Not a Religion but a Relationship?

It is popular in some circles to say, “Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship.” It is certainly an often-overlooked truth that Christianity is a relationship with God the Father and with Jesus Christ, God’s Son and our Lord and Savior. It is, however, also a “religion,” in the original sense of the Latin word “religio,” which means “bond,” “obligation” and “reverence.” Our relationship with Jesus is as Lord. He has laid on us bonds and obligations, “religio.” He himself asked, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:45 ESV). Today’s culture downplays authority – of policemen, of parents, of elders and of even of the Bible, which is the Word of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

The fact that all Scripture is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16) is an unequivocal assertion of biblical authority over the lives of believers and the church. All authority is being questioned. Christianity, while it does involve a relationship with Jesus and God, is a faith with content. It is not just a warm, fuzzy feeling. Christianity is a religion founded on a relationship with One Who is Lord and God.