10. Beyond Religion Rediscovering a Direct Relationship with God
Humanity has long wrestled with how to relate to God. This struggle isn't new. It traces
back to Adam and Eve and echoes throughout history, from the Old Testament to the establishment
of the Church, through the Protestant Reformation, and right into our modern lives. Repeatedly,
man has tried to define the terms of interaction with the Almighty, building up rules, rituals,
and theological frameworks to reach out to God on human terms. But here's the hard truth.
All of these efforts, however well-intentioned, miss the point. The essence of religion is
man's attempt to reach God by our own means, to manage and control our relationship with
Him. And that's not what God intended. Many believers have a relationship with God that
is clouded by layers of religion that they've inherited. Instead of a direct, vibrant connection
with the Lord, they're left navigating traditions, rules, and rituals that, for many, feel more
like barriers than bridges. The problem is that religion, at its core, is man's way of
defining the terms and conditions of how we interact with God, rather than simply receiving
the relationship He freely offers. This focus on religion, especially institutional Christianity,
often leads to what I call religiosity—a devotion to the structure rather than to God
Himself. Doctrines and traditions take center stage, pushing aside the personal, transforming
power of the Holy Spirit. Many churches still operate under the old covenant model, focusing
on external actions and behaviors rather than embracing the new covenant, which invites
conversion through a direct divine relationship. This can be difficult to comprehend because
it often challenges a good deal of conventional church practices. But God isn't interested
in us just following rules or trying to be good on our own. He desires to bring true
transformation through the Holy Spirit. Religion tries to modify our behavior from the outside,
but God works from the inside out, changing our hearts and minds so that our actions naturally
align with His will. It's a shift from doing things to please God to focusing on being
in relationship with Him and allowing His Spirit to mold and transform us. Unfortunately,
over time, many religious institutions and leaders have unintentionally—and sometimes
intentionally—put themselves in the place of the Holy Spirit. They've become the gatekeepers,
controllers, and wardens, overshadowing the intimate personal relationship God desires
with each of us. The Holy Spirit's role—to guide, teach, and empower—gets replaced
by rules, regulations, human expectations, and intermediaries, and we're left with something
less than God intended that is hollow and powerless. But it doesn't have to be this way.
When God sent His Son, He didn't offer us a new religious system to join. Christ offered
us Himself. He came to restore what Adam and Eve had lost—a direct, personal, unbroken
relationship with God. Jesus came to mend the broken connection between us and our Creator.
If God had wanted to establish a new religion, He could have easily done so through the Pharisees.
They already had their elaborate and complex laws, rituals, and traditions. But Christ
didn't affirm their system. He challenged it. He confronted their legalism and self-righteousness,
exposing how they had missed the heart of God. In Matthew 23, verse 23, He says,
You have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
Their meticulous adherence to the law could not cover the absence of love, grace, and
humility in their hearts. God was after more—a lot more.
When Christ died on the cross and the temple curtain was torn in two, it signified the
end of the old covenant system and the beginning of the new—the restoration of direct access
to God since Eden, thanks to the work of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Justice is the heart of the new covenant. Jesus said in John 14, verse 6, I am the way
and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
He didn't say, follow these rules and you'll find the way. He didn't proclaim, adhere to
this doctrine and you'll know the truth. He pointed to Himself as the way to the Father.
He Himself is the truth. The key to that truth is the Father's heart has always been
for intimacy with His children, and Christ's sacrifice made that possible.
again. When you embrace the connection with God that Jesus made possible, you stop striving to
check religious boxes or live up to arbitrary standards. Instead, you're transformed by His
Spirit from the inside out. This is what Jeremiah 31 verse 33 and Hebrews 10 verse 16 are referring
to. This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my
laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds. Getting right with God is not about
self-improvement, personal development, or behavior modification. Everything that we aspire to,
or the godly character traits that we seek to reflect, as Paul describes them in Galatians 5
verses 22 and 23, are the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These things aren't produced by your will or
determination, at least not consistently, but by and through the Holy Spirit's work in your life.
Religion will always fall short because it focuses on what we do. But a true relationship
with God focuses on what He has already done, what He continues to do within us,
and how we reflect Him because of those two things.
If you're longing for a more genuine connection with God, it might be time to step back from
religious structures and lean into the deeper, more personal relationship He desires to have
with you. The Holy Spirit is ready to equip, empower, and transform you in ways you could
never achieve on your own. It's a journey of letting go of the rules and embracing the divine
intimacy that redresses you completely. God isn't interested in rituals or religious systems.
He wants a relationship. He wants your heart. He's already reached down to you through Christ,
and now He's inviting you to walk with Him in freedom, intimacy, and love.
It's not about trying harder. It's about surrendering to the Holy Spirit
and allowing Him to do a transformative work in you. That is the essence of what it means
to move out of rituals and into relationship.