Why Religion Is Holding Your Relationship With God Hostage (pt 1.)

How To Avoid Religion to Have A Godly Relationship

Photo by Motoki Tonn on Unsplash

The crazy thing about religion is that it has nothing to do with your relationship with God.

Unfortunately, many Christians have confused religion with relationship. We think that our righteous works put us in God’s good standing or that our relationship with Him is based on how well we follow some moral compass.

However, this logic is ill-advised because relationship has nothing to do with religion. But because we have been Sunday schooled with non-biblical church commandments we supplement our relationship with religion.

So what is a relationship with God supposed to look like?

What Is Relationship With God?

Like any other relationship, a relationship with God is a personal connection between you and him.

It doesn’t involve a third party because it has nothing to do with anyone else. It’s 1-on-1.

Your relationship with God has everything to do with your personal faith in Him and nothing to do with anyone else’s ideology about your sanctification.

When your understanding of God is based on the teachings of someone else’s faith that’s religion. But when your understanding of God is based on your own faith that’s a relationship.

If I had to use biblical evidence of what a relationship with God is, Romans 14 would be the perfect chapter.

“Some people’s faith allows them to eat anything, but the person who is weak in the faith eats only vegetables. The person who will eat anything is not to despise the one who doesn’t; while the one who eats only vegetables is not to pass judgement on the one who will eat anything; for God has accepted that person” — Romans 14:2–3 (GNT)

Though this verse is directly dealing with diet, there’s a deeper message here; God has accepted everyone who has accepted him regardless of how they practice their faith.

You might’ve thought that in order to be in relationship with God we must adhere to all religious practices when in fact abiding by all these laws makes your relationship weak.