Religion vs Spirituality

[frodo82801]

This is from my wife:

"Spirituality is the Holy Spirit connection with God and religion is the
attempt to give it definition and boundaries."

How do you define it. Seems like Jesus needs to be in there somewhere.

[Emily Ruth]

The first act of religion was when Adam and Eve tried to cover their sin with a fig leaf.

God told them that the price of sin is death. He sacrificed the first life in their place and covered their sin with the skin of the animal sacrificed.

Mankind has been trying to cover up or pay for their sin in a multitude of ways ever since through religion and it has become an art form. They will do any ritual or act of works to avoid having to be reconciled to God in a relationship. Man wants to be king of his own domain and heart and keep God in 'his' place.

There is only one way to reconciliation with God and that is through the price Jesus paid and to die to self and be born again a new creation. There is no peace for man - even if there were no more wars. The only true peace is the peace that is brought the the blood of Christ in purchasing our reconsiliation with God. Peace with God is the ultimate and only true peace.

When we realize our need for a savior and repent and receive His grace - we die on the cross with Christ and the Holy Spirit indwells us and creates a new heart in us - one which is reconciled to God and in a relationship with Him.

Man is destined once to die and then the judgment. Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

For those who are born again - this has already occurred. Our future holds the wedding feast and the bema seat. We have been judged as righteous because of HIS righteousness, not of ourselves.

The Holy Spirit is an equal member of the God head. He is equal to Jesus and the Father and He is the promise of our blessed hope. He is our teacher and our comforter.

[inbetween]

I think it makes sense to say that religion gives a definition and thus certain logical boundaries to God. So can philosophy and also science, partially or indirectly. Whereas spirituality is usually understood as an intuitive, feeling, faith quality that eludes full logical explanation. In this sense we might say that Jesus is our religious connection with God and Holy Spirit is our spiritual connection with God. Because Jesus is a concrete person, even flesh and bone, while Holy Spirit seems like a less concrete, "diffused" or transpersonal aspect of God that can indwell different persons. And Father is the source of the two.

[Emily Ruth]

Our salvation is not a religion - but a relationship. Jesus condemned religion throughout his teachings showing them that even though they are following (or trying to) all their rules they will never succeed.

The trinity are three separate individuals who are one God. We do not understand it but we will.

[HeIsEnough]

This is from my wife:

"Spirituality is the Holy Spirit connection with God and religion is the
attempt to give it definition and boundaries."

How do you define it. Seems like Jesus needs to be in there somewhere.

Religion is 'living out' what is taught.

As James says;


James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Spirituality is understanding what is taught, in our case by the Spirit.


Colossians 1:9
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

The application of God's knowledge upon our lives leads, to spiritual maturity.

[Paidfor]

First for the editorial comment:
A lot of people, like to say that they are 'spiritual'. What they seem to mean by this is they like to drag their god off the shelf whenever they have trouble. Afterward they go back to living as they please. I only mention this because I have gotten to the point that whenever someone says they are spiritual I just roll my eyes.:rolleyes

Back to the thread:
Head - What you think or believe about God. What you have learned from either general or special revelation as illuminated by the light of the HS. The general revelation being our experiences. The special revelation being God's word. This is our spirituality.

Hands - Works of love and service.

Feet - Works of faith and devotion, our Christian walk. This includes study, prayer, fasting and obediance.

Hands and feet make up religion. This is the outward expression of our belief, our spirituality. This explains what is meant when we are told to test the spirits. If the spirit is not right, the fruit will not be up to par as well because the fruit has as its source the spirit. You don't get no good tomaters off a bad vine.:nod

[graceforme]

Our salvation is not a religion - but a relationship. Jesus condemned religion throughout his teachings showing them that even though they are following (or trying to) all their rules they will never succeed.

So right. I've been involved in "religion" for many years. I don't want "religion" anymore - just give me Jesus Christ.

[ChristineMarie]

You know what gets me, Is when I tell someone I have a personal relationship with My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and they say "well oh I consider myself a spiritual person".

Well heck so do psychics.......