Religion is NOT a dirty word

Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:41-42)

In our first introduction to the Early Church, we are given a description that sounds an awful lot like... religion. Prayers and breaking bread? Steadfast in doctrine? 

In many ways, the modern church's opposition to religiosity has been a good thing. But in eliminating the useless doctrines of men from our practice (which is appropriate), I wonder if we haven't thrown out the baby with the bathwater, so to speak. Religion, believe it or not, isn't a dirty word. Neither is doctrine. This passage in Acts shows us why.

Remember, Peter and the other Apostles are speaking to the crowd. These apostles are men who walked with Christ, learned from him, and who were His disciples. These are men who were empowered and educated by the indwelling Spirit of God. The three thousand converts, meanwhile, did not know Jesus on intimate terms. They had not really listened to His teaching, and, simply put, didn't know how to follow Him. So, they looked to those who did. 

Religion isn't the problem, you see. Religiosity is. Religion isn't an enemy, but an educator, providing insight into how we can serve and follow the Living God. Religion, done right, honors and glorifies God. This is why you don't hear James discouraging religion, but instead showing how to do it correctly:

If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (James 1:26-27)

We'll see as we continue our study that the Church is important. It plays a vital role in your life with Christ, and in His Kingdom. Don't walk away from His people if you claim to be one of His. And don't forsake the beauty of religion based on the perversion of religiosity.

The Point, We Have Missed It

I had an interesting discussion online the other day. I said some things about church doctrine in general, and was asked whether I believed doctrine was important in defining our beliefs. It's a good question, and I certainly think it has its place. But with a few caveats.

Doctrine is constantly changing; God's word doesn't. Doctrine is made by man, who is fickle and double-minded; God is neither.

Doctrine can be a good thing, so long as it compliments God's word rather than contradicts. When the doctrine of man is elevated to the status of Scripture, we have a problem. When a church begins defining sin based on its own set of extrabiblical beliefs, it has lost its way. When it preaches Christ is A way to Salvation instead of THE way, it has lost its way. When it elevates the trappings of religion and religiosity over the "religion God finds pure and undefiled" (James 1:27), it has lost its way.

We miss the point because we let doctrine first define, and then separate.
We split the church over dunking or sprinkling, and we miss the point.
We declare Holy Communion exists only inside the walls of the church, or only when we use bread, or unleavened bread, or holy blessed wafers, or red wine, or grape juice, and we miss the point.
We elevate the rich over the poor, and we miss the point. By a mile.
We pull out the parts of Scripture we don't personally like, and we miss the point.
We declare ourselves outside of Israel's law because of Grace, but saddle the Body with laws we invented, because we missed the point.

Doctrine can indeed be useful in defining what we believe, but that doctrine must be informed first and only by Scripture.  And doctrine must not be used to separate believers. We must instead look past the surface, into the commonality we have in Christ, and find unity.

 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (James 1:26-27)