Religion or Relationship: Which Describes Your Faith?

Modern Christians tend to think “religion” is a negative word. They'd rather say they have a relationship with the Lord. 

The word “religion” is used positively in James 1:27. But modern Christians typically associate the word with a shallow, legalistic belief for people “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

Genuine faith says, “I'll obey God's commands because they are good and I love Him. He has done more for me than I can ever repay” (Psalm 103; Romans 12:1-2).

As Jesus said, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”  John 14:23-24

Paul put it this way: 

“I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.”  Philippians 3:7-8

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Note: Name-it-claim-it is one of the manipulative religious teachings in the modern church. It's laced with superstition: “If I say I'm sick, I'll be sick. If I say I'm well, I'll be well. If I pray a certain way and talk a certain way, I'll be healthy and wealthy.” See The Power and the Limit of Words and The Popular Teachings of Joel Osteen: Beware.    

Tell your friends about Bible Love Notes and encourage them to sign up for a free subscription HERE.

And tell them about these two helpful, relevant books:

WISDOM FOR LIFE: Do you know the story behind my book Wisdom for Life? You can read it HERE. 

LIES IN DISGUISE: Check out the subject of each chapter, the endorsements, and the important purpose of Lies in Disguise HERE.

 

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