A Heart of Religion vs. a Heart of Relationship

Many people today claim to be Christians but don’t have a genuine relationship with the Lord. They might follow certain rules or go through religious motions, but they’ve never fully committed their lives to God. They’re Christians in name only.

I know this may offend some people, but the reality is that many will stand before God one day and find they never truly received salvation. They were religious, but not redeemed. And this mindset isn’t unique to Christianity—it’s found in other religions as well.

Did you know that if you were to put a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Hindu, and the average Christian side by side and ask them what made them worthy to enter heaven, each one would likely point to their deeds? A Muslim might point to their acts of devotion or jihad. A Buddhist may highlight their abstinent lifestyle. A Hindu might reference their worship of countless gods. And a nominal Christian might cite their church attendance or tithing.

But a true Christian would simply point to Jesus and say, “I haven’t done anything to be worthy. My only claim to heaven is that I put faith in a Savior.”

Christianity is the only religion on this planet that has a Savior. Every other religion requires the individual to do something to earn God’s favor. Christianity is the only one where the focus isn’t on what we do but on what Jesus did for us.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. – Romans 3:23–24

What Makes You Worthy?

True Christians don’t rely on their own efforts to earn heaven—they rely on Jesus. He took our sins upon Himself and died for us, and our salvation rests on faith in Him alone. It says in Romans 10:9–10, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

And yet, sad to say, there are many, many people today who say they are Christians, but when asked what makes them worthy, they point to what they’ve done. That’s not what salvation is about. True salvation is rooted in faith in Jesus alone. And anyone relying on their own actions to justify their salvation makes me doubt whether it’s true salvation.

I know this message is offensive to some. It might be hard to hear, but it’s true—there’s a difference between being a believer and being a disciple. Jesus didn’t call us to just believe in Him; He called us to follow Him, to become His disciples, and to make disciples of others.

The Trap of Self-Righteousness

Consider the scene when Jesus was speaking to the Jews in John 8:33–34. They said, “We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?” They were so blind to their own bondage that they couldn’t even recognize it. Jesus replied, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.”

There are a lot of Christians today who think they are free, but in reality, they’re trapped. Whether it’s addiction to sin, the pursuit of materialism, or the emotional slavery of anger, bitterness, or unforgiveness—they’re in bondage. True freedom comes from being set free by the truth of God’s Word. And that freedom is only found when we embrace Jesus as our Lord and Savior, not just as a historical figure we claim to “believe” in.

Jesus continued in John 8:35–36, “And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

There’s freedom in the Son of God—a freedom that has nothing to do with a religious checklist. It’s a freedom to live according to God’s Word, to love others as He loved us, and to walk in the fullness of the new life He offers.

A Lesson from India

Back in 1981, I visited remote areas in India where I preached to churches that had one or two thousand people. Though many claimed to be Christians, they hadn’t truly committed their lives to Jesus; they had simply added Him to their collection of countless “gods”.

I saw a shrine with pictures of Krishna, Buddha, and Jesus, which highlighted the issue: they saw Jesus as just another god. That’s not true salvation. Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6 and Acts 4:12).

On my flight home, I spoke to a minister who had also held meetings in India. He claimed to have gotten tens of thousands “saved,” yet he never countered any of their other beliefs. That’s not the example we see in the Bible.

Confronting False Beliefs

In Acts 17:23, Paul went to Athens and boldly confronted the ignorant worship of the people there to the UNKNOWN GOD, and said he was there to declare Him to them. And earlier in Acts 4:12, Peter proclaimed that there is no salvation in any other name but Jesus. The apostles didn’t sneak around their beliefs—they confronted them head-on.

I understand the hesitancy to confront people, especially those who have been hurt by so-called Christians. But that’s not how the Apostles preached. They boldly proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah, even though it led to persecution.

The early church faced intense opposition, mostly from religious people, and we face similar resistance today. If you preach that salvation isn’t just repeating a prayer but requires a life change—turning from sin, living in obedience—religious people will come against you.

Some might think I’m saying that unless you’re a disciple, you’re not truly saved. That’s not what I’m saying. It’s possible to be a believer without being a disciple. If your faith is sincere, you can still make it to heaven with the minimum requirement. But you might get there a lot quicker without understanding healing, walking in joy, victory, prosperity, and so on. God never intended for us to limp into heaven. He wants us to be born again and then start growing, maturing, and becoming disciples by continuing in His Word.

The Call to Be Disciples

It’s time for the church to stop settling for half-hearted Christianity and rise up as true disciples—followers of Jesus who live according to His Word and reflect His love and power to the world around us.

Take a moment to ask yourself: Am I truly a disciple of Jesus, or am I just going through the motions? Is my faith a living, active relationship with Him, or is it a set of beliefs I hold on to but never truly apply to my life?

Jesus commanded us to be disciples indeed—those who continue in His Word and allow His truth to make us free. If you’re ready to step into true discipleship, dive deeper into His Word, and live out the freedom He offers, I encourage you to take advantage of the materials we have available.

Move beyond professing to be a believer and become a true disciple of Jesus Christ. That’s where true freedom and transformation happen.