Why I'm Against Religion

Sometimes people are taken aback when they hear me say that I'm against religion. That's the last thing that they'd expect to hear a professing follower of Jesus Christ say, and even more true of a pastor. Why am I against religion? It really a simple answer. It's because of what it is and what it does to people.

Religion began in the garden of Eden when Eve believed the lie that there was something she could do to cause herself to become more like God. The serpent told her that if she ate from the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil, she would become like God. There was one big problem with that lie. She was already like God. Her Creator had made her in His image.

But, believing the lie she ate the forbidden fruit and her husband soon followed suit. Because this was the first man, the physical AND spiritual DNA of all humanity was inside Adam. So we inherited two serious congenital problems from him. The first was a sin nature and the other was a built in affinity for religion.

People generally don't have a problem believing it's true that the sin issue began in the garden, but they find it hard to believe that religion is a result of the fall. However, it was. The second religious step Adam and Eve took was to make coverings for themselves with leaves so they wouldn't feel ashamed in front of God. Religion still causes feelings of shame and still motivates people to try to do something on their own to make themselves more presentable to God. All over the world today, religions of every kind are nothing less than man's attempt to make himself acceptable to a god he wrongly imagines is judging and looking down on Him.

Remember - it was religious people who harassed and ultimately crucified Jesus. Why? Because He refused to jump through their religious hoops. Jesus Christ isn't religious. Never has been, never will be.

The word "religion" comes from the old Latin word, religare, meaning "to bind up." It points people toward obligations they have toward a deity. So the essence of the word is that it puts people into bondage and causes them to feel condemnation for not measuring up.

The authentic message of the gospel of grace is largely absent in the religious climate of the church world today. The gospel of grace is the proclamation that our God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit have come down to this world, dealt with sin once and for all and have reconciled us back to God. Sin has been dealt with and has been forgiven! That is the truth of the gospel! Our privilege is to proclaim that reality to the world and encourage them to simply believe it so that the objective reality of the finished work of Christ becomes a subjective reality in their own experience.

Religion blinds people to the gospel by causing them to think there's something that God expects from them. There isn't! He has done everything that needed to be done. The only thing left for us is to say "thank you!" in faith and enjoy the eternal ride!

Christ Jesus didn't just set you free from sin. He set you free from religion too. You don't have to perform to score points with your Father. It's all good because of what He has done on your behalf. So, when you see religion - run from it, but be sure you run straight into the arms of your Father who loves and accepts you just the way you are at this very moment.