Insecurity produces Religion - We need a Relationship

[Vine Abider]

This morning at the weekly brothers' breakfast, this topic came up that I'm chewing on:  Insecurity in man often causes him to want to tightly grab hold of what he's seen from the Lord and turn that into a religion he can follow.  This is instead of laying hold of the only One that can truly provide security, and that is the Lord Himself!

I had never thought of it this way.  We've often heard that we're created with a "God-sized hole" in us that only He can fill.  The lie to us in the garden was that we could determine and control things ourselves and didn't need God.  Our religious flesh therefore wants to have a form of things that we organize and control (which seems like a form of godliness), but denies going to Him and having a fresh, ongoing relationship with Him.

Any-a-way, I thought this one of those bottom-line things that was quite interesting . . .

"My people have committed two evils:  They have forsaken Me, the Fountain of Living Water; and they have hewn for themselves cisterns that can hold no water." (Jer 2:13)

[Michael37]

40 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

Insecurity in man often causes him to want to tightly grab hold of what he's seen from the Lord and turn that into a religion he can follow.  This is instead of laying hold of the only One that can truly provide security, and that is the Lord Himself!

Whence cometh insecurity? 

Cults offer a sense of belonging and purpose, which Christ certainly does, but when it becomes a rigid set of rules and regulations, the relationship aspect suffers. 

Strength taken to extreme becomes a weakness. My wife and I were in a fellowship where the preaching against religion, and being religious, became religious. We had to leave.

As you may know, originally the Pharisees were the good guys, their intention being to stop foreign elements infiltrating and taking over Hebrew society.

Their name, derived from the Hebrew word Perushim, which means "separated". They emerged around 165–160 BCE, shortly after the Maccabean revolt.

 They emphasized the importance of both the written Torah and the oral Torah (interpretations and teachings passed down through generations).

They believed in applying Jewish law to everyday life, extending religious practices beyond the Temple, and promoting piety among the common people, but as their influence grew they became prideful and self-righteous in their "separateness", so much so that they were blind to their error by the time Christ walked among them.

I like what Paul says: 2 Timothy 4:7: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

[chirpy]

Cults offer a sense of belonging and purpose, which Christ certainly does, but when it becomes a rigid set of rules and regulations, the relationship aspect suffers. 

When love (to God/to your neighbor) is absent from the group and the rules become the glue - it becomes human not Godly

[ayin jade]

First, I appreciate vine abider for his many topics that spark thought on Christian life.

I live in an area with many mormons and latin american catholics. Their religions have a strong sense of rules and rituals. I have to admit all of that appeals .... people like structure. But it becomes a work based religion (I can do it myself) and not one of the grace of God. 

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Structure means control of one's life. Resting in the Lord, trusting Him, means surrendering control of one's life to Him. Natural mankind does not like to do that.

Hope I am making sense. I am pretty tired today lol.

 

 

[farouk]

1 hour ago, chirpy said:

Cults offer a sense of belonging and purpose, which Christ certainly does, but when it becomes a rigid set of rules and regulations, the relationship aspect suffers. 

When love (to God/to your neighbor) is absent from the group and the rules become the glue - it becomes human not Godly

It's from a lack of satisfaction at what Scripture reveals........and ignorance of it, also..............

[BibleStudent100]

16 hours ago, Michael37 said:

Cults offer a sense of belonging and purpose,

Great conversation gentlemen, as this topic make me think and I appreciate that stimulus.  Regrading the quotation above, I also apply that basic need of humankind to the creation of gangs.  People crave belonging and purpose and will find it anywhere, even in destructive pathways, like violent gangs, or in religions that create structure, but then later lose out on love.

[AnOrangeCat]

20 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

I had never thought of it this way.  We've often heard that we're created with a "God-sized hole" in us that only He can fill.  The lie to us in the garden was that we could determine and control things ourselves and didn't need God.  Our religious flesh therefore wants to have a form of things that we organize and control (which seems like a form of godliness), but denies going to Him and having a fresh, ongoing relationship with Him.

