In Amos, God tells the Israelites He is sick of all of their empty rituals, and is no longer listening to their false worship. Their offerings no longer please Him. Their sacrifices are a joke. He then lays out the desire of His heart:
But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
– Amos 5.24
That verse describes real religion. But in our culture, religion means something totally different. Real religion, true religion, biblical religion isn’t a 10% offering. Real religion isn’t what happens at church, or what happens in a small group. Real religion isn’t following a set of morals. Real religion isn’t listening to the right kind of music, or reading the right version of the Bible. Real religion isn’t based on how many times you go to church in a week, or a month, or a year. As shocking as this may be, real religion isn’t you not using “potty-mouth” words.
Real religion is when one lives a life marked by righteousness and justice. After all, that’s how it’s defined in James, isn’t it?
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
- James 1.27
Justice (fairness for the less fortunate; dignity and compassion for the needy, or those who cannot repay you) must happen, but it must be accompanied by righteousness. Without justice, you have Pharisees. Without righteousness, you have no justice, because it will always be tainted by our sinfulness.
So, is religion a bad word? No, but it is certainly a word filled with misunderstanding.
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