My Church has the motto…

“It’s about relationship. Not religion.”

Yeah we might cop a few raised eyebrows form the fundies about this, but that’s ok cause we love fundies for the passion they have about the Word of God. But fundies sometimes fall short of the glorious freedom found in the Gospel, or as our Church likes to say it, relationship with God.

One of my favourite teachers, Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church posted on the Church Planting website Acts29 a simple little post comparing and contrasting “religion” and “the Gospel.” To save you traveling to the site, here it is in all it’s simple yet elusive logic.

Religion says, if I obey, God will love me. Gospel says, because God loves me, I can obey.

Religion has good people & bad people. Gospel has only repentant and unrepentant people.

Religion values a birth family. Gospel values a new birth.

Religion depends on what I do. Gospel depends on what Jesus has done.

Religion claims that sanctification justifies me. Gospel claims that justification enables sanctification.

Religion has the goal to get from God. Gospel has the goal to get God.

Religion sees hardships as punishment for sin. Gospel sees hardship as sanctified affliction.

Religion is about me. Gospel is about Jesus.

Religion believes appearing as a good person is the key. Gospel believes that being honest is the key.

Religion has an uncertainty of standing before God. Gospel has certainty based upon Jesus’ work.

Religion sees Jesus as the means. Gospel sees Jesus as the end.

Religion ends in pride or despair. Gospel ends in humble joy.

I have a friend, Victor Schlatter, I had the honour to travel to Israel with back in 1998. He is an author and has published several books and is a vocal evangelist for the people of Isreal. This guy was a nuclear physicist in the US before he decided to turf his career out the window, moved to Papua New Guinea and planted hundreds of churches. He is the founder of SPIM (South Pacific Island Ministries) where he meets with the Governments of the Pacific islands and convinces them to vote with Israel in the UN.

I remember sitting with him in a cafe in Jerusalem talking about Israel, the Church, religion etc, when he said to me something that has stuck with me since.

“God intended the Kingdom of Heaven on earth – man has made it into the church.”

These days, the secular world hates Church and God because of religion. Even Christians can’t agree with each other about doctrine and church practice. And now with the “emerging movement” or “conversation”, many Christians are attempting to bring together the lost world and the Church through new ways in which society can embrace. This causes even more confusion – especially when a fallen and depraved post modern culture is encouraged to determine what is truth in church settings eager to “get people to get God.”

Confusion, blurred boundaries, hostilities, loss of credibility and loss of focus on the Gospel set’s into the Church whenever mankind takes over the Kingdom of God on earth. In one word, this reality is called “religion.” In contrast, as Driscoll points out, the Gospel should always be elevated above religion as it is a much higher way to accomplish the Kingdom of God on earth instead of creating the “church.”

How I wish the Church allowed the Gospel to be the center of all it’s activities – after all, the Gospel is the central theme of the Bible. The Gospel was the passion of Christ.  Why then is anything in modern church elevated above the Gospel?

Gospel, Religion, Emeging Church, Missional, Victor Schlatter, Israel, Church