One of the things to have resurfaced out of my thinking about fundamentalism is the fact that I am not 'religious'.
As a Dog-Collar, I meet so many people who go to great lengths to tell me that they, "Aren't religious!" What they really mean is that they don't have a faith life but assume because I do that this makes me 'religious'.
Religion is man's ultimate rebellion against God, it is the creation of God as a schoolmaster who marks us down for the wrongs that we commit, sending us eventually to that great detention in the pit, that is of course hell! With religion God is the person who keeps scores and remembers every occasion when we are wrong. In fact regardless of what we do, we know that He will end up punishing us for our sins. Religion gives us a God we can rely on to condemn us in the assurance that he will never be pleased with us or our efforts, at least not for long. (Sound familiar?)
Relationship means we have a God who comes alongside (the word for this is 'paraclete' from the Greek 'parakletos' used to refer to the Holy Spirit in John 14) enabling and supporting us. Relationship is about knowing and being known - it covers our weaknesses and celebrates with us over our successes.
Religion is like having some judgemental soul in the passenger seat of your car who points out every error in driving, every breach of the speed limit, every moment of lapsed attention. You finish the journey aware of your failings and feel undermined and incompetent. Relationship is having someone in the same seat but they make you aware of the speed cameras ahead, or comment on the driver in front and their performance such that you keep the limit and come nowhere near colliding out of your own awareness and response to the situations before you.
The former leaves you exposed and debilitated - always destined to be aware of your failings and never breaking free from them. The latter sees you grow in understanding and developing the skills and ability to have a more error-free life, growing and seeing success in the areas of your life that need development.
Which do you have? A religion or a relationship? Your choice - legalism and law or love and grace . . . .
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