Religion...it's easy...Col 2:20-23

Colossians 2:20-23
“Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? these are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”

You know, we say we hate religion, that Christianity is about relationship not religion. But I’m not so sure we really hate it all the time. I’m not so sure I hate it all the time. Religion is easy, relationship is hard. Religion is concrete, relationship is sometimes ambiguous. Religion in the end is about me…in so many ways, relationship, at least in terms of being a Christ follower, is about Him. Truth be told, I think that there is huge temptation, like the church in Colosse, to move from relationship to religion. We create lists of do’s and don’ts out of the Bible (before I get to pious, I should probably speak about myself). I tend to create a list of do’s and don’ts out of His Word as opposed to allowing it to draw me to Christ, to see Christ, to treasure Christ. I, at times have enjoyed the perception that people may think of me as being extra holy or godly because of the things I will or will not do. At the foundation of religion is the greatest sin of all, pride. And as Paul says, it does nothing to deal with sin…in this case specifically sexual sin. Maybe this is why so few of our “purity plans” really work. They are based more on religion than on Christ. The truth is, we need Christ. Like the church in Colosse, we need to value Christ. We need to see the beauty of Christ. We need to love Christ. Lord, open my eyes to see Your Son.