relationship vs religion

“Religion is a guy in church thinking about fishing. Relationship is a guy out fishing thinking about God.”

 “[A lot of people] think that Christianity is you doing all the righteous things you hate and avoiding all the wicked things you love in order to go to Heaven. No, that’s a lost man with religion. A Christian is a person whose heart has been changed; they have new affections.” 

“Most men, indeed, play at religion as they play at games, religion itself being of all games the one most universally played.” – A. W. Tozer

“Religion is the possibility of the removal of every ground of confidence except confidence in God alone.” – Karl Barth

Religion teaches you that you have to do.

Christianity says that you can’t do. You have to trust in the One who has done it for you. Whether Catholicism, Islam, etc. Every other religion in the world teaches a works based salvation. Christianity is the only religion in the world where you are justified by grace through faith in Christ alone. Religion keeps you in chains, but Christ has set us free.

God wants us to pursue Him. 

Religion kills intimacy.  

It’s a relationship that God desires! He doesn’t want you trying to be religious. He wants you to seek Him. Words mean nothing if the heart is not right. Are you involved in religion or are you involved in a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ? When you pray is your heart looking for Christ? What’s a relationship without intimacy? Is your prayer life boring? If it is, then that is strong evidence that you are involved in religion.