Building Religion

Evangelicals are very fond of talking about the difference between “religion” and “faith.” Of course, they are quick to point out that we have a faith, and not religion. Religion is something that man creates while faith is something that God creates in you. Religion is generally a bunch of rules, while faith is about entering into a relationship with the Living God. Yada, yada, yada…

But how is it that we, as Christians, create religion? Sure, you want to point to people who think that, if there really is a God, He grades on a curve, looking at how the population in general is behaving toward one another and then giving the A of salvation to the highest achievers. But how about people who understand that salvation is an undeserved gift, a grace from God? How do people who start out right end up in dead religion?

My reflections this week have been on “form” and “substance.” You see, Christians are very good at getting the two confused. They fall into the enemy’s trap of believing that following the forms of the faith is the same as participation in the life of faith. What does it look like? “Do you attend church regularly?” “Do you give 10% to the church?” “Do you serve in a ministry?” “Do you attend a small group or Sunday School class?” “If you answer ‘Yes’ to all of these, then you’re living the life of faith!”

And there’s also a list of things you shouldn’t do. “Don’t drink, smoke, have sex, use profanities, cheat, steal, lie (wow, we could talk about this one!), and don’t ever associate with someone who does these things. If you don’t do these things, and a few others, then you’re surely living the life of faith!”

All (actually, most) of this is the “form” of Christian faith. But faith is a relationship with God! The form is intended to make time and place for the relationship to be nurtured by and thru the Holy Spirit. Apart from His activity in all of this, you have dead religion. And falling back on the safety net of professing that you are saved by grace alone through faith alone is trap of your enemy. He’s a liar!

Now, before you get all self-righteous because you attend a “Spirit-filled” congregation, know that the Spirit of God tends to be the shy, anonymous person of the Trinity, not the flamboyant, ostentatious “power-on-display” of some congregations. Yes, He is our source of all things needed for our growing up into the full stature of Christ, including spiritual power. However, when we dictate that a certain demonstration of supernatural power must be on display in order for His presence to be known, we are stepping way beyond the Spirit as He is described in Scripture. And, again, we are looking at dead, though maybe very active, religion.

The reason I have been dwelling on this subject is because the small group that I participate in is planning an amazing outreach to the homeless in our vicinity. That’s a good form! And we are inviting others to participate with us. That is closer to substance, but still just useful form. My fear is that we would not slow down and create the space and time for the Spirit to participate with us. I believe wholeheartedly that the Spirit led our group to this outreach opportunity. And it is certainly well within the will of God that His people would reach out in this manner. But I also know that He is not a reluctant, but a meek God. He wants to be invited to participate. And He wants to be trusted to provide all that is needed to reach whatever goals He has determined would be achieved thru this form.

Because I am convinced that the purpose of this outreach (and church attendance, service, tithing, study, fellowship, holiness, etc.) is to bring glory to Him by participating in being His church. And in that form, filled with the substance of a right relationship with Him, we are being fitted together to rise up to be a holy temple as we are being brought to maturity, attaining to the full measure of Christ.