What is Religion? Religion is a way of organizing faith, it is sets of rules, it is what helps people be open with others about our faith, it is what guides people in how they should act. Those are the main purposes of a religion.
Our faith is vital, believing in Christ as our savior, and living for him because of that faith that is vital. We need faith, religion on the other hand is a tool it is something we should use because it has much power but not something we should get to enmeshed in. Our religion gives us encouragement from others who share our faith, and support from others, it helps us to see a good set of rules, it helps us to be open about what we believe BUT there are also dangers to religion and though you should be apart of the christian “religion” I caution you about this.
Do not let the apathy of the people around you over come you. Do not let the people who all they desire is to keep things the same keep you from being passionate for God, from changing things, from making a difference. Don’t let religion get in the way of your relationship. Also make your rules and regulations your own, the bible should be the ultimate source for what is right and wrong, though the church may be able to help you come up with good guide lines you need to own your rules, you need to believe it and it needs to come from the bible and from you faith not from someone who told you this is what you should do.
In short, use religion as a tool as a resource to make your faith stronger and to spread you faith but NEVER NEVER let religion get in the way of your faith, NEVER let religion slow down your passion for God.
I found this quote in a book I’m reading called “Christianity through the centuries” by Cairns…
“The church exists on two levels. On one level it is an external, invisible, biblical organism that is welded into one body by the Holy Spirit. On the other it is the temporal, historical, visible, human, institutional organization. The first is the end, the second is the means.”
The church as an institution is a means to an end. The end is the strength of the church as an organism. The problem is that sin creeps into this institution just as it creeps into any institution and thus can end up weakening the organism.