There is a crucial distinction between religion and faith that many do not understand. Since religion and faith are closely connected, the boundary between them can become unclear, leading many to think that organizational rules and structures hold biblical authority when in reality they are really no different from, for instance, the policies and leadership frameworks within a business. They are essential for operation but do not possess legal authority either on earth or in heaven. Because of this, people can be easily misled if they do not clearly separate these concepts, wrongly equating breaking these rules and structures with disobedience and rebellion against God.
Across the globe there are numerous Judeo Christian religions distinguished only by strict regulations, customs, rules, traditions, governance, ceremonies and more. Within these faiths exist theological differences that cause division. But what relevance does all this have to the teachings of Jesus Christ? The plain fact is, none. Absolutely none.
Christ did not found any religion. There was no Baptist, Mormon, Catholic, Protestant and so forth. Christ did not come to start a religion, he came to build His church. Wait, are they not the same? NO. This is the vital difference I mentioned that many do not understand.
Jesus first mentions the church when He said to Peter, upon this rock I will build my church. This reveals Christ's intent to create His church. It does not mean Peter alone would be the foundation, since anyone paying attention would see that Jesus had already shared many new spiritual truths before this, which would serve as the church's foundation. John, Peter, Paul, and the other twelve apostles Jesus selected and gave the great commission to simply preached what Jesus taught. In fact, Jesus commanded all the apostles to go out into the world and make disciples, teaching them everything He had instructed, not only Peter.
Jesus did not establish rules, leadership roles, traditions, or other aspects of an organized religion. Therefore, we can say this about religion: it has no real place in the kingdom of God. It does not hold legal or spiritual power. So why does religion exist? For the same reason any organizational system exists in other contexts, whether a business or a family household. To prevent disorder in everyday affairs. But does that impact salvation, repentance, or other eternal matters? No. Not at all.
It is important to clearly understand and remember this. It eases the unnecessary burden we wrongly place on ourselves to earn God's favor by following religious rules.
We have numerous instances demonstrating that religion is not essential. Take, for instance, the thief on the cross. He is frequently cited as the foremost example of how little is needed to be saved for eternity. His brief story makes one wonder why we still make faith so complicated today.
"None are more blind than those with perfect site. A fool and his eyes are lucky to have each other."
What did the thief actually need to do? Pray and believe. Even though he did not pray in the formal manner we envision, he called out to Jesus, which counts as prayer, and had faith. No baptism, not rite of passage, not lengthy prayers, no rituals, no communion yet he died and went to paradise.
What of the prostitute to be stoned to death for her sins? What was required of her to be forgiven. She did even less than the thief on the cross. She merely wept, but Jesus forgave her of her sins.
"It is a travesty today that believers make it so hard for others to believe."
You almost begin to wonder if religion is more tragic than helpful? If churches that elevate rules and rituals over the simplicity of redemption and salvation have done more harm than good.
"The church is people. People aren't the religion."
When religious rules are valued more than the simplicity of salvation, people begin to embody the religion instead of embodying the gospel. Pharisees who opposed Jesus dressed in their religious clothing, offering a clear metaphor of how religion can take over us. These clothes can be seen as a false shield, when it should only be the blood that protects the redeemed, not religion or religious clothes.
We can occasionally be so focused on trying to earn our faith through religion that we become unaware and indifferent to the harm we cause non-believers by conveying the wrong message. We fail to remember that our lives affect others.