DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RELIGION OR RELATIONSHIP?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – RELIGION OR RELATIONSHIP?

"We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified." (Galatians 2:15-16)

Justification is the act of declaring or making us righteous in the sight of God and bringing us into relationship with Him. Being right with God has been a desire of humans through the ages. That is the driving force of religion. Man's quest to be acceptable to God is as old as the hills. Job asked the question: "How can a man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?" (Job 25:4). Religion attempts answer this question by instituting rules to follow to make us acceptable to God by doing good deeds.

Here's the rub. Keeping the rules of religion does not bring us into relationship with God. God is holy, and nothing we can do will make us holy enough to be in relationship with a holy God. Sin separates us from a righteous God, and none of our righteous deeds are enough to reconcile us to Him. Observing religious rituals is like trying to buy or earn God's love and affection. God wants more than external action. He wants our hearts. God desires relationship – not just for us to live good lives here on this earth. Jesus said, "If anyone loves Me (relationship), he will keep My word" (John 14:23). Relationship is a matter of the heart, not just keeping rules.

Here is the Gospel. God loved us so much, and wanted relationship with us so much, that Jesus came to reconcile us to God through His death on the cross. Religion is man's attempt to find God. Christianity is God coming to find man. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). We are justified – made righteous – before God only by faith in the Lord Jesus, His sacrifice on the Cross, and His resurrection. Any other attempt to have relationship with God is an empty religious exercise of good works. I am so glad that we are justified by God's grace through faith and not by our works. That is true Christianity.

Love, Dad