As a Christian the term religion is so generic and impersonal.
Any belief system can be a religion. You can make your own up. Get a following and you are religious.
Religion.
You’ll hear people say, I grew up in religious household, or went to a religious school. Trust me they didn’t get anything out of either the house or the school if that’s how they refer to it.
Here is a little analogy, I love analogies. Let’s say you’re into favorite football team. Let’s say it’s the Seattle Seahawks. You live, you breathe the Seahawks. It’s what you live for. Nothing else matters. No other football team, certainly no other sport.
Someone comes up to you and says, I understand you like sports. You look at them and say not really, just one. I really only like one team. Then they look at you and say, what’s the difference? Sports is sports isn’t it? Do people play? Do you keep score? You like sports.
No.
Christianity is supposed to be a relationship with the Son of God!
It’s not supposed to be a ritual or a set of rules made by men.
Isaiah 29:13 – 13 The Lord says:
“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.
It’s supposed to be a relationship. People have those with the Lord. It’s best when it grows and becomes stronger. In any relationship that exists, how does it become strong?
Dedication, devotion, sacrifice, and love. In any relationship and that includes friends.
So without it can you have a relationship with Jesus without those things? Oh you can be saved. It says whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved. One has to believe more than He just existed. They have to believe He is the Son of God and ask for forgiveness.
The relationship though doesn’t grow automatically because of that. I’ve met a lot of people. I don’t have even the slightest relationship with them.
Do you have religion? Because if you refer to it as religion, you’re missing out on a relationship with the One who loves you, created you, and died for you. It takes effort and devotion. When you sincerely do that, He’s right there with the love and He made the sacrifice.