See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. -Matthew 24:4b-5 (ESV)
I believe a personal relationship with God is healthy, but organized religion has potential for danger, in whatever faith. -Max Lucado
When the U.S. Treasury Department trains their agents, instead of studying counterfeit bills, they intensely study our U.S. currency. Then, when they see a counterfeit, they know it. When you know and have experienced the real thing, you recognize a counterfeit for what it is: A cheap imitation.
In our modern world people have mistaken religion, an imitation, for spirituality, the real thing. This has caused mental, emotional, and physical harm to individuals and society as a whole.
Religion is humanity’s attempt to do something for God (deity) and control people (society) through man-made religious organizations, institutions, hierarchies of professionals and non-professionals, “approved” belief systems, traditions, “sacred” writings, rules, ordinances, and sacraments. It’s a system of control that promises much and delivers little.
Yet, people go back, week after week hoping today will be the moment that their marriage is healed, their health restored, or they’re delivered from a besetting “sin.” But it rarely happens. That is the dirty little secret of institutional religion: What they’re doing doesn’t work because it’s outward self-effort and not inner spirit.
Jesus and Religion
Jesus came to establish a new covenant that is in Him, and set aside the old covenant of laws and rules. To put it another way, he came to kill outward religion, of every kind, and replace it with an inward spiritual focus.
Jesus attacked the religious system of laws, rules, and dead works unmercifully. In Matthew 23:27 Jesus said to the religious leaders, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness (NKJV).
For Jesus, the inner spiritual life was the issue, not outward religious works. In John 5:39, 40 Jesus said to the religious leaders, You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life (NKJV).
Life is not in scriptures, or outward religious works. Life is in Christ, the Messiah.
As you can imagine, this did not set well with the Jewish religious leaders. They had much invested in Judaism and the Temple worship cult. It made them a lot of money, gave them leadership of the nation and a seat at the table with the Roman occupiers.
Ultimately, religion would kill Jesus, the one who lived from within, from Spirit, from love. Religion can’t abide with something that won’t allow it to control beliefs about God, the actions of people, positions of power and money. It must have something to do, to succeed in, and influence over things of this world.
Spiritual people need only go inward to Spirit, to know themselves and rest in a finished work in Christ Jesus. The apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 2:14, 15 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one (NKJV).
Need for Control
Religion must first gain control of people and power, so that both can serve it. Control comes in diverse ways. An example of this is the need to have specific, approved “sacred” writings. Christianity has the Bible; Islam the Koran and Judaism the Torah and the prophets (Jewish scriptures).
Some groups within Christianity claim the Bible is God’s Word, inerrant and infallible. That the only discrepancies we see in scripture today happened over times as scrolls were hand copied from the originals. I grew up in a denomination that taught this and fought over it. Yet, the Bible does not claim this for itself. It doesn’t claim to be “God’s Word,” inerrant or infallible.
The men who wrote the books in the Bible were Jewish, practiced Judaism and knew the Torah and the prophets. But they had all the human limitations and failings we deal with. These authors each wrote individually, from their own personal experience, cultural context and style, over 1,500 years, with no intent of writing anything inerrant or infallible. Their audience wasn’t 21st century modern, western, Christian people. And their writings weren’t perfect. They contradict each other at times, and there are errors in their writing.
If time and space allowed, I could take you to example after example of how the Bible contradicts itself and has various textual errors. These are not simply mistakes in hand copying from an original scroll, which if we had the originals we could prove without a doubt. But we don’t.
The good news: It’s not the purpose of the Bible to be inerrant or infallible. Its only purpose is to point you to the person of Jesus Christ. It’s a spiritual book that doesn’t need to be inerrant or infallible to be helpful in your spiritual journey and physical life on this earth.
Contrary to popular religious opinion, the Bible is not “God’s Word.” Here’s what everyone seems to forget: Jesus Christ is God’s Word, the “Logos” of God, and His Spirit dwells within in each of us, and we in Him. That is the higher truth that trumps everything else, including “approved” traditions or “sacred” writings.
Outward Verses an Inward Focus
Religion focuses on outward things, such as attendance, giving, working in the organization, buildings and programs, trying to become “better,” supporting doctrinal beliefs, etc. None of these things are of use to a spiritual person.
Paul wrote in Romans 2:28, 29 -- For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. (NKJV) It’s the inward reality of Christ in us and we in Him that matters, a heart (mindset) that is changed. Outward religious works receive the praises of people but are of no matter to a spiritual person.
In Philippians 3:3 the apostle writes, For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. (NKJV) My translation of this verse? We’ve had an inner change of heart by grace and focus on God in the inner spirit, rejoice in our union in Christ, and have no confidence in what we can do outwardly in our own strength. That is a spiritual person!
Healthy Spirituality
Before you freak out, let me clarify that I love studying the Bible. Let me reiterate, I am NOT against the Bible! I am also NOT against organized religion. They both have their place. Organized religion can encourage people in their faith, based on their level of spiritual maturity.
However, healthy spirituality is the goal. Meaning, living from within, and the reality that you are in Christ and Christ is in you. Nothing needs to be added.
Put another way: You are everything God ever wanted this very moment. The truth about you is Christ. No organization, theological belief system, work or sacrament can add to that truth.
What then does healthy spirituality look like?
Healthy spirituality:
Knows through experience that God is love, above all.
Loves people first.
Is at rest in Christ’s finished work.
Is an inner reality not based on outward efforts.
Needs no rules or laws to live by, but intuitively knows what is needed each moment.
Enjoys each moment as a gift.
Sees the Bible as a support to a relationship with Christ.
Judges no one nor condemns.
Accepts all people as they are this very moment.
Sees all people as equals and loved by God.
Demands nothing from anyone.
The Transition
The transition from outer religious works to focus on inward spiritual reality can be difficult. We’ve lived our lives taught to focus on what we do and what we believe. Loving others as yourself is way down the list. The transition can feel like you’re betraying your faith, but you’re not. You’re embracing it.
Meditation has been an immense help to me in this process of inner spiritual living. Beginning each morning quieting my thoughts through breath-control and focusing on my body in the moment allows my mind to slow down. Meditation, or mindfulness, is being in the moment. Most of us struggle with staying in the moment. We’re either thinking about the past or worrying about the future. But being in the moment is where God dwells. It’s His place. Let it be your focus, and your place too.
Contemplation is listening to the Spirit without talking. Begin with a scripture such as Colossians 3:2, Set your mind on things above, and not on things on the earth (NKJV). Then consider that verse. What does it mean to you? Let its meaning sink deeply into your soul.
Next, listen. In quietness, listen. You are now available for Christ Spirit and His quiet inner voice. Nothing else matters.
Conclusion
All of this is a process. Take your time with it and give yourself grace when starting it. Life is a gift: both precious and messy. You don’t learn by doing everything right. No one ever does. It’s when you fall and stumble that you learn the most.
Let go of the imitations of your past and let your spirit in Christ take you slowly from an outer religious focus to an inner spiritual focus. Before you know it, you’ll begin to experience the freedom and liberty that are already yours in Christ’s finished work.
Remember Paul’s words of wisdom in Galatians 5:1: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (NKJV)
You are free, indeed!