Killing Religion

I’ve said it before, and I shall say it once more – I hate religion, and I usually don’t use that “H” word. 

Religion kills.

Religion cripples.

And, religion keeps the dead down and the lame immobile.

The saddest part about religion is that it’s sneaky.  The shackles, like snakes, slither through the cover of theology, church culture, and the pursuit of knowledge.  When we receive the bite of religion, and the slinking cords bind us, we are poisoned with immobility.  The mentality keeps our hands and feet from being effective because we become so inward focused.  Life suddenly becomes overgrown with the need to “be better” than others, prove ourselves to God, look and act right, or follow all the right rules so we are “holy.  Instead of moving forward in the Kingdome (by winning souls), we cycle in this constant of striving, guilt, and striving again to “make up” for lacking. This is the religion that kills when given power long enough; for, soon it causes this thing called Christianity to lose the Christ-centered focus we become enslaved to something other than Jesus Christ’s heart…

Theology, church culture, and the pursuit of knowledge in and of themselves are desirable.  We should all seek to become educated and involved, but when they replace the pursuit of Christ’s heart first, we open ourselves to religion’s sneak attack because everything becomes about ME and MY life. As we honestly seek out – then live out – the heart and passion of our Savior, it’s impossible to grow inward focused and solely rules oriented.  Jesus’ heart was for the people.

HE BROKE THE RULES FOR THE PEOPLE.

            Everywhere He went and everything He did focused on reaching and saving people.  He ministered on the Sabbath, spoke outside the church walls, conversed with races he wasn’t suppose to associate with, went against the law for the sake of a woman caught in adultery, ate with people still in sin…

ALL

   For the sake

               Of the PEOPLE in need of what He had to offer.

 If we are truly Jesus-people, then we lose the intense focus on MY calling, MY gifts, MY struggle, MY reputation, and understand that life is all about JESUS working through the “my” to reach the “other” people.  The only reason why we have a “my” in this life is for the “others.”  After all, Jesus didn’t come to this earth for the “my,” but for the entire world!

I’ll be the first to admit that getting caught in the cycle of religion is easy.  One of the main reasons, other than it being like the “sneaky snake” I spoke of earlier, is that often we can’t see we are being religious!  As previously mentioned, the religious’ spirit masks mostly in things which remain good disciplines for our life.  So, outwardly all appears commendable, but as the mindset rears its head, the fangs come out – not only hurting the freedom we’re meant to have through the cross, but hurting those around us.  To keep ourselves alert and our minds and hearts in check, let’s break down the practical differences between living as Jesus-People and Religion-Slaves.

~A Jesus person looks for the lost people and hunts for those in sin for the purpose of sharing hope with them (Luke 19:10); a person driven by religion huddles only

in the safe circle of church groups and does not seek outside of the church to bring in the lost.

~A person with Jesus’ heart reaches out in gentleness to those who are struggling and hurting, broken by this world and sin (including those already in the church) – realizing that NO ONE is righteous without the mercy of Christ (Matthew 9:12-3); a slave of religion sees the broken, fallen, and condemns them as “unclean,” and perhaps even unworthy of their company.

~A Jesus-heart seeks to serve not for the title, but as a way of getting close to those in need of a word from God and to attract others to God because they know that God is the one who grants them authority (Matthew 9:4-8); a religious person serves in order to be recognized by others and elevated to a higher position by the world’s authority.

~A Jesus-follower embraces those “weaker” spiritually and opens their arms to the less-educated (Mark 9:36-7); a religion-bound person looks down upon the more vulnerable and enjoys the feeling of being “elite.” 

The list extends on and on, and the difference between religion and a true Christian-Jesus-follower always goes back to one’s approach towards people.  After all, if we love the Lord our God with all our hearts, soul and mind, then we have to love what He loves too.  When it came to a choice between a doctrine/practice/rule or a person’s heart, Jesus cast aside it all for the sake of one man or woman in need!  He didn’t do things the old way.  He put to death religion (the sacrifices which people did in attempt to be holy) with His final death in order to bring eternal life to the hearts of people.  Are we willing to do the same?

Are we willing to bring someone with a “bad” rep to church and risk the association?

Are we willing to do serve when no one is watching or applauding?

Are we willing to cast aside every judgment and the way things are supposed to work in order to seek to reach the heart of one person?

Because, if we are ready to also put religion to death, suddenly we will find we are FREE and ALIVE because we are allowing Jesus’ resurrecting power to flow through us and breathe life to the dying and suffering around us every day.  Take a deep breath.  Ahhhhh…now go find people to breathe into.