It was Martin Luther who insightfully suggested that “religion” is the default mode of the human heart.
I’ve unfortunately found this to be quite true. Unless I tell my heart to deliberately do something different, I often drift toward using religion to reach God.
Tim Keller wrote a brilliant piece on this in The Prodigal God . He said…
“Even after you are converted by the gospel your heart will go back to operating on other principles unless you deliberately, repeatedly set it to gospel-mode.
We habitually and instinctively look to other things besides God and his grace as our justification, hope, significance, and security. We believe the gospel at one level, but at deeper levels we do not. Human approval, professional success, power and influence, family and clan identity-all those things serve as our heart’s “functional trust” rather than what Christ has done, and as a result, we continue to be driven to a great degree by fear, anger, and a lack of self-control.
This is why almost each morning I have to reset my mind. I have to intentionally set my mind on the Gospel and the grace it provides. Losing my religion is tougher than I ever thought.
Your thoughts?
It is strange how that happens to all of us. We all want to go to something other than the Grace of God – to add to the strangeness it different for all of us. It is a struggle and a battle that is faced everyday in my life as well.
Thanks for the thoughts and reminder.
.-= Jim F.´s last blog ..Review of Transforming Church in Rural America =-.
pete, i’m not trying to pick on you — rather i’m honestly looking for an answer. why have we made ‘religion’ a bad word? it doesn’t have negative connotations in the new testament…
i agree with the sentiment of your post; i just wish we’d redeem these words instead of throwing them out.
.-= JamesBrett´s last blog ..true greatness =-.
Good question James. Give me a Biblical example of it being used in a positive light. It seems like most examples are Jesus painting it in a bad light.
Here is one example from the New Testament.
James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (referencing Isaiah)
However, I don’t believe it is necessary to “redeem” these words. It is a matter of perception. Language adapts to its present surroundings. Some examples are “brave” which originally meant cowardice, or “girl” which originally referred to a young person of either sex. The word “nice” meant stupid and foolish in the late 13th Century. It went through a number of changes including wanton, extravagant, elegant, strange, modest, thin, and shy. By the middle of the 18th Century it had gained its current meaning of pleasant and agreeable. (From “The Origin of Words”)
Religion can be loosely translated as “the way in which humans relate to God”. I don’t think the issue is to “redeem” the word “religion”, but to focus on “the way humans have been relating to God” traditionally in the modern church. We can focus on personally relating to God in such a way that would be accepted by God as “pure and faultless”.
Btw, great post Pete.
swodeck took mine. so i’ll explain further what i mean with the following verse:
“…these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family…” 1 tim 5:4.
it seems what i often hear called “religion” today (negative connotation) is a form of “worship” or “knowing” God that doesn’t result in obedience and action. timothy would call this bad, vain, or ineffective religion. but there is good religion. see james definition. kind of a “be doers, not just hearers” kind of thing.
.-= JamesBrett´s last blog ..confessions of a future author =-.
It seems to me in my studies concerning the word “religion” that is really is just the functionality or the act of humans relating to God, not a particular way to do so. So, yes, religion can be both bad and good depending on the process one chooses to relate to God.
love the post Pete, but i agree with James. Christ paints the true picture of good religion in James 1:27 NIV “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” religion, according to our scriptures, is not something we came up with. it’s something He came up with and we eventually took over and tweaked it to our “liking”. I blogged about it here: http://wp.me/phw0p-42
But Pete, the heart of your post is righteous. the religion debate gets more into semantics and ownership.
thank you for the reminder to regularly set our minds on the Gospel and the grace offered.
Pete,
Thanks for sharing this. It’s funny how you can know this mentally and yet it still takes a while to get it. Your post went straight into my journal, because I am still learning it a day at a time too.
To those who comment here questioning this point, read Bonhoeffer’s Cost of Discipleship, or Karl Barth’s explanation of why God hates religion. Religion is not a word or concept that is redeemable, Jesus died to overcome our efforts at self-salvation.
Mike
.-= Michael Raburn´s last blog ..bad doubt and good doubt =-.
