Man-Made Religion, or a Relationship With Our Heavenly Father?

“Religious people just put their lives toward God more than anything…they don’t really live their lives the way they want to, you know what I mean? They are just like “God this” and “God that”…So I started researching it myself because there has to be more than just this…you can’t just die and it’s over, you know?” -Jose, 18

These were the mixed feelings about God that I found a young man named Jose to have, who jumped at the chance to have a conversation about religion, even in the aisles of our local grocery store. Jose grew up Catholic but is now searching and learning about other religions, and favors the idea of being reincarnated in the next life. He is turned off by what he views as the limitations that organized religion would bring to his life.

But is Christianity really meant to be “organized religion”? Is that what Jesus meant when he told parables about, say, the forgiving father who rushed out to embrace his prodigal son who finally returned home? Or the loving father who gives good gifts to his children when they ask him? Or what about praying to “Our Father in heaven” when we repeat Jesus’ prayer? Or praying to our Heavenly Father who knows what we will ask even before the words are formed on our lips?

But the good news of the Gospel is that the relationship lost between man and God in the Garden of Eden, and the broken relationship we affirm every time we ourselves likewise sin, can be restored. It isn’t restored through man-made religion, but through the God-initiated relationship made available to us through faith in Jesus.

Romans 8 tells us “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

“Abba” is an Aramaic term for Father, said to be a term of endearment like “Daddy” in English. How amazing that the Lord, the Creator of this magnificent universe wants to adopt us into His Family and call us His children! This doesn’t sound like a religion, it’s a relationship!