Recently I had lunch with an atheist and we started talking about God. (I promise, I didn't force the topic. LOL! God just has a way of showing up sometimes.) My new friend asked if I was religious. "Oh no," I thought to myself, "He's already labeled me as a religious nut job." I cringed, but not because I was afraid of what he thought of me. I cringed because I don't like the term "religious." In fact I hate it. And so did Jesus.
Throughout the Gospels it's clear that Jesus didn't look favorably on the "religious types." Quite the opposite. At one point He called them a "brood of vipers!" (Matt 23:33). These "law-keepers" put on a front that they were something special. They wanted to give the impression that they loved the Lord, when in fact their hearts were far from Him. It was all for show. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were the utmost of these religious zealots in the Bible. Jesus had a problem with them, big-time. Why? Because they were set on keeping the rules in an effort to earn God's favor. That doesn't work. No sir. If that were the case then faith wouldn't be faith. It would be a set of do's and don'ts. (See Ephesians 2:8-9).
If you're like me though, you occasionally struggle with the do's and don'ts of religion. It's honestly easier to go through a checklist or offer up a rehearsed prayer than to actually engage with Jesus. We have to remember that it's a relationship with Jesus though, not a religion. Of course the world in which we live lumps the terminology all together, but I think it's important to make the distinction.
To stress relationship over religion, Jesus befriended the outcasts of society - those far from the religious circles. He was a friend to sinners including: prostitutes, tax-collectors, thieves, murderers, and more. This means that Jesus takes everyone the way they are. You see, a relationship infers that we come to Jesus just the way we are. He accepts us. Religiosity implies the opposite - that we follow a set of rules first and then He accepts us.
Back to my friend ...Fortunately, I had the time to explain why I didn't like the term religious and how I preferred relationship. It helped to open our dialogue. I think it made him more comfortable, as he asked a lot of questions and seemed curious about my relationship. Hey, curiosity from an atheist is a good thing. :)
GrantJ
Throughout the Gospels it's clear that Jesus didn't look favorably on the "religious types." Quite the opposite. At one point He called them a "brood of vipers!" (Matt 23:33). These "law-keepers" put on a front that they were something special. They wanted to give the impression that they loved the Lord, when in fact their hearts were far from Him. It was all for show. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were the utmost of these religious zealots in the Bible. Jesus had a problem with them, big-time. Why? Because they were set on keeping the rules in an effort to earn God's favor. That doesn't work. No sir. If that were the case then faith wouldn't be faith. It would be a set of do's and don'ts. (See Ephesians 2:8-9).
If you're like me though, you occasionally struggle with the do's and don'ts of religion. It's honestly easier to go through a checklist or offer up a rehearsed prayer than to actually engage with Jesus. We have to remember that it's a relationship with Jesus though, not a religion. Of course the world in which we live lumps the terminology all together, but I think it's important to make the distinction.
To stress relationship over religion, Jesus befriended the outcasts of society - those far from the religious circles. He was a friend to sinners including: prostitutes, tax-collectors, thieves, murderers, and more. This means that Jesus takes everyone the way they are. You see, a relationship infers that we come to Jesus just the way we are. He accepts us. Religiosity implies the opposite - that we follow a set of rules first and then He accepts us.
Back to my friend ...Fortunately, I had the time to explain why I didn't like the term religious and how I preferred relationship. It helped to open our dialogue. I think it made him more comfortable, as he asked a lot of questions and seemed curious about my relationship. Hey, curiosity from an atheist is a good thing. :)
GrantJ
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