Freedom from Religion

I am thankful that we have freedom of religion in our country. But what we really need is freedom from religion. When I use the word "religion" I am referring to mankind's attempts to find God and gain his approval and love through self-efforts, dogmas, and traditions of men. This kind of religion is nothing more than humanism wrapped in the robes of self-righteousness. America doesn't need anymore of this kind of religion----we need freedom from religion!

The establishment of religion has historically been the root of humanities problems. In the Garden of Eden, it was man's desire to differentiate between good and evil, thus establishing his own moral code apart from God, that brought sin on the earth (This is an amazing truth to me. Adam and Eve's downfall was not some grand moral failure. It was the establishment of a religion!). In the building of the Tower of Babel, it was mankind's desire to build something that reached the heavens (literally, that represented the heavens) and establish a monumental work that would bring glory to humanity. This was religion at its best---and worst. At Mt.Sinai, it was the people's arrogant rejection of relationship and boasting that they would "do all that God commanded them to do" that resulted in immediate failures and death. They exchanged relationship and a covenant of grace for religion and a covenant of law.

If religion is so inadequate then why is it so enticing? Religion caters to man's inherent need to perform. Instead of boasting what God has done for us, religion boasts of what we need to do for God. This is heresy, and upon this premise religion thrives.

There was a popular saying when I was a child growing up in the church. It said, "I'm not religious, I just love the Lord." I believe we need to return to that saying. But it needs to be more than a slogan imprinted on a Christian t-shirt or bumper sticker. We need to know that Christ came not to establish another religion, but to set us free from religion and escort us into a real, live relationship with a loving Father.