Vol. XL February, 2008 No. 2
Religion or Relationship?
by Tom McLemore
What is being a
Christian, religion or a relationship?
Some would deny that religion has any relevance and suggest that
relationship with God and Christ is all that matters. Others seem to have no
relationship with Christ and God though they are visibly involved heavily in
religion.
This is not an either/or matter. It is a both/and matter. Being a Christian is religion and a
relationship. As we shall see, not all
religion is right and good, and it may be that some religious folk who consider
themselves to be in relationship to Christ or God are not.
Relationship
Relationship with God and Christ is essential. The very essence of Christianity is knowing them (John 17:3).
The new covenant is a new relationship which God has brought into being
between himself and human beings. (Hebrews 8:10-13,
quoting Jeremiah 31:31-34).
It is possible to think one knows God and Christ and yet
not be in relationship to them. In
addition, it is entirely possible for people to think that they know Christ,
but Christ must in all honestly deny any knowledge of them (Matthew
7:21-23).
Being in relationship to God means having obeyed the gospel
of Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:7, 8).
Furthermore, even a relationship with Christ and God can be barren and
unfruitful if a person fails to cultivate faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance,
patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2 Peter 1:5-8). It is possible to profess to know God, yet by
works deny him (Titus 1:16).
Religion
In the New Testament, the word “religious”refers
to someone who is devout, viz., a person who worships God. Underlying this concept of devotion and
worship is a feeling of awe and reverence.
This awe and reverence is expressed toward God and Christ in appropriate
words and actions which convey the feeling to their objects.
“Religion” means performing acts of worship and piety. Its emphasis seems to be upon the words and
actions which convey the feeling of awe and reverence, rather than upon the
feelings themselves. James 1:26, 27
makes clear that acts of worship without acts of kindness and compassion are
insufficient as “religion.”
Jesus taught that religion/worship can be in vain (Matthew
15:7-9). Words and acts of worship which
do not express genuine worshipful feelings (awe and reverence in the heart) do
not please God to whom they are addressed.
While Jesus says that religion or worship can be in vain, he does not
say that religion itself is vain. Jesus
upholds the high value of worship that is genuine expression of proper
devotion.
A
Religious Relationship
Christianity is not a choice between religion or relationship. It
is both. They are complementary and
compatible, and not contrary and incompatible, to one another. One cannot exist effectually without the
other. Is one’s relationship to Christ
and God genuine? If so, there is awe and
reverence within the heart and the desire to express it in worship (religious
acts). Is there awe and reverence within
the heart and the desire to express it in true worship? If so, such is result of a genuine relationship
with God and Christ.
Have we considered the value of our expressing our feelings
of awe and reverence–value to ourselves and to others (See Hebrews 10:24, 25;
Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; cf. 1 Corinthians 14:26)? Our relationship with God and Christ
necessarily relates us to all others who have a relationship with God and
Christ (1 John 5:2). Since each involved
in a genuine relationship with God and Christ has feelings of awe and reverence
for the Father and the Son that each desires to express in worship, what is
more natural than the desire to express them among and along with others who
are in a relationship with them?
There is a distinction between relationship and
religion. Not everyone who engages in
religious activities has a genuine relationship with the Father and the
Son. There are all sorts and degrees of
hypocrisy, play acting, going through the motions (not to mention unauthorized
acts of worship or authorized acts of worship performed in an unauthorized
manner). Yet, as we have observed,
genuine relationship and true religion are not mutually exclusive. They are inextricably bound together. There is no one who has a genuine
relationship with the Father and the Son who does not naturally engage in
religious activities (and then, only authorized acts of worship).
In addition to public, corporate religion, there is also
the needful, essential, and gratifying component of private, personal devotion
(cf. Matthew 6:1-18). Nonetheless,
public and private religion are not mutually
exclusive. They, too, are distinct, but
the distinction is practical rather than essential. Both involve expressions of feelings of awe
and reverence resulting from the relationship.
The Father and the Son (with whom people enjoy the relationship under
discussion) have expressed their desire that their people engage in religious
activities to express their feelings of awe and reverence. Again, when anyone who urges the value of
private devotion denigrates public religion (in proclamation or practice), one
almost automatically tends to question whether the private devotion is
genuine. The same Father and Son who
seek to be worshiped in the closet have communicated their desire to be
worshiped in the church, i.e., the body of believers (Ephesians 3:21; Hebrews
2:12)!
Too many in the
church try to substitute religion for relationship. Too many are attempting to have relationship
while not engaging in religion. Too
often we attempt to convert people to engaging in religion without leading them
to enter relationship with the Father and Son.
Too prevalent is the attempt to motivate people to engage in religion
before they have entered relationship with God in Christ. Too few understand the complementary kinship
of relationship and religion.
Let us do our best to properly understand the religious
relationship which Christianity is. And
let us determine to reflect that proper understanding in our lives.
Designed and maintained by Houston Park Church of Christ Copyright © 2000 by Houston Park Church of Christ 2 Crescent Hill Drive Selma, Alabama 36701 334-874-7941. All rights reserved. Revised: 10 Mar 2008.