My Christian formation was in an environment that was zealous about Bible study and correct doctrine. That is a good thing. While it is good, it is not adequate. In fact, much of my spiritual formation was nothing more than religion. The tacit assumption to the way we lived the Christian life was that if we had good doctrine, if we agreed with all the correct doctrinal statements, we would go to heaven. I have two problems with this. First, merely going to heaven isn’t much of a goal; as glorious as heaven will be. But I’ll leave that for another post. My main concern was with the assumption that merely seeking good doctrine, then agreeing that it was correct was something adequate in itself. The assumption was that somehow this could give us life. What it really gave us was religion.

This religious assumption is not only inadequate, it is dead wrong. It is the opposite of the truth. Bible and doctrine do not give us life. Nor do the study of the Bible and good doctrines give us life. I make these provocative statements on no less of an authority than Jesus himself. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (Jn. 5:39-40)

Frankly I fear for many “religious Christians” I’ve known over the years. I can’t possibly know who is going to heaven and who isn’t. That is judgment reserved for the Son of Man. Yet, I’ve been inside of Christian religion enough to know that there is a lot of behavior that reflects false hope.

Many years ago a couple joined our church. They were grilled by the deacon board about their doctrine. They gave clear agreement to such statements as Jesus is my Savior; Jesus died for my sins. They were nice enough folk. I’m pretty sure they never robbed a bank or ran a bicycle theft ring. Yet when I mentioned their church joining to our neighbor she responded “I’ve worked right beside her for over 20 years. I had no idea she was religious.” But the truth is she was quite “religious,” the real question was; did she really know Jesus? For those entire 20 years, according to the testimony given to the deacon board, this woman had Jesus as her Savior. Yet, where was the life? Where was the light of the world that shines from believers? I happen to know she went to Bible studies. I listen to her responses in adult Sunday school. They were orthodox. But where was the life? Where was Jesus himself? Bible study and going to Sunday school can become mere religion.

I worked for many years with a missionary who had hundreds of Scriptures memorized. He was quite proud of it. He never missed a “quiet time” and made sure you knew it. He preached the gospel any chance he got; and the doctrines he stated about the gospel were absolutely orthodox. Yet his secret life was a travesty beyond description. His family life was a broken mess which was intentionally hidden from the public. He was a very hard person to even be around. But he knew the Bible backwards and forwards. He knew doctrine backwards and forwards. He had been in gospel preaching ministry for decades. He had personally planted churches and had tremendous zeal that more churches would be planted. Frankly, I suspect this was what Paul warned us about in I Cor. 3:6: for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Only God knows where that man will spend eternity. But church planting zeal and Bible memorization can be mere religion; and religion doesn’t give life. In fact, it makes us hard to be around.

Let’s look at Paul’s warning in just a little broader context. Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, …will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? (I Cor. 3:4-8).

In this new covenant relationship we have with God, our competency, our life, in fact everything comes from God himself. It is when God is alive in our life, when the Spirit is in residence, that we have something worth living. It is a supernatural transaction that comes through covenant relationship with God. It is sealed by the presence of the Holy Spirit. When we have the Spirit in residence and in control, we have life. Mere religion, on the other hand, smells like death.

For more posts on or covenantal relationship with Jesus see: The Spirit Leads to Truth, Life to the Full: Three Options, Integrity, Jesus Manifesto, Jesus as Our Capstone, Jesus as the Cornerstone and Ministry with Jesus as Lord.

  • Do you know God, or do you merely know about him?
  • Does your secret life smell like the aroma of Jesus or smell like death?
  • When you stand before the throne, do you think the Son of Man will be impressed by your doctrinal statements?
  • Think about the Scriptures actually say. What are God’s parameters for judgment?
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