The lure of religion is a sense of control wrapped in a “holy” cloak, “having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof” 2 Timothy 3:5.
The lure of religion is a deceitful lure. “So, you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:28
Ever wonder why so many people around the world adhere to some form of religion or another? What is it that religion offers or provides? I believe this answer has both negative and positive elements. In its simplest form, religion offers the follower some sense of security and control. My guess is we each have our own idea of religion that immediately comes to mind when we hear the word. For the sake of this discussion, let’s define the term accurately. In the KJV Bible the word religion is used 5 times and only once with a positive connotation. First, let’s define religion by KJV concordance: G2356 threskeia means ceremonial observance. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary online, religion is: 1. The belief in a god or in a group of gods. 2. An organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods. 3. An interest, a belief, or an activity that is very important to a person or a group. Combining the online definition with the concordance definition, we are going to focus in on ceremonial observance: an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god.
There is so much history that could be placed here, so I’m going to try to summarize. When God first made man and woman, He wanted a free-flowing relationship between them with no hinderances. However, after sin entered the world, there also entered a divide between God and mankind. After that, for hundreds of years, God spoke with men and women most often through their God-given conscience and on occasion personally as we see with the story of Noah and Abraham. By the time Moses entered the scene, it was clear humans needed a type of law code to abide by. Left to their own devices, humans often chose poorly (and still do). It is also during this time of Moses that we see God’s chosen people reject Him (again) and ask for a mediator and an established law code. Exodus 20:18-19 “Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and stood afar off and said to Moses, “you speak to us, and we will listen; but do let God speak to us, lest we die.” This directly contradicts God’s desire for relationship with humans as we see in Exodus 25:8 where God says, “and let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.” Herein enters religion – the meld between human desire and God’s desire: “God wants to know me and I want to know Him, well just a bit, give me the laws and the rules, and let a man (or woman) speak for Him, but let’s keep him at bay, not too close, lest we die!”
The one scripture reference that shows religion in a positive light is James 1:27 “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James draws this contrast to a worthless religion referenced in the verse before, “if anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless” James 1:26. Both times ‘religion’ is used in these verses it means ceremonial observance. So, that shows us it is possible to have ceremonial observances – such as caring for widows and orphans and separating ourselves from worldly influences. But, James is trying to differentiate between a religious walk and a walk of faith.
A religious walk gives the adherer a sense of control in their life. That person can follow a set of rules and try to be “good”. This gives them a false sense of security and control. A religious walk offers the follower control. They can be in control of their own life.
Colossians 2:20 – 23 “if with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive to the world, do you submit to regulations- ‘do not handle, do not taste, do not touch’ (referring to the things that all perish as they are used)- according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” A false sense of control, but truly no control.
A walk of faith is vastly different. A walk of faith requires a constant tuning into the Spirit. A walk of faith is not the individual’s own (Colossians 3:3). A walk of faith is at all times being led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:18). Again, Paul draws the contrast between a walk of faith and a religious walk. It is one or the other.
Following ceremonial observances, aka the law: religion gives the person a sense of control over their own life. So long as they are “checking all the boxes” daily, they’re good. See the story of the Rich Young Ruler (Luke 18:18-22). He had checked all the boxes. However, he was not in tune with the Voice of God, the Spirit.
Abraham might be the best of example of a true walk of faith. There was no established written law yet. He did not have other “followers of God” in his life to base his walk on. All he had was his own sense of knowing the voice of God for himself. God called Abram out of the land of his family, out of a culture of everything he knew, out of not only his comfort zone but also out of his safety zone. Abraham had no idea where God would lead him. He had no idea what the terrain would be like, what strangers or hostility he might encounter. He had no idea about his future, only that he knew his God. Abraham had that level of confidence, that faith, in God to pack up his family, leave everything he knew and loved, and venture out into the unknown. That confidence came from knowing God.
As we are taught in Hebrews 11, faith is not based on what we know or see in the natural, “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is absolute confidence in God. The only way someone gains and can access that confidence in God is by knowing Him. Romans 10:17 says it this way, “faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God.” There’s no religious (ceremonial observance) substitute for faith. Faith requires us to be in tune with God. The only way to be in tune with God is to know Him. The only way to know Him is to walk and talk with Him and allow Him to talk with us. This is how we learn Him, how we know Him, how we gain confidence in Him. That is the walk of faith.
2 Corinthians 3:3 “And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”
That is the lure of religion. It is safe. It is known. It is boxes easily checked. It is being in control of one’s life, but not really being in control. Religion offers a false sense of security, a false sense of control.
Faith, at first, seems scary, it is unknown. The ‘to do list’ changes as the wind wills; John 3:8 “the wind blows where it wills and you hear its sound, but do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Faith does not allow the follower to be in control of his/her own life. Faith yields its life and direction thereof to the Master. Faith offers true security. Faith is confidence. Faith becomes freeing and known. Faith is knowing God and being known by Him.