Religion VS Relationship

You have probably heard this counterpoint before. Instagram in particular is full of posts touting that it’s about relationship, not religion. These posts inevitably get bombarded with negative comments from legalists as well. Yet if we go back to the origins of the word, religion literally meant reconnect or to bind. So the concepts are not nearly as mutually exclusive as we are assuming. So it’s kind of a pointless argument that the uninformed engage in. One thing I think the legalists fail to understand is that holiness is not simply a do as God says or be destroyed standard. Rather a follow to better understand God standard. Holiness is the personification of his very character and nature after all. A relationship starts there. When we don't acknowledge this detail, the gospel often becomes devoid of good news.

The real question is, why are so many trying to redefine religion into a cold systemic checklist that doesn’t value sincerity in practice? More importantly, why can’t they see that they are repeating the same mistakes as the Pharisees did as a result? (Matthew 23)

Human Nature likes things cut and dry
This mortal tendency to systemize may seem innocuous enough, but did not God say in Isaiah 55:8 “Your ways are not my ways.” So isn’t this ritualization of religion just humanity trying to interject his lower ways into it? This formulation of religion has had many negative trickle-down effects. Since sin is merely a definition now, and not a symptom of our own brokenness. We merely judge by mere appearances. (John 7:24) Since we are judging by mere appearances we have turned repentance into a surface whitewash. Since we think repentance is but an external manifestation, we never examine our own hearts and motives, let alone others. (Matthew 7:1-6) Since we are leaving our hearts untransformed, we have nothing to offer the lost and brokenhearted, other than how to fake it for the sake of human approval and acceptance. But if we understood any of that we may actually feel compelled to get involved with and care for the lost, not just correct them. Of course, Biblical love like this is challenging and messy, who wants that? This is what people think of when we say religion anymore, but it’s not true religion, but a mere platitude. It’s a counterfeit that serves man’s comfort and convenience rather than honoring God’s will of do unto the least of these. (Matthew 25:31-46)

Keeping God at a distance
There are a few instances in scripture when a mere mortal finds himself in the literal pressure of God. Only to be overwhelmed by awe, fear, and utter humility. Isaiah 6 is but one example. Let’s face it, all our pretenses of religion and surface righteousness would just crumble to dust in the presence of the living God. Yet if we keep God at a distance, and don’t actually reconnect or bind ourselves to him in a relational way. Or allow him to burn us clean as God did for Isaiah. All our illusions, hollow traditions, and humanized religion remain unchallenged. Just the way the prideful who only wash the outside of the cup like to keep it.

The Bible is a very poetic love letter to his children. Yet in our lowly structured ways we have cut the very heart out of it to better suit what we think religion should be. Yet we kid ourselves into thinking this disrespect actually pleases God.

“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” -James 1:26-27
The average legalist typically only values one of these three points ironically enough.

The Visual PARABLEist

2 Corinthians 3:13-18, Luke 6:39