I agree. The love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, etc. that our Heavenly Father has extended to us is the exact opposite of human nature. The fact that we have this great gift and we have done nothing to earn it is very hard for our minds to understand. So we try to do things to “earn” it. We try to be good Christians. We try to do the right thing. All the while, we forget that it’s “not by works but by His grace alone.”
So I am with you…I need to constantly remind myself that it’s all about Him and nothing that I could ever do on my own.
I blogged about this very topic this morning. (It’s the post linked below, so click the link to read it if you like.) I think one of the best short quotations on this is from John Franklin, who said, “God doesn’t want our service and activity apart from a relationship with Him, and in fact, He will not accept them without it.”
.-= Melissa´s last blog ..What’s My Motivation? =-.
Great post Melissa!
Thanks, Pete!
.-= Melissa´s last blog ..How Does Your Garden Grow? – June 3 =-.
Not an excuse, just a reality for me…grew up in a fundemntalist home, went to christian school k5-12, then uber fundy college, i just don’t know anything else but “religion”. Its very frustrating for me, now in my plan B, learning all the things that real life is all about. I just turned 40 and even though I joke alot about my “brainwashing”, it is a daily battle for me.
I feel like there is no foundation whatsoever…i have a TON of head knowledge, but the heart is just beginning to change….
i grew up uber baptist…I so understand what you are saying…
I posted a thought further down from here about a book I had recently read, you may want to check it out…
“So you don’t want to go to church anymore” by Wayne Jacobsen.
The book I am reading now that actually makes a great follow up is called
“Searching for God Knows What” by Don Miller
I am seeing God in a whole new light…
I will say a prayer for you as you seek to discover who Jesus really is and what He wants from you.
.-= Julie R.´s last blog ..My God Box =-.
Pete: James asks a question that we all have asked about religion. Religion to me is the man-made rules we use to make us feel righteous (least that is what I think). I think losing my religion is so hard because no matter how much I try to kick it to the curb it seems to be crop up again and again and… It often becomes our fail-safe plan. Good thoughts this a.m.
.-= Bill (cycleguy)´s last blog ..Chokers and Leeches =-.
I like the way you described religion as a “fail-safe” plan.
I agree 100%. I built habits early on in life. After receiving Christ, God changed me…unfortunately, I’ve not been willing to address all those old habits of relying on myself.
How do we move groups of people out of the norm and into a conscience state of living? I noticed last night watching “Wipeout” with some friends, that everyone in the room shut their minds off during advertisements – I see that at church. Let’s be honest, I see it IN ME!
Thanks for the post. I’ve gotta get outta cruise control.
I love this current series, Pete. Pastor Scotty Smith used to say that it was necessary for each of us to wake up each morning and embrace the grace of Christ. Otherwise we might be led to believe we have it all together…
PS: Martin Luther speaking those words is ironic.
That dude says some wise things. I was stuck with him in an airport a couple years ago. Turned out to be a blessing.
What an AMEN for me!!! I have always said that religion was man’s attempt to reach out to God, Christianity is God reaching out to man…..Man has SO twisted what God wants from us. He wants US. Nothing else. We can’t do anything to make Him love us more, we can’t do anything to make Him love us less. It all comes down to a relationship. Always and ever more. Nothing else will satisfy….Him or us.
I completely agree. Each morning, we have to decide to live for the Lord. The world makes it too easy to choose otherwise, so everyday is a deliberate decision to choose Him. I believe it’s just a symptom of the human condition, and no matter how long we’ve been believers, I don’t think it gets easier.
Pete,
I think combating the default mode towards religion might have been in mind when Jerry Bridges encouraged us to “preach the Gospel to ourselves every day.”
Dave
.-= Dave Wilson´s last blog ..New Testament In A Month — DAY 2 =-.
Good word Dave!
I recently read a book “So You Don’t Want To Go To Church Anymore” by Wayne Jacobsen. One of the many insightful thoughts in this book included how we are taught as children that our relationship with God is performance based. We put up charts and give stars to the kids (I got my stars every week) for things like attendance, bringing a friend and your bible, for knowing your memory verse and so on. At the end of the quarter or whatever the most stars earned a prize… As an adult I have struggled constantly with doing everything right and still feeling like God wasn’t pleased with me when the evidence of my finances, health, job or whatever was not going according to to what I thought it should. This book pointed out how we strive to DO for God but we miss out on relationship WITH Him. The lacking relationship is what causes the trouble, I can never do anything to earn His approval or His love because as His child…I already have it. I can’t tell you the freedom that I am experiencing not just because of this thought, but so many others…its a great book and I highly recommend it.
