Some give religion a bad name.  They speak of it negatively, contrasting it with being a true Christian and loving the Lord.  While it is true one can be religious without loving the Lord, being religious does not have to be viewed as something bad.  Religion has to do with the service and worship of God.  Our religion is based upon the gospel of Christ, which includes the teachings of the New Testament.  We know how to serve and worship God because the gospel, which we have by the grace of God, teaches us how.  Paul said, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12).  So, God, by His grace and through His inspired Word, teaches us how to be not only religious but religiously right.

Our Lord’s religion is a doing religion.  I have often said that being a Christian is not for those who are lazy.  It involves doing, not just hearing or talking.  James put it like this:

James 1:22-25 (ESV)
²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  ²⁴ For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  ²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Who is the one who is blessed?  James is clear about it.  The one who is blessed is the one who acts.  That is what our religion should be all about—acting.

Jesus taught a timeless lesson to His disciples when He washed their feet (John 13:1-17).  Can you imagine the Son of God washing the feet of His disciples?  Peter was taken aback by it.  He told Jesus, “You shall never wash my feet.”  Of course, he changed his tune when Jesus responded by saying, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”  It was not the physical act that was important…it was the lesson of humility and servitude that the disciples had to learn that was so necessary.

The mission of the apostles, after Jesus returned to the Father, would necessitate a great deal of serving others, and no other example could demonstrate that better than Jesus washing His disciples’ feet.  Notice, though, how Jesus ended this scene with His apostles.  He concluded by saying, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (ver. 17).

Paul also taught on the importance of doing.  When trying to get the brethren at Corinth to give to the poor saints at Jerusalem, he reminded the Corinthians of the commitment that they had made nearly a year earlier (2 Corinthians 8:10).  They had gladly agreed to take part in such a wonderful endeavor that would, not only relieve saints who were in need, but also go a long way in developing a better relationship between Jewish and Gentile brethren.  After reminding them of their previous pledge, Paul says, “Now perform the doing of it.”

Making a commitment is one thing; doing what we commit to do is something else.  If our religion is what it should be, it will be demonstrated by our doing, and we will live productive lives in Christ.  While doing this is a part of developing a sound religion, it is also a critical part of our salvation.  Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven, the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.