There is both a positive and neutral way to use the word “religion” or “religious.” But it’s certainly no secret that the term can also represent that which obscures truth, ruins people, and grieves God; and all this done "in the name of Jesus." As such we have to fight against it in our hearts, homes, churches, and culture. But before we take on the world, let’s start with you…with us. How do you know you’re becoming religious Christian? Here are 10 indicators: You know you’re becoming religious Christian when…
- You find yourself increasingly bending Scripture to fit you rather than bending yourself to fit Scripture.
- You find yourself excusing sin in one area of your life because you serve God in other areas.
- You find yourself becoming more and more distressed that you don’t look better than someone else when you sin rather than experiencing more and more distress at disappointing God.
- You secretly take pleasure in people’s sin because it makes you feel better about how you’re doing spiritually.
- You secretly hate it when other people do great things for God because that tends to take attention off of you. Or, it highlights what you’re not doing.
- You find yourself so busy serving God that you don’t have time to love your neighbor.
- You major on the minors and minor on the majors when it comes to matters of theology and ethics.
- You are becoming confused about rituals and relationship; rituals for God are thought of more and more as a relationship with God. Hammer is mistaken as house, instrument as what the instrument serves.
- You are becoming an expert in spotting sin in others and a master at rationalizing your own.
- Your acts of “repentance” aren’t meant so much to mourn personal sin as they are to gain approval and notoriety from people around you; this is your way of showing people you have what it takes to confess sin.