Sorry for the lengthy post and unintended book plug…but I am seeing things sooo much more clearly these days, I just wanted to share.
.-= Julie R.´s last blog ..My God Box =-.
Thanks for sharing Julie!
I couldn’t agree more with the premise that we continually need to re-set our hearts on grace. I too find it necessary to do this each day. My humanness wants to win my justification by somehow trying harder, being better, not failing as often, etc. And that treadmill is so tiring! The relief always comes when I re-calibrate my heart to – as Luther would say – Solo Gratia – by grace alone.
oooch! that hurt as it hit me square in the head! Thanks for reminder of hitting the reset button, EVERY DAY! I agree losing my religion is harder than I ever imagined!
At a revival meeting last night (yes the old fashioned type), faith was discussed/preached on. The pastor discussed our relationship being a one step at a time thing. I think the same is true of what you are writing about…everyday there is a choice to walk in His ways or not.
.-= Michael´s last blog ..Ringxiety =-.
That’s me in the corner…
.-= Tony York´s last blog ..When the van’s a rockin, don’t… =-.
nice … my mind automatically switched over to R.E.M. Now I have it stuck in my head… thanks so much Tony…
.-= Julie R.´s last blog ..My God Box =-.
Excellent thoughts Pete. Funny, I just posted some tough questions I wrestle with when it comes to faith today too. I think my default is to do works for approval, which is a form of religion too. I have to constantly remind myself that works is not what keeps me saved (if that makes sense). My default is to think that if I do enough good things than it will outweigh any of the bad that may exist. As you said, I have to set my mind on the fact that God’s love and grace are what keeps me saved. My good works should be an outpouring of a heart set to Him and not so I can feel better when I lay my head on the pillow at night. The only scorecard took place on a hill. Accepting that first is the best “work” I can do.
.-= Aaron´s last blog ..Things I Wrestle With =-.
“We habitually and instinctively look to other things besides God and his grace as our justification, hope, significance, and security”
I’ve been struggling w/this this week. A lot… dashed expectations have haunted me all week. Expectations of others, of self, of life, of church. I am expecting a lot of things to bring me comfort that are not… just not quite sure how to get out of that habit…
.-= Jenny´s last blog ..Heart Repair: Anyone got a bandaid? =-.
This is so powerful. I love what Keller said there. We get stuck in a dysfunctional “functional trust” cycle and wonder why we are continually disappointed when in fact, just like trying to get Doritos from a Pepsi machine, we consistently hit the button and try to extract justification, hope, significance, and security from things that don’t have them to give. Ummm… dang.
.-= Grant Jenkins´s last blog ..Value In The Crushing =-.
Lady Gaga’s interview last night with Larry King had some good insights on spirituality verses religion. She loves Jesus but doesn’t understand her Catholic upbringing which has left her very confused, like alot of us out there who have been religious.
I would go so far as to say that selfishness is the default. And perhaps then add that religion is the primary way in which people practically seek to remove the guilt from selfishness.
I like the notion of the daily reset…
if my Mac needs one, I guess I need one!
I also have to daily preach the Gospel to myself…. I’m such a perfectionist and I get angry that I still sin and I want to make myself better. But I can’t make myself better. I can’t make myself holy. Only Christ can do that — His death on the cross atones my sins, and the Holy Spirit’s work in me will transform me from one degree of glory to another
I am in the process (again) of ridding myself of some things that have crept in because Id reverted to sine religious thinking. So thankful for Gods grace and the desire to be changed
.-= Kelli´s last blog ..The Over 30′s (part 1) =-.
Even as we reset into “gospel mode”, we get kicked back into our personal default modes by kinks in the system of life and must find our way back. I wish it was as easy as pushing a button. I think we must struggle with our “default modes” whether it be religion or other lesser things our entire lives. I like your thoughts.