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| Have you ever wanted to reach your hand into the car radio and strangle the speaker on the other end? While driving to an appointment, I was listening to a man on the radio who ended a topical sermon on faith with the following statement, "In conclusion, we must all have faith in something. Whether you have faith in yourself or something else, find something to have faith in." For those who understand how this statement waivers away from Biblical truth, this man's summation might have aroused that "strangling" emotion, but for me an emotion of sadness also surfaced toward a man who practices religion and yet has not experienced the peace and joy of Biblical faith through a personal relationship with God.
As I arrived to my destination and pulled into the parking space, I sat for a moment and pondered how a "preacher" could get so far astray from the teachings of the Bible. And then it came to me, the answer was hidden in the difference between "Igion" and "Ation." You may be asking at this point what is an Igion and what is an Ation. Let's start with Igion. The Bible speaks of "Igion" in a variety of ways including "legalistic Igion, false Igion, babbling Igions, strick Igions, destructive Igions, and worthless Igions."* All of these "Igions" have one thing in common, a belief structure in a god where self plays an important role. An "Igion" is the back half of the word "Religion" where the "i" represents self and what "I" can "do" to become a better person.
Most commonly a person claims to trust in his/her religion, to follow his/her religion, to be a member of his/her religion, to practice his/her religion, and to protect his/her religion. When we refer to religion as "my" religion, "your" religion, or "his/her" religion, we are removing the power and authority upon which any religion, by definition, is based. We are saying that I can define "my" religion as having faith in myself or something else. However, a religion that is not based on faith and trust in the God and Creator of the universe is just a religion that is based on faith and trust in oneself or a false entity. Remember our "Igion?" If the "reli" in the word religion is pronounced as "rely," a person could analyze the authenticity of his religion by asking the questions, "Who do I rely on? Do I rely on the "I" in rel"i"gion or the "A" in "Ation?" My thoughts continued.
Even though the Bible is defined as a book of "religion," it is really a book about "Ation." The God in the Bible is introduced as the Creator of our universe, the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and Omega. Since everything begins with God, Let's think of the "A" in "Alpha" as representing the "A" in "Ation." God defines true religion as being in a rel-"ation"-ship with Him and then relaying that relationship to others. When Jesus was asked by the religious leaders to choose the most important commandment, He responded with "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind." He didn't say "Love your religion." He made religion personal and relational by telling us to "Love your God."
Is God yours? We claim to be "religious," but is our connection to religion based on our relationship to the one true God of the universe as He has introduced Himself to us through the Bible and His creation surrounding us? Our connection must be related to God because only a faith and relationship with the God who has spoken to us through the Bible will lead us to an eternal life spent with Him. Do you have rel-"igion" based on just any god or do you have a re-"ation"-ship with the one and only true God?
Rel - Igion
or
Rel - Ation
Jesus continued His response to the religious leaders by explaining that not only is our relationship with God important, our relationship with others in important. In fact, Jesus taught that the entire teaching of Biblical religion is based on the relationship between ourselves and God and ourselves and others. Is it therefore possible to have an Igion without an Ation? Yes. Many have faith and practice their religion without a relationship with God and when this happens it might make sense to preach a sermon which encourages others to look for something to have faith in whether it be yourself or something else as our radio speaker encouraged. However, if the religion of Christianity has, at its core, the faith of an individual in the the God and Creator of the universe, then it follows that this faith would require, at the very least, some sort of relationship with God. The God who has introduced Himself to us through the Bible demands a faith in Himslf alone so that we might have a relationship with Him, not a faith or relationship with ourselves or something else.
As I opened the door to get out of my car, I looked at the now silent car radio and wished that I could respond to the speaker. I would tell him of a faith that is born and grown through a relationship with the God who has spoken to us through the Bible and His awesome creation. I would tell him that this faith is based on the confident assurance that what God has told us in the Bible has happened and is going to happen. I would tell him about all of the men and women spoken of in the Bible, specifically in Hebrews11, who had faith in the promises of God even though some of them never saw these promises come true in their lifetime because faith, by definition, is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. Some of these Biblical men of faith overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, shut the mouths of lions, and received what God had promised them while others trusted God and were tortured, preferring to die rather than turn away from their faith in and relationship with God. I would tell him that faith in God alone is the only purpose to live for ... and to die for. I would tell him of God's love for him and I would invite him to have a "relationship" with the God of the Universe.
God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son,
so that everyone who believes and has faith in Him will not perish,
but will be given eternal life.
John 3:16
Written By Devra Robledo
©Copyright 2009
* Daniel 6:5, Hosea 5:7, Matthew 6:7, Acts 26:5, Galations 1:13,
James 1:26. Related passages: James 1:27, Matthew 22:34-40
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