So many times you hear someone say it's not about religion it's about relationship! Well...what exactly does that mean? I want to share few thoughts with you whether you’re a believer or someone whose fallen away maybe even an individual who isn't in church or never has been this one is for you.
Chances are when you think of church you think of what you can't do if you started coming to church. You might not go because you don’t have "church" clothes. (What in the world are “church" clothes?) You can't drink, go partying, you can't have pre marital sex, and the list goes on. I know churches where you can't wear makeup (the devil is a liar lol) you can’t go on dates, (foolishness), you can't wear pants (show me this one in the bible), you can't shave, you can't wear jewelry, you can't go to the movies, and the list goes on! I can go on for days. I believe what scares many people away is all these regulations and rules some of which are great and others that are utterly man made and completely unbiblical! If you want to get technical I can show you a few scriptures where it mentions men of God who wore nose rings lol! It's all there read it!
So many cultural rules in churches and so many people telling you want you can and can't do! All these legalistic churches and movements that come along and if you do go to a church wearing pants they look at you as if you had ten heads and they run to you covering you with a blanket or telling you to leave for you are inappropriate etc...Is that God's LOVE?!
1 John 4:7-8
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love .
NIV
God is love...he wouldn’t run me out of church because I wore an earring...God wouldn’t cover my wife if she had pants or makeup. Those are Man made rules and yes they will point to the Old Testament in Numbers where it mentions painting your face but in reality they know no the context in which the verse was speaking but will twist and contort it to suit there needs. Rejecting people because they don't fit their model of what a Christian is...We have become more concerned WITH THE EXTERIOR RATHER THAN THE INTERIOR! God told Samuel concerning David’s brothers that he doesn't examine the exterior he looks inside. I can just imagine Jesus telling me to leave because I'm wearing a chain on my neck...right.
That is RELIGION! As defined by Webster’s dictionary:
re·li·gion
1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.
3. the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.
4. the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.
5. the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith
This is not Gods goal. God doesn't want you not to sin because you will go to hell or your Pastor will embarrass you NO! He wants you not to sin because you LOVE him! God does not want you to attend church because if you don't people will talk about you! No he desires you to go because you deeply in love with him. He desire for you to pray not because you’re told to but because you desire to communicate with your creator.
Understand this, when I was single I acted SINGLE. Went on dates, hung out with girls I thought had potential, did all sorts of "SINGLE" things. I flirted, I look at all women around me to see if they fit my "type" and so forth. BUT when i found my wife, EVERYTHING STOPPED! Not because she made me but because I love her. I won't disrespect her because I lover her. I won't look at other women because it would dishonor my wife. That’s a RELATIONSHIP! Not that there are rules, but rather there are just KNOWN things that are unacceptable! And furthermore many things I changed that I found out she didn't like...why? Love drove me to.
When I came to God I stopped sinning because I didn't want to hurt him the same way I didn’t want to hurt my wife. I stopped drinking, smoking cigarettes, smoking weed, premarital sex, clubbing, swearing, lying and the list goes on. I stopped because I desired to represent God the best I can! It was NOT because of a list of religious rules. God is not interested in rules he wants LOVE! He doesn’t want your respect because your afraid of him but because you love him.
I realize that besides being Pastor Luis I am Yesenia’s husband (love you boo). I carry her name even though she carries my name. If I were seen out with another woman and someone saw me they would say
Religion has built up all these beliefs and things you can and can not do but in reality Christ goal was not to start a religion but to open a door for you to be able to become part of a BODY of believers that are in a committed monogamous spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! Religious beliefs condemn us but relationship draws us closer to God. Religion tells you how unworthy you are but relationship tell you how much you are loved by this great creator...He just wants us to love him back in this relationship.
Matt 22:35-39
36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
NIV
It's not about religion...I'm a Sr. Pastor of a great Church and I am NOT religious...I’m in a RELATIONSHIP...(more to come on this topic)
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