At first you might not think of them as being at odds. But they are. Religion and Jesus. Jesus was rejected and expelled from the religious system. Jerusalem represented the ideal center of religious activity and is still central to the three major world religions today. When Jesus taught, He continually drove a wedge between what 'religion' represents and His message. He made it clear that true worship is not determined by religious affiliation or tradition but by whether or not our spirits are alive and responding to God's realities (John 4:24).

Both religion and Jesus agree that human beings need to be right with God. Religion says "These are the ways!" Jesus says, "I am the Way." He goes on to say that He is the only way; the indispensable means for a human being to be put in the right with God. Religion focuses on human practices. Christianity focuses on a Person. You practice religion. You relate to a Person. Religion demands righteous performance. Christianity provides God's righteous performance on our behalf. In Christ, God is taking action to provide all that His law demands from us. He lives a holy life and credits it to our account. He pays our debt. He takes the capital punishment that our sin deserves. Religion is spelt 'D-O'. Christianity is spelt, 'D-O-N-E'. The implications of Jesus' finished work of redemption on the Cross are far reaching. They spell 'Freedom'.

Religion is about outward conformity to the law. Christianity is about inward transformation through the Spirit. Religion is about our actions in response to what we believe about God. Christianity is about God's actions in Christ. Our central task in Christianity is to live in responsive obedience to what God has said, is saying, and will say, in Christ. This is what it means to live by faith. Faith is saying 'yes' to God and fully buying in to what He has done and is doing. Our spirit says, "This is it. This is truth!" and our soul responds with a full engagement of our thoughts with His thoughts; our emotions with His affections, and our wills with His will. We then discover that our life can be the means of expressing His life! When we fully fasten ourselves to God's actions in Christ by faith, we will discover God working in us both to will and do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

Religion is about living with regulations as a control from the outside. Christianity is about living with God's life as a control from the inside. The New Covenant of God's grace (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Hebrews 8:12; 10:16-17) promises us peace and pardon ( "I will forgive your sins and remember them no more" ); His presence ( "No man will teach his neighbor to 'know the Lord' for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest" ) His power ( "I will write my law in your hearts and minds" ) and partnership ( "I will be their God and they shall be my people" ).

Living by faith with His peace, pardon, presence, power and partnership will determine how I behave; whether or not I watch a certain film or TV program; or how I participate in a conversation. It will determine what I read and why I read it. It will determine the actions I take to alleviate the sufferings of those around me. It will determine how I deal with situations of injustice. Religion only causes us to fulfill obligations. Christianity causes us to fulfill divine opportunities.

Religion is about our striving to live up to God's standard. Christianity is God's standard alive and living is us: Christ. The Spirit-filled life is ours when we respond to God's gracious provision: the outliving of the indwelling Christ.

Religion has never been good enough for God.

Seeking continual engagement with the life of Christ (John 8:31-32),