Relationship verses Religion
My husband and I have been talking lately about many aspects of Christianity. One such topic is how situational ethics has slipped into the church. Now most Christians will argue that they disagree with situational ethics and well they should, Truth is Truth. By definition truth constitutes exactness and conformity to it, if it is not truth for all it is not truth. However, this does not always seem to apply to everyone within Body of Christ. I will explain this by example, hear are some things that I have heard which demonstrate this:
- that is awesome that God has led you to live like that
- that is good for some people
- the word call or calling is used so often I feel it has become a cop-out answer for I don’t want to or that is not for me
- well, my God told me this (when did we start worshipping different gods, only when you were confronted??)
- you have to be a certain type of person to live like that or to do such and such (are we not supposed to be pulled out of our comfort zone and conformed to the image of Christ in all areas?)
The focus is always on “my personal relationship” verses the “corporate relationship”. Many modern protestant Christians see the corporate relationship as being old fashioned, Old Testament, legalistic, too Catholic-like, being religion verses a relationship.
I found an article that really encapsulated this concept, here is a snippet from it:
“I like to tell people that Christianity is not a relationship; it is a religion. Of course it is a religion with a covenant relationship at the heart of it.”…..”But the liberal (and modern evangelical) emphasis is on what we are pleased to call a personal relationship (meaning private relationship) — and not the biblical notion of a public covenant relationship. When the relationship becomes “personal,” the truth that undergirds it becomes equally “personal.”"
This line here-”the truth that undergirds it becomes equally “personal.”- is Christian situational ethics. This does not allow accountability or for any church discipline when needed.
To read more visit ‘Christianity Is Not a Relationship, It’s a Religion’ It is worth the visit!
Posted in Christianity
June 23rd, 2007 at 9:05 pm
For me, there is only one truth: Respect.
If we could respect each other, as we are, then, and first then, we will obtain: PEACE.
Thats my God and Religion.
June 24th, 2007 at 5:08 am
The article was good, but your examples are better (maybe I’m just such a concrete thinker I need examples). And, of course, you are absolutely right.
I may have told you that a number of years ago a friend at our church loaned me Larry Burkett’s book on Women Leaving the Workplace. Well, according to it, I should never have even tried to stay home with my kids.
Staying home with kids, or even without kids, is just one of the many things I hear people giving that list of “excuses” for.
Am I with you?
June 24th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
Yes, you are with me, Titus 2:5 states your point very clearly!
Our standard should always be God’s Word even if it is not what we necessarily want or the way we think things should be or what we would like them to be.
June 27th, 2007 at 3:55 am
I’m not sure I agree with the article completelely. It almost seems to be putting everyone who says they are a christian into a box and being stereotypical. I believe you have to have a personal one on one relationship with Christ and if you have that, then it should pour over into a corporate relationship. Religion however is when people start saying they don’t need to be in a building to worship God or that their way is the only way, etc.. Religion easily becomes legalistic and without the mercy and grace of God showing through. God speaks to people in different ways and that is what makes the personal relationship with Him.
June 27th, 2007 at 5:14 am
The point of the article is that God does not only deal with us personally but corporately as well.
In fact, the covenant was established in a corporate context with Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 12:1-3) and in the NT with the Body of Christ, the Church (Jer. 31:31, Matt. 26:26-29, Heb. 8:10), of which is made up of individuals. We individually are blessed to be included within the corporate covenant. Not the other way around.
Within that corporate covenant relationship there are standards by which all of us must live. The law and grace go hand in hand. We cannot completely fullfill the law and God’s grace and mercy are applied for our redemption. That however, does not relieve us from living by that standard as best we can in the power of the Spirit. Those corporate standards are a body of religious guidance for the people of God. Many (not all) who do not want to adhere to the standards fall back on the legalism arguement and say that God is only a personal God. Christ is not the end of the law He is goal or fullfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10:4).
I believe that God speaks to everyone in the same manner, that being, through prayer & the Holy Spirit in accordance with the Scriptures. We may all be at different milestones on our journey & different stages and depths within our relationship with Christ and that is what makes our faith personal. For God has predestined us to become conformed to the image of His Son Jesus Christ(Romans 8:29 ) for the purpose of the proper working and maturity of the Body of Christ. (1 Cor. 12:12-27)……you are Christ’s body & individually members of it.
It is both a relationship and a religion, both personal and corporate, and many within the modern day church want to see it only as personal without the accountability of the corporate.