It is easy to mistake being religious for Christianity. 

A Christian is one who accepts Jesus as Lord and goes on to live a life that is best described as ‘Christ-like.’ Recall that Jesus’ disciples were first called Christians in the City of Antioch. 

This term was modelled after their unique and striking behaviour, similar to that of our Lord Jesus while he walked the earth. Sadly, Believers of this generation have abandoned the ancient landmark of Christianity and fizzled into religious practises in a bid to live the Christian life.

Such people have lost sight of what it truly means to be Christian. 

Religiosity in this context can be described as having a strong belief in something. Perhaps a system, deity, god, idea, process, doctrine, etc. As a result of that belief, a person patterns their lives, and ceremoniously apply those beliefs to attain various results. 

A biblical example of Religious men and women are the Pharisees and Sadducees. Our Lord Jesus repeatedly lambasted them for the hardness of their hearts. 

In their pursuit of God and realities, these people have faithfully and painstakingly adhered to certain systems that have become idols to them, causing them to lose focus on God and rely on these systems.

It could be laws, doctrines or past visions received. Despite the many ways God tries to convict or renew their minds, they have refused correction and remain adamant in their rigid beliefs of the systems created or given to them. 

These people have indoctrinated themselves to such systems in pursuit of a high standing with God and self-righteousness to the point they lose sight of God and his leadership. 

In today’s blog post, the Lord aims to checkmate and convict our hearts of certain practices we have embraced during our walk with him, whether knowingly or unknowingly. He also aims to shed light on what being a True Christian or Religious believer means. 

Below are some truths we should know, meditate and dwell upon as we grow in the wisdom of God;

1. RUNNING TO A PHYSICAL ALTAR VS CARRYING JESUS IN YOUR HEART.

A Christian is a walking altar of God. This means you carry God’s spirit as a true Child of God. The Bible describes us as the Temple of God. (1 Corinthians 6:20) A Christian is expected to embody God’s spirit at all times. This helps such Christians to have continuous fellowship with the Father.

In retrospect, a religious person would often run to a physical altar. Such a person champions the ideology of being able to meet with God at a particular location. This could manifest as a church building, a priest or a secret place. 

Is your faith/access to God restricted to a certain location? Do you struggle to believe or reach out to him outside ‘scheduled’ times? Stop and ponder. 

2. STATUTORY PRAYERS VS SPIRIT LED PRAYERS

A religious person often embodies the character of statutory prayers. This could be described as a person who believes in praying a certain number of times in a day to get certain listed results. 

This kind/pattern of praying reduces the sacred method of communicating and fellowshipping with the father to a mere means to an end. When a person’s prayer life becomes obligatory, such a person has veered off the road of Christianity and dancing in the territory of religiosity. 

3. DOCTRINE VS THE LIFE OF CHRIST. 

When a doctrine truncates the full expression of the life of Christ, it becomes a telltale of religiosity. We take the example of the Pharisees, who were indoctrinated to the laws of the sabbath day. They could not see the good in doing good. A religious person would place policies over people, performing laws over acts of love and eventually become an enemy of Christ. (Matthew 12:10-13)

4. RELIGION IS OFTEN RIGID WHILE CHRISTIANITY IS EASY.

The above statement could be used to contrast Religiosity and Christianity. Whereas Jesus tells us his yoke is easy and his burden, is light. (Matthew 11:28) Religion seeks to achieve righteousness and standards through extreme measures which might not be favourable or achievable by the people.

5. TRUE CHRISTIANITY ENTAILS SERVING GOD WITH JOY. 

Most religious worshippers serve with obligation. Their love and joy for God gets lost in the abyss of their services. The Joy of the Lord exclusively enjoyed by Christians is nowhere in sight for such kinds of worshippers. Usually, their service exists in pain and turmoil. 

For example, the worshippers of Baal had to hurt themselves for their gods to answer. Despite the harsh infliction of pain, it was all in vain. 

6. TRUE CHRISTIANITY IS SUSTAINABLE FOR A LIFETIME. 

Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit who makes all things easier, Christians enjoy a lifetime of commitment and relationship with God without getting weary.

On the other hand, the religious workers tie their gratification to their commitment and not consecration. They subscribe to a lifetime of consistently proving themselves as self-righteous. Sadly, such a lifestyle is hardly sustainable because of the absence of God’s spirit. 

Over time, they rely on their knowledge, strengths and flesh which brews frustration and depletes the grace to last on the course. (John 15:5)

7. CHRISTIAN LAWS, DIRECTIVES AND COMMANDS ARE ISSUED FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE. 

Everything the Lord demands or requires from his children is often for the growth, maturity and knowledge of the true Christian. Each command or directive is laced with a blessing to that child of God. 

Meanwhile, in religious methods, laws and rules are treated as a service or commitment to what is believed – unchanging and barren of transformation.

8. THE LAWS IN CHRISTIANITY ARE BIRTHED, TAUGHT AND INTERPRETED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The Holy Spirit makes the word of God, written and unwritten, new every day, producing unrivalled results and renewal of life for the true Christian.

On the other hand, religious laws are unchanging, statutory and ignorant of people’s pain. Often difficult to maintain. Just like the Sadducees and Pharisees’ situation with Jesus performing healing on the Sabbath.

9. THE LIFE OF A TRUE CHRISTIAN BRINGS GLORY TO GOD AND DRAWS SINNERS TO REPENTANCE. 

Meanwhile, the life of a religious person hardly brings glory to God. Instead, it attracts hatred, reproach and condemnation of the body of Christ when the person is believed to be a Christian. 

Note – A Christian can fall into the life of a religious person. 

10. THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT.

A true Christian encapsulates the fruits of the spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) while a religious person is usually void of the said fruits. Such people manifest characters that are inconsistent with the word.

Are you a religious person? We should all examine our lives prayerfully and ask the Lord to show us by the spirit who we are and help us to make amends where necessary. 

May the Good Lord help us, grant us grace and make us true Christians in Jesus’ Name. Amen. God bless you.