“Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship.” Words like this have been spoken often in the churches I have attended throughout my life.

I don’t know where this slogan first came from, but it seems to me that it became more popular through Scott Wesley Brown’s song “I’m Not Religious, I Just Love the Lord.” That song was certainly heard often in our home when I was growing up, in addition to being on my parents’ radio station.

Respected pastors (such as Ed Young) continue to teach that “What separates Christianity from other religions is the fact that it’s actually not a religion. Jesus was the most anti-religion person that ever lived. Religion is a set of man-made do’s and don’ts in order to appease God.”

A recent Washington Post article examining the faith of Senator Ted Cruz (the first Republican presidential candidate for 2016) noted that Cruz was echoing “common evangelical lingo” when he emphasized “relationship” instead of “religion.”  (It seems that this question of relationship-versus-religion may become a topic of discussion during the coming campaign.)

But what does the Bible teach about “religion”?
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