Acts 4:1-2; 1 John 3:16-24; John 10:11-18
Imagine
going into a restaurant and finding that there is only one item on the menu or
shopping for new shoes at a store that only had one style of shoe. It's hard
for us to conceive of such a business existing in America, at least for long.
We expect variety and choice in our food, clothing, entertainment, health care,
furnishings, automobiles, and just about everything else in our lives. It's
little wonder that we expect choices in our religion as well.
The word
'religion' has fallen into disfavor. It's more popular to speak of being
spiritual rather than religious. People have the mistaken idea that religion
has to do with institutions. They want to be able to define their own beliefs
and practices. They don't want to be restricted by anything or anyone else.
'Spiritual' sounds appealing — and freeing. Influenced by this, some Christians
insist that Christianity is a relationship not a religion. This also sounds
appealing and freeing — and is misleading. While it's true that Christianity
involves a relationship with Jesus, it is not simply a relationship. It's a
religion.
The
Latin root of 'religion' means "to be bound together again."
'Religion' conveys that our relationship with God has been broken and needs to
be repaired; that we've been separated from God and long to be bound to Him
again. The word itself is neutral. There can be good religion and bad religion,
effective religion and useless religion, true religion and false religion. A
religion that fails to bind us back together with God (i.e., repair our broken
relationship with Him) is bad, useless, and false. Only a good, effective, and
true religion brings us back into fellowship with God. So, the issue facing us
isn't whether we are spiritual or religious, but what religion we embrace.
The
religion that Jesus calls us to is centered in the relationship that we have
with Him through His mystical body, the Church. Apart from His Church, no one
can have a relationship with Him. This is not only deeply spiritual, it's the
religion that Jesus Himself has established. In a world of products, services,
and religions designed to win our choice as we ponder our options, the Church
continues to offer the same religion that it has for thousands of years because
it is the only way to having a relationship with Jesus. "Salvation is
found in no one else." Only Jesus. Only His religion. There is no other.
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