Worship
“Wouldn’t It Be Like You” by Bryan and Katie Torwalt
Scripture
“For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” -Galatians 2:19-21, ESV, emphasis added
“Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,” -Galatians 3:23-26, ESV, emphasis added
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” -Galatians 5:1, ESV, emphasis added
The Pull of Religion
If Paul was a songwriter, I think he would have written the lyrics in that worship song to the Galatians. As I read his passionate words to the churches in Galatia, I sense the desperation in his voice pleading with them to stay under the freedom of the cross rather than walk back into the slavery of religion. They were actually departing from the true gospel. If they really understood what Jesus died to give them, how could they fathom picking up a yoke of slavery and putting it around their necks? Perhaps it’s because we always go back to the familiar—that which feels like boundaries on our behavior—so our hearts don’t have to engage. Maybe we just feel safer checking the boxes of performance so we know exactly how we are measuring up. Perhaps the freedom of the gospel is just that—too free.
I hear Paul pleading with them to not go back to Egypt, metaphorically speaking. Jesus came to fulfill the law so that we could walk in the freedom of intimacy with Him. Do we even know what freedom from the law looks like on a daily basis? Every “have to” is nailed to the cross, so that the “get to” of the life of Christ springs forth in us. We don’t obey for obedience’s sake; we respond in intimate surrender to the One our hearts have come to adore. Religion around the globe has sucked the wind out of people who are desperate to breathe the air of freedom. They hope, somehow, that if they just behave and do religious things (i.e. go to church, sing songs, pray at every meal, take hats off while praying, teach Sunday school, vote Conservative, tithe 10%, etc.) then they’re doing their duties. Paul even says to them, “Who has bewitched you (Galatians 3:1)?”
Understanding True Justification
Justification comes by faith alone—not by observing the laws of religion!
We are not saved by our works of obedience to the law but rather by the grace of God. We can add nothing to the cross of Christ. In fact, Isaiah states that all of our righteous works are just filthy rags anyway (Isaiah 64:6). So why is the cross of Christ not enough for us? Why have believers been duped that religion—the law and traditions of man—is meant to satisfy? Why is bondage more appealing than the reality of grace? Is it because we really don’t understand the finished work of the cross? Perhaps we think we will just help Jesus with our righteousness. We start to believe that His cross may not have been adequate, which supports what Paul says is the tension. Religion promotes the idea that the cross of Christ really wasn’t enough for us. The law only appeals to those who are given permission to be free, but freedom doesn’t taste right; only religion does.
Why, if we have permission to be free, do we have the propensity to go back to law (religion) when the gospel brings so much life? Is it because we fear an angry Father? Perhaps the Holy Spirit is terrifying, and Jesus just really isn’t enough?
Breaking Free from Religious Thinking
The scandal of grace and the finished work of the cross have to break us free from the cords of religion that are bearing zero fruit and pushing scores of people from the front steps of Christianity because they equate it to “church.” We are repelling people from the gospel, and it’s a serious issue that Christ followers must look at. Jesus gave His whole life so you could shout and dance and live in freedom. It’s the place where you dress yourself every day in the righteousness, holiness, and blamelessness of Christ. It’s the living out of our radical identity that says, “I have the righteousness of Christ and can do nothing to earn that or remove it.” It’s embracing the fullness of the Godhead in whatever expression and manifestation He chooses to show up with, without being offended by Him. Fear is the fruit of religion, whereas love is the fruit of intimacy. They don’t coexist; they simply can’t.
“If you have been taught that your righteousness is contingent on your spiritual discipline, then you have been deceived. If you have believed that, since you struggle with sin after becoming a believer, you are ‘less’ righteous in any way, then you have been deceived. The Christian that continues to struggle (I repeat, struggle) with sin is no less righteous than the brother or sister who has perfectly lived in piety and purity for 20 years. Why? Because the righteousness of God is a gift given to us by God. It is not a position we can earn or achieve. If we could overcome sin merely though spiritual discipline, then Christ died for no reason. It is through faith that one experiences the manifestation of God’s righteousness in their actual thoughts and behavior.” -Peter Louis, “Back to the Gospel”
Oh, what a Savior!
This is why Paul says to restore your brother or sister with gentleness. Grace is the only option in our relationships with one another. That doesn’t mean we don’t have boundaries, but our actions and reactions spring from grace. And how much more toward those who do not know Jesus?
Let me dig around just a little bit deeper. How do you know if you have a religious spirit as a believer?
If you have to reject or distance yourself from someone who doesn’t perform to your expectations or standards, I would argue you still have cords tied to religion. Grace gives space for failure and disappointment, because we know how utterly dependent we are on the grace and compassion of Jesus. We can’t live without it! Judgments on others fall to the ground with the realization that we are all cracked pots in need of a profoundly loving and gracious Savior!
Jesus’s Example
Jesus surrounded Himself with the “sinners” of His day! His inner circle comprised people who were prideful, sexually impure, impulsive, short-tempered, and judgmental, along with many other kinds of people. They were considered the filth of society, and they followed Him because of who they were with Him—fully loved and fully accepted. He went where the religious of His day would never dare to step foot. He would run to the vaccinated or unvaccinated, the liberal and the conservative! Jesus has got to get us free of law-abiding, religious ideology and bondage, so we can run to this dying world in love! Will you press in with me today to be set free from religion and religious thinking that has no root in the grace, sanctification, justification, or fruit of the gospel? People are longing for this radical gospel, but we have to get it first, Church!
Lord Jesus, Your Bride needs to be set free of religion. We need to know freedom and true intimacy. People are running from You, and the Church is contributing to the problem because we are so steeped in our religious law. I pray that our righteousness in Christ would draw people to You—not push them away in condemnation. Change our minds on this matter; change our hearts toward “sinners.” Change our hearts to know the truth of the real gospel. May we be the most grace-filled, merciful, and compassionate people because we know how utterly dependent we are on You personally. Oh Jesus, have mercy on us and forgive us for being Christians who have painted a picture of a harsh and mean God. Set us free in this hour to run in the finished work of the cross, to those who need a touch of the compassionate love of Jesus! May we burn with the conviction of the love of Christ to saints and sinners alike!
