The Place For Religion

One of my favorite Bible teachers is J. Vernon McGee. Although he passed away in 1988 his ministry, Thru The Bible, is still aired every morning on my local Christian radio station and I love starting my day off by listening to him on my way to work.

The other morning he mentioned something—ever so briefly—that really got me thinking. Reading from the book of Acts he was offering insights as to what Peter and the other apostles were speaking about while talking to the Pharisees. Their core message was that the Gospel—and belief in the Gospel—was sufficient for salvation. All the Mosaic laws and ceremonies and works and lifestyles could never transcend the simple truth that Jesus Christ died for the sins of mankind and believing that truth was the one and only way to be saved.

But here’s where Vernon McGee’s comment came in….he stated that the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ was the totality of the Gospel and anything added or taken away from that truth is simply “religion”. You know…I have to agree with that statement. For many years as I have attended churches, studies other religions, studied other denominations…it all comes down to whether or not you believe the plain and simple truth of the Gospel: Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again to take on the sins of the world in a way we could never accomplish. Everything we do after that is a statement of our faith…and how we live out our faith is the substance of what shapes our “religion”.

Growing up through a good part of the “Jesus Movement” back in the sixties and early seventies, I realize now that their focus was often a bit backwards. The mantra of that day was to “get religion and find salvation”. The truth is that salvation must come first and your religion is born from that.

So, is religion inherently bad? Jesus certainly took a dim view of it back in His day. The Sadducees were the keepers of the Temple and, by definition, were the “experts” of the religious laws. That said, they were much more interested in their rituals and pretensions of knowledge than listening to the truth Jesus was speaking.

We must all be careful to not add to, or detract from, the Gospel truth just for the sake of being religious. Certainly how we conduct our lives and interact with both saved and unsaved people is a manifestation of our beliefs...and our faith encompasses many choices of lifestyle and works. But the Gospel, the essence of salvation, is nothing more than the simple truth: Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. This is salvation. Religion—in all its forms—should display our beliefs and faith in a true and meaningful way...but it must never transcend the absolute substance of our salvation which is the Gospel.

In my opinion, the place for religion is within the heart. Your local church may be a great instrument for you to express and share your beliefs, but it can not rise above that which is not already there inside yourself. It is a place to be filled, refreshed, lay out your needs, fulfill the needs of others, and allows a setting for real and meaningful worship and teaching. But don’t ever be fooled into thinking that following a religious course will lead you to salvation. That is a personal choice, made by you with sincere faith, and nothing beyond the true Gospel can define you as a child of God.

Blessings!

Greg Morton
© October 1, 2012

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