“So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute hm. in his defense, Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working. For this reason, they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus gave them this answer: ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.” _ John 5:16-20 NIV

“these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgment about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgment, for, ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”_ 1 Corinthians 2:10-16 NIV

“The multitude of your sacrifices – what are they to me? says the LORD. I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals. I have no plausre in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offereings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations – I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. Come now, let us settle the matter, says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” _ Isaiah1:11-20 NIV.

“How can you know that you are in ‘religion’ with God instead of being in a relationship with God?”

“How can you know that the ‘faith’ you say you have in God is based on your religious practices instead of a pure relationship with God?”

Let’s look at some of the differences between religion and relationship:

Stay Blessed!