Christianity is Not about Religion

Religion is mankind's way of trying to reach God. Religion in my thinking is all about rituals and rules, people trying to do something in order to make it right with God.

Things like: attending church at Easter or Christmas, giving to charity, serving the community, being a good person who shoots off the occasional prayer when caught in a tight situation, or maybe for some people a trip to the confessional when you know you've blown it.

These things might be good in themselves but they are our attempts at trying to square things up with God.

The only problem with approaching God in this way is that it always leaves you with the nagging question, "How good is good enough?" I mean how do you ever know if the number of good things you have done has balanced out all your shortcomings? What's more, whose criteria are we to use as a measuring stick anyway?

Does this make sense?

Let me illustrate what I mean. Suppose this ladder represents a scale of goodness. The top of the ladder is moral perfection, let's say a 10. Hmmm now in my estimation the only one I think who deserves to be up there is God himself. The bottom represents just the opposite; a big zero - real bad.

Now consider some really good people. Lets say Mother Teresa, Ghandi, or Nelson Mandela. Where do you think they should be placed on this ladder?

Now think of some really bad people. Don't think for too long, it might get depressing. Where do you think that you would place them?

Now what about yourself? Where do you think you should be placed?

Just before you do, I think it's only fair to tell you where I would place myself. Hmmm, I am committed to modelling my life after Jesus, and honestly, I know myself well enough to say that I would place myself somewhere below the middle of the ladder.

I haven't embezzled millions of dollars, hijacked an airplane, or committed any real 'biggies' like that, but I do know that in comparison to God and those other 'good people' you have ranked, I would place myself below them.

So what about you?

Now I'm curious, based on this scale, who do you think should go to heaven? Where should we draw the line? Most people would like to think that the line falls somewhere just below themselves. I can understand that. Most of us would consider ourselves to be relatively good, at least good enough for heaven.

Would you like to know where Jesus draws the line? He said in a talk given on a hillside many years ago, that we should be perfect just like God! Ouch! I know, I felt the same way when I first heard this too.

He also indicated that in God's eyes if you so much as entertain the thought of breaking one of his rules, then it is as if you have done it!

An angry thought, or lustful glance is enough to fail the entrance exam into heaven. Gulp - if that is the standard then honestly, I'm in trouble, and I think it's fair to say that you are too!

If you're not convinced that we are in the same boat, then let me ask you this, "How would you feel if I held a private showing of all the thoughts and feelings you have had over the past 24 hours?" What's more, would you mind if I invited those people who you have had those thoughts and feelings toward to come and watch the screening? Someone once said that the difference between humans and animals was that animals don't blush!

So what do you think now? If Jesus believes that the measure for heaven is perfection, then wouldn't you agree that we are all in the same boat?

Like passengers on the Titanic, we might kid ourselves into believing that we are sitting safe on the first class deck, but relatively speaking, we are all in the same boat, and it's sinking.

Unfortunately she'll be right, just won't cut it in the Creator's eyes. The consequence of this 'condition' is to cut us off from God. Like a relationship that has gone bust, but in this case eternally.

In effect then, Jesus was a great critic of religious activity undertaken as a means to secure a place in heaven or earn God's approval.

This is why I say that Jesus was not a religious leader. If anything Jesus highlighted the inherent problem of trying to reach God based upon our own relative goodness. Bluntly put, we are simply not good enough. However, Jesus offers us something far greater than a list of religious duties.

Jesus offers us a personal relationship with the Creator.