Religion vs. RelationshipBy Shane Idleman
WHEN I WAS A YOUNG MAN, I believed that I was strong because I could bench press over 400 pounds, drink a 12-pack of beer, and win most of the fights that I was in. What I failed to realize was that I was weak; I was dying spiritually. I didn't have control of my life-my life had control of me. Years later, I read again about the life of Jesus Christ, this time with open eyes. I found that I had been completely wrong about Him. Who, but Jesus, would say, no man takes my life, I lay it down willingly? Who, but Jesus, would say to the judge who ordered His execution, you would have no power over me unless it was given to you from above? Who, but Jesus, when hanging on a cross, severely beaten and dying for our sins, would say of his accusers, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do? (See John 10:18; John 19:11; and Luke 23:34.) Following Christ does not represent weakness; it represents meekness. Weakness is the absence of strength; meekness is strength under control. It takes far more strength to follow Christ than to go with the flow of society.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Two words from Jesus: "Follow Me"-have changed more lives than all the words of famous men combined. As the great preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, once said: "The grace that is not strong enough to change me will not be able to save me." We don't need to be ashamed of Christ and what He did for us. The apostle Paul said: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16).  
Why then are so many disturbed when the name of Jesus is mentioned? Why is His name, above all others, often taken in vain? The answer is simple: there is power in His name-power that shakes the spiritual realm. Philippians 2:9-11 says that God has highly exalted Him and has given Him a name that is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. No wonder the enemy seeks to destroy our relationship with Jesus; it's the only name that can defeat him. Martin Luther said, "When Jesus Christ utters a word, He opens His mouth so wide that it embraces all Heaven and earth, even though that word be but in a whisper."

Is your current belief system producing assurance, purpose, and peace, or is it bringing discouragement, disappointment, and despair? Jesus said, "Wisdom is shown to be right by what results from it" (Matthew 11:19 NLT). Is your faith leading you in the right direction? If not, consider who or what is leading you-religious tradition, or a relationship with Jesus Christ. "There is no peace until we see the finished work of Jesus Christ-until we can look back and see the cross of Christ between our sins" (D.L. Moody).
Ø      Religion says, "I have to follow rules." A relationship with Christ says, "Because of the price that He paid for me, I want to follow His plan for my life."
Ø      Religion says, "I have to go to church." A relationship with Christ says, "I want to position myself to learn more, worship Him, and benefit from fellowship."
Ø      Religion lacks assurance; a relationship with Jesus offers unfailing guidance and assurance.
Ø      Religion is man's attempt to reach God; a relationship with Christ is God reaching down to man.
When people misunderstand and become dissatisfied and discouraged with Christianity, it's often because they confuse "religion" and "rules" with a true relationship with Christ. They base their opinion of Christianity on how they see other Christians act. This can be dangerous. Don't base your opinion of Christianity solely on the actions of others. One of the greatest threats to Christianity is not in our failure to proclaim it, but in our inability to live it out.
Why do many leave Sunday morning church services no different than when they arrived? In many cases, it's because they have religion and not a true relationship with Jesus. No wonder Jesus said that many people draw near to Him with their words, but their hearts are far from Him (Matthew 15:8). A.W. Tozer states it best: "Millions of professed believers talk as if [Christ] were real and act as if He were not. And always our actual position is to be discovered by the way we act, not by the way we talk."
In the New Testament, Jesus had harsh words for those who appeared to be religious but inwardly had not changed. Our actions, not our words, reveal the authenticity of our relationship with Christ. I don't say this to promote a performance-based religion; I say it to demonstrate the importance of having a loyal, committed, genuine relationship with Jesus. In Matthew 7:13, Jesus commanded us to enter by the narrow gate, as opposed to walking through the wide gate that leads to destruction. Jesus was demonstrating the importance of having a personal relationship with Him, rather than following the crowd, religious tradition, or the latest fad.
Who is Jesus? How we answer this question is the difference between right and wrong, light and darkness, heaven and hell. When asked this question, the apostle Peter gave the correct response: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). Jesus Himself confirmed this by saying: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).
Seriously consider who and what you choose to follow. Man's way leads to a hopeless end-God's way leads to an endless hope. God has shown us the way, not through religion, but through a relationship.
This excerpt was taken from What Works for Young Adults-Solid Choices In Unstable Times, © 2007 by El Paseo Publications (www.elpaseopublications.com); Shaneidleman@roadrunner.com.