Religion is a system. Relationship is a choice.

In terms of the world, I am a Christian. I go to church regularly (a non-denominational church, which is a topic for another day), worship music is on the top of my Spotify Wrapped, I believe in the gospel written in the Bible – the list goes on.

I check all the boxes for your basic ‘Christian.’ However, Seattle Pacific University students, along with a lot of people our age, have begun to deconstruct and redefine what being a Christian looks like. On one hand, I think it’s important to revisit how Christianity has morphed over the years in the hands of broken humans. On the other hand, I’m concerned that we’re redefining something on our terms that was never meant to be redefined.

If you’re still reading this, you either have experience in a religious setting or are curious enough to hear what this stranger has to say about Christianity. Either way, you’re hooked; at least, you’re hooked for now.

As a religious system, Christianity has been through the ringer. Rather than make this piece a history lesson on the chaos that Christianity has caused, I want to take a different approach. Maybe when you think about the history of this specific religion you think of persecution first, or maybe manipulation or corruption, or maybe a specific political affiliation comes to mind, or possibly your own personal trauma within the church.

Whatever comes to mind, I’m asking that you hold that in tension with the possibility that there’s more to it than what your experience is. I’m not asking for you to dismiss your own thoughts or experiences or understanding of it; I’m simply asking for you to bring that to the table alongside something maybe you haven’t considered before.

Christianity is a religious system, but as Christians we aren’t called to be members of a system; we’re called to live in relationship with our Savior.

SPU claims to be a Christian organization, and they have fought hard to keep Christian principles the center of policies at the expense of loving their students. Juxtaposed to that, some SPU students who claim to be Christian have used the name of Jesus as an excuse to go against policies based on Scripture – or against Scripture itself.

Either approach is not in line with the heart of God.

We have been living under the assumption that Christianity is a religious structure that is meant to trap people or that is meant to hold no true foundation and can shift with the times.

In reality, God calls us to know Him. Living as a Christian is not about a religion (as the Pharisees saw it) and it is not about living however you want and bending Scripture to fit it (like the Essenes did). It is about choosing to live for Him above anyone/anything else and as a result, falling in line with what Scripture says. The more we know about Him and the more we surrender to Him, the more we become like Jesus.

The church is run by human beings, which means it is a broken institution, but that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. It means that we get to keep choosing to be part of it in order to grow closer with God and share that love with the rest of His people despite the hurt. We choose this because life with God is not solely about life with other people who love God. That’s part of it, but God is bigger than our brokenness.

If you’ve been hurt by the church before or are angry with how Christians have treated you or others in the past, I urge you to not let that deter you from experiencing what God has for you. Yes, I hold Scripture as foundational truth in my life. And yes, I have a deep relationship with God. And, I know that I’m also not perfect. But the God I serve is.

We’ve focused too much on the religious aspect the last few years, why can’t we go back to understanding that the choice to believe in Jesus is the same as having a personal relationship with Him? Although it is a personal relationship, that doesn’t mean we have free reign to adjust Scripture the way that best fits our lifestyle. Scripture isn’t meant to be condemning, it’s meant to call us up to a higher standard so that we can experience all that God has for us, which is so much more than what we can imagine here on earth.

God is a god of grace and conviction. He is a god of gentleness and passion. He holds the tensions of extremes in a way that transforms