Reminds me a lot of America and Europe embracing Christianity on a more or less surface level, which in turn reminds me of a statement I once heard from a source I no longer remember: Rules without relationship brings rebellion. We've been in a state where the mainstream has had the trappings of religion, that form of godliness, but it hasn't really drilled the need for a relationship. So it's really no wonder that the world is in the place that it is now.

It's evidenced in a lot of worldly writing about relation as well. They'll talk about religion using terms like "spirituality" or call it a source of morality or comfort. But that's a pretty shallow take, IMO. Religions in general can offer that but I don't think that's really been the point of nearly any religion in much of human history. Really strikes me as the world trying to dumb down and dilute the concept of religion not just for Christianity but across the board.

[Vine Abider]

The flesh, because selfish sin lives there, would just rather have a system of things to live in, rather than a relationship with the living God. Relationships can be risky and the self often doesn't get its way in a relationship, therefore it doesn't have full control.  Take for instance marriage - often you make compromise because you love the other person, because the relationship is deemed more important than the thing.  Scripture tells us we are married to Christ, so it is telling us that the relationship is really what's important (not some religious construct we've come up with).

[tatwo]

23 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

This morning at the weekly brothers' breakfast, this topic came up that I'm chewing on:  Insecurity in man often causes him to want to tightly grab hold of what he's seen from the Lord and turn that into a religion he can follow.  This is instead of laying hold of the only One that can truly provide security, and that is the Lord Himself!

This is a good thought…did you define what either might look like…in terms of real everyday life? Or was it more so a conceptual conversation?

23 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

The lie to us in the garden was that we could determine and control things ourselves and didn't need God.

Sure…because it was “believed as Truth – they chose to believe that it was God who lied”…this is deception. The deception of…“you can be like God through your own efforts”…false religion…was indelibly branded into the human souls of mankind’s progenitors then “genetically” if you will...passed down through the ages. And that is likely where the “dichotomy” which you outline above…begins and flows from.

Perhaps we might recognize that it played out like this…“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food” – “lust of the flesh.” Next she said…“and that it was a delight to the eyes” – “lust of the eyes” and then she admitted…“and that the tree was desirable to make one wise” – “boastful pride of life.”

There you have it…the “birth” of the “world” as John put it in 1^st John 2:16…which is antithetical or enmity against God. It was that very thing that produced “sin”…no? One could say that it became the “dominant” religious force over the millennia right up to today as can be seen...even in your weekly discussion really.

Tatwo...:)

[tatwo]

23 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Our religious flesh therefore wants to have a form of things that we organize and control (which seems like a form of godliness), but denies going to Him and having a fresh, ongoing relationship with Him.

“Our religious flesh”…that’s a good way to put it. Sometimes I see this “form of godliness” playing out like this…I need God to give me a surplus of provision for today…and I will save it up for the tomorrow…so I won’t have to trust God…tomorrow. Religion…

Again I am curious brother VA…have you considered the actual difference in life and living…between “religion and relationship” on a day to day basis?

23 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Any-a-way, I thought this one of those bottom-line things that was quite interesting . . .

"My people have committed two evils:  They have forsaken Me, the Fountain of Living Water; and they have hewn for themselves cisterns that can hold no water." (Jer 2:13)

Translated…

Religion…I will do things the way I see best to please God…I am my own source for sustenance, I strive for my own protection and provision…no one has my back…as is revealed by my constant striving and life effort day to day…that I might provide and protect for myself on my own as my only life source.

Eternal Spirit life is merely an abstract concept to me…that I hope to one day obtain when I go to heaven…all the while…I fear for my life and living as can be seen in how I have become my own source for life and living…day to day.

Relationship…I am a spiritual son of the eternal God and Father of creation…who loves me and teaches me His way as I am learning to do His will, His desire, His purpose with my life. He is my identity, my sustenance, my provision and protection…His eternal life in me…there is no fear of death in eternal life…because that which is eternal cannot be threatened by anything in creation. Therefore I am at “rest” with my Father.

Tatwo...:)