CHRISTIANITY: A RELIGION OR A RELATIONSHIP
By W. G. Guy
What is a religion? A religion is a system of beliefs, rituals and practices regarding the worship of a deity, real or imagined. There a many religions in the world that have come and gone over thousands of years. This article will focus on Christianity: is it a religion or a relationship. There is a big difference which is important to recognize. The difference is between being authentic, and being a false pretense, or not authentic.
What is a relationship? Relationship refers to the connection that one has with another. In true Christianity it is our relationship with our Creator, God our Heavenly Father. That relationship is only attained through believing and accepting the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, as our redeemer; the one who restores our relationship with God our Father.
John 14:6 – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Unfortunately, there are many who profess to be Christians, but it is only because they have a religion based on beliefs that were derived from church attendance, family upbringing, or other influence. They many have a religion but not a true relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Jesus spoke about such people, and especially about their leadership who really have no personal relationship with the Father or with Christ.
Matthew 7:21-24 – Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Notice what Jesus had to say to them because they had no intimate relationship with Him, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity;” (iniquity is rebellion or doing your thing). Jesus addressed the same issue again when speaking of the five foolish virgins.
Matthew 25:11-12 – Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Again, notice what Jesus had to say to them: “I know you not”. What is it that determines that a person has a true and intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ? Obedience to what He commands us to do!
Matthew 7:24-27 – Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
God’s command for us is not grievous or hard to do. His command is simple. It is having love for God and love for one another, the brethren or fellow believer. This is our Christian relationship!
Matthew 22:37-39 – Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
I personally saw this difference between Christianity being a religion, not a relationship, while I was on a preaching assignment in Nigeria, West Africa. I was sent by the Seminary where I was the Director of the Overseas Extension program and Assistant Academic Dean. I was establishing a foreign campus to expand the ministry of the seminary. This Nigerian Campus was located about sixty miles north of Calebar, in Eastern Nigeria.
We would be part of a local college campus that was founded by the head of a national Nigerian church denomination. While living on this campus and traveling to minister in area churches, I also had numerous visiting minsters come to this campus to take our entrance exams and discuss terms of attendance and use of our extension programs by mail.
Many of these visiting preachers would bring gifts to welcome us; most of these gifts were live chickens and eggs. Food is considered a valuable gift in Africa. However, I was shocked to learn from my host that he would not allow the use of those chickens or eggs until after at least three day have past. It took three days to realize if these were poisoned. If the chickens did not die, or if the eggs did not turn black within three days they were safe to eat. Why would Christian pastors and preachers try to poison the food gifts they brought, I asked? I learned that there were hostilities between tribes that were of different church denominations.
It was not until I returned home that I learned even more disturbing news about the situation in Nigeria, and throughout most all of Africa. While there we established that campus as our Nigerian branch of the seminary. At the same time I also established the extension school by mail for those who could not attend at the campus. The mail in extension program was to be run by the head of another denomination that was located in Calebar, However, all mail would be processed through the our newly established campus that was run by the head of different denomination.
After months went by and not receiving any correspondence regarding the mail-in program I wrote to the head of that operation as to what was going on. He wrote back with a reply that I found very shocking. He wrote saying, ”I am Eboh man and he, Dr. Nuyah, is an Effic man. I can have nothing to do with him socially, morally, financially or spiritually”. They were each of a different tribe. Tribalism in Africa was a major social problem. That is what Apartied was all about that was in the news back in the 1980’s regarding South Africa.
I wrote back to him saying that he was placing his tribal heritage in higher esteem than his Christian relationship; and that if he and his nation does not repent of such that God would bring corrective judgment upon the church in Nigeria. Needless to say my efforts to bring a resolution failed, and churches in Nigeria have been under judgment since.
Obviously such churches in Nigeria, as well as elsewhere, operate as a religion, and lack a true relationship with God and Jesus. They may believe about Him, but they do not obey and walk with Him. They lack an intimate and personal relationship with Him. They walk in the flesh, but not in the Spirit.
Romans 8:5-8 –For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Nigeria, with its tribalism, is not the only place where the love of the brethren in Christian relationship is lacking. There is discord among many churches and denominations here in America. Where discord is there is strife and envy. Where there is strife and envy there is every evil work of darkness that lures demons and evils spirits.
James 3:16 – For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
This is because their form of Christianity is a religion and not a relationship. A true Christian relationship bonds true believers together in support of and prayer for one another.
John 1:12 – But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Being a child of God means you have brothers and sisters in Christ; thus you have a relationship. We are to live as such; as the apostle John wrote:
1 John 3:14-18 – We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
1 John 4:7-11 – Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
Even all of creation is looking for the manifestation of the children of God, and such a manifestation will be by His love in full display by His children.
Romans 8:18-19 – For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Are you a true believer in Jesus Christ? Do you have a real and intimate relationship with Him and the Father? Is your Christianity a religion and pretense, or it a true relationship?
1 John 4:15-21 – Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Christianity IS NOT a religion, it is a RELATIONSHIP! A relationship that is built on Love – GOD’s LOVE! This love is manifest to us though Jesus, and through us to others. Thus we who have this divine relationship are the light of Christ in this world of darkness.
John 13:34-35 – A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
