Paul B Thomas This post has already been read 281 times!
Religion v Jesus is seems to be an in-discussion at the moment. Here’s my two penneth as the Welsh say.
Am I religious? yes! because I’m a Christian, let me explain. Religion is not what God gives, it is what man creates around the keeping of a set of rules that he knows he cannot keep. Religion is not bad it’s good when you don’t have order and rules to live by. Religion is good for folks who need parameters and guess what we all need parameters. Man always creates a religion for himself when he doesn’t want to submit to a God that he knows exists. When man wants to feel right, he creates a religion which he can be comfortable with and so becomes his own ideal god who he wouldnt otherwise bother with!
Jesus wasn’t against religion he was just against those who believed that their religion made them right with God. Those whose “god” was their religion. Jesus was against those who made religion bigger than what it really should be. He defined religion by saying,
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep yourself unspotted from the world (James 1:27)
Now that’s all religion should be, and apart from that I would say I’m not religious. Now, if pure religion is visiting the fatherless and widows, then being religious is good, if that’s all it is! if its anything more, it’s bad and not pure. To be unspotted before God one must be a born again or a Christian which suggest then that only Christians are religious. So are Christians who are bashing religion really bashing their own faith? I think so. The issue with religion is not that its bad, but by itself, it just can’t save me. So let me define it like this, pure religion is good but when it become’s your “faith,” you’re sunk!
Paul.
Thank you for this post. I often say I am not religious but I am righteous. Your post has enlightened me on the true meaning of being religious. With this, I guess I have fallen short of being both religious and righteous. It is thought today that to be religious is to take part in a lot of rituals – mostly pagan- that are deemed righteous by the church. That’s what lead me to the conclusion that I am not religious. For my salvation is not determined by taking part in the weekly ritual determined by the church, but by my heart and my actions hear on earth, meaning if I have been born again, give my life to serve God and remain pure at heart and in action. The bible’s definition of religious is a step I am missing that I will now incorporate. I am trying to keep myself unspotted by the world which is proving to be a tad bit more challenging than I’d hoped. We were born and raised into this world and it is most everything we know – so I need to find a way to make time to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction. Maybe I am already doing this but without the intent to do it. Would that count?
Good post, brother. Sounds like we may see things eye-to-eye on this one. I, too, think the religion bashing has been taken a little too far.
I think everyone is religious, whether that be for love of God or for anything else. I just pray that I do all for God’s glory, making sure my heart is involved and paying attention to Him, something I strive for knowing I am not there yet. Thank you for the thoughtfulness of your meditation. God bless.
YES! – agreement