How many times have we heard someone say Christianity Is Not a Religion, It’s a Relationship. Is there evidence to back that statement up? Why would Christianity not be considered a religion? I attended a men’s retreat this past weekend and one of the guest speakers and I were discussing cliches or maxims and this one came up.
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Relationships God created people to be in relationship with himself and with one another in friendship, marriage, family, society and the church.
Human beings are created to be in relationship with God Rev 21:3 See also Isa 43:6-7; Hos 11:1; 2Co 6:18
With one another Ge 2:18 See also Ps 127:4; Pr 17:6,17; 18:24; 27:10; Ecc 4:9-12
Martin H. Manser, Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies (London: Martin Manser, 2009).
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In the modern world, most people think of a relationship as:
NOUN / relationship (noun) · relationships (plural noun)
Oxford Languages https://languages.oup.com/
- the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected:”The study will assess the relationship between unemployment and political attitudes”
and they view religion as nothing more than someone’s core beliefs. Given these premises, we can have a relationship with anything or anyone. Their religion can be whatever they hold in the highest regard or believe in the most.
I have Radar, my service dog and I have a relationship with him. It’s not a religion I do not Idolize him but certainly, it is a relationship. Or what about the person who claims to not believe in God, but idolizes money or some otherworldly item(s) have they not created their own religion and relationship to obtain it?
I hope you see the danger in using cliches or maxims, especially without clarification. Take for example the old maxim a watched pot never boils, really is that true? Of course not, yet folks toss it about with little concern for fact or sensibility. As Christians doing this with scripture and “scripturally based” cliches and maxims goes against the biblical commands to always speak the truth.1
Is Christianity more than just “religion” certainly? Just as certainly, it is more than your average relationship with your family, friends neighbors, or even fiddo. Christians must NEVER understate the depth of the relationship that exists between the triune God and His elect. We must do so in truth and love.
DEVOTIONAL
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