Religion Is Not Enough (Episode 34)

Christianity is based upon a personal relationship with God. That relationship is made possible only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sad but true, many churchgoers fail to ever move from the point of mere religion to relationship. In this episode, Frank King explains that mere religion is not enough.

The story of Judas the disciple should serve as a warning that mere religion is not enough.  Think about it. Judas had the greatest Preacher and Teacher in the world as his minister. He heard perhaps every message Jesus delivered. He saw the miracles Jesus performed. But in the end, Judas died apart from God.

It appears that Judas was just, as we say, playing church. Even near the end of Jesus’ public ministry, the Bible reveals some troubling things about Judas. For one, he went to the religious leaders and promised to betray the Lord for money (Matthew 26:15). From that point on, he sought the opportunity to betray the Lord.

Then at another place, the Bible referred to Jesus as a thief (John 12:6). This man was hand-picked by Jesus. He left the affairs of his life to follow Jesus. For three years he came to every service Jesus held. He heard every sermon Jesus preached—or at least he was present. He witnessed all the miracles Jesus did.

But for Judas, all of the above amounted to nothing but religious activity. And that will get you know where with God. Judas’ demise is a tragic reminder of the futility of mere religion.

Religion versus Relationship

Ask those whom you meet and who claim to know the Lord to tell you the basis of their claim to salvation. Perhaps some would mention when they got baptized, or how long they have been a member of a local church. But many who attend church faithfully and have been baptized still don’t know the Lord as their Savior.

Church leaders sometimes send the wrong message. They like to emphasize head count and faithful church attendance. They stress getting involved in so-called church work and faithfully giving tithes and offerings.

But the ultimate goal for each congregant should be to realize a personal relationship with the Lord. You get there by trusting in what Jesus did on the cross, and not upon what you do in church. You get there by allowing Christ to be the Lord of our life, and spending time with Him daily.

According to the Bible, the devil put it in Judas’ heart to betray the Lord (John 13:2). But that wasn’t the only voice speaking to Judas. The Lord was speaking to him. He heard Jesus preach about hell and how terrible it was. He heard Jesus preach about the need to repent, and how to be saved. Judas saw Jesus rebuke and cast out devils, etc. Yes, Judas had many opportunities to be saved.

The same is true for the lost today. Several voices are speaking to them. They include the voice of this world, the voice of the devil, the voice of our flesh, and the voice of the Lord. They are all trying to get our attention. One must choose to obey the voice of the Lord.