When Religion Fails

        Many people work under the thought that God created religion, but in reality religion is man’s attempt to reach God. In truth we cannot chase him down, capture, coerce, or in any other way bind him to our will.

        He is wild and boundless. I liken Him to C.S. Lewis’ lion Aslan, who may be one of my favorite representations of a wild, incomprehensibly strong and wise being, with love and compassion to shield us from his power. He speaks of a lion that is not tame but that is prone to wander and do his own thing and cannot and will not be tied down.

        But Jesus says “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation3:20) Religion teaches we must reach for God. Jesus taught, “I’m already here.”

        Jesus eliminated religion and still we cling to IT as if that were our saving grace and not God’s boundless love which was poured out for us through His son Jesus Christ.  In fact while he was here, Jesus often warned against the dangers of religious minded people. “‘Be careful,’ Jesus warned them, ‘Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Harod.’” (Mark 8:15)

        It took some time for the disciples to understand what he was talking about. They often seemed confused and more often than I would like to admit I join them in their confusion. But what Jesus was saying and what they eventually realized, was that he was warning against their bondage to a lifestyle instead of focusing on God.

        The Pharisees, just like many religious people today, feel closer to their rules and traditions than they do to God. God even speaks through the prophet Isaiah, and then later Jesus quotes the same passage to describe these religious minded people. “He replied, ‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human tradition.’  And he continued, ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions.’ ” (Mark 7:6-9)

        I can imagine that every time He spoke to them these religious leaders and teachers cringed. To me it begs the question, why keep trying to rebuke a man who wins against you every time and makes you look like an idiot?  But I suppose we can’t all be blessed with instinct of self-preservation.

        Sometimes in reading these passages, which by the way I have never personally heard preached in church (interesting), it feels like Jesus is being a little harsh. This isn’t the same person who welcomes children and heals the sick and tends to the tormented, or is it? He is teaching against these things so emphatically for a reason. It is the love of rules and the disregard for the character of God that leads to things like the Salem Witch Trials and the Spanish Inquisition. People were burned at the stake for translating the word of God into English! These horrid things were done in the name of God using religion.

        I can tell you with complete confidence that God wasn’t behind these things. He wasn’t supporting the chaos, fear, and deceit that were going on here. In fact he still doesn’t. When churches start rioting or say cruel and unkind things in condemnation these are not the words of God. These are religious people spouting out… well, religion.

        Condemnation was never how Jesus reached those who were lost. He calmly went to these people and spoke truth to them in a loving way. He did this for the woman at the well. She was an outcast among outcasts, and He showed up at that moment to speak to her and reach out to her. It was very clear that she had sinned and done things that were contrary to the law and the will of God but, “ ‘And this is the will of him who sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ ” (John6:40) God doesn’t want anyone to die. Religion takes joy in the suffering of others and uses that suffering to condemn others.

        How many times did the religious leaders point to a person’s sin as being the cause of their infirmity? Sometimes it was, and sometimes it wasn’t. But to Jesus that didn’t matter. It didn’t matter who it was if they came to him in faith he healed them.

        So what do we say when people look around at the church and say, “Religion has failed.”? We respond with a smiling “Yes”.

        Religion was never the answer. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are the answer and the only answer. No amount of rules, regulations, laws, and traditions are enough to save us. Jesus made it clear, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ ” (John 14:6)

        The law was given so that we could understand that we could not help but sin against God, and our desperate need for Him and His grace. Jesus came to bring us freedom. After His death and resurrection He went home to be with the Father and gave to us the Spirit. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.” (2 Cor. 3:17) I can’t help but hear that word called out in Mel Gibson’s voice, “Freeeeeeeedom!” But let’s face it. Haven’t human beings been looking to that from the beginning? God brings freedom from religion!

        We have to break away from the things that bind us to religion, and fully accept the gift that was given by Jesus which was a relationship with God. If we fall for anything short of that we are not only missing out on the greatest things we could ever know but we are being deceived by the same things that deceived the Pharisees.

       

These are the same people that loved their laws and their traditions so much that they beat and called for the death of the Son of God. These are the same people that denied the workings of the Holy Spirit and called them works of Satan! May we never fall in with these kinds of people.

        So yes, religion will fail and for those that believe in Jesus and call Him our Savior we do not believe in a religion we follow Him. Jesus said “If ye love me, my commands keep” (John 14:15 YLT). So it is His spirit in us that changes us and causes us to want to listen to His commands. We are not to be like those who Jesus called as white washed tombs but filled with bones. (Matt. 23:27) Religion calls us to look good and do good. Jesus calls us to have a radical change of heart that drives us to want what is good.

        We need to separate what is of God and what is of religion. We need to be checking our “tradition” with what is accurate to God’s word. We need to read the word of God with the understanding which comes from the Holy Spirit. We need to be willing open ourselves up to things of the Spirit even if it seems a little strange at first.

        I will be the first to admit that those of us that desire the Spirit of God are a little out there. (Okay sometimes way out there) and there is a precaution for us as well. But I really am tired of hearing people say they don’t like laying hands on people and praying for healing, or speaking in tongues. These things are biblical! Let’s not miss out on the gifts of the Spirit because it places us in something a little uncomfortable. We do not have in mind the things of God but we can become aware of those things and come to enjoy the freedom that is in the Spirit and all the great gifts He gives.

        So I leave you with this, let religion fail. Yes, that’s right, stop trying to revive it. Let it die! Jesus took it on the cross so that we could have relationship. Let us not be among those who cry out “Lord Lord!” but Jesus replies, “Depart from me, I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:22-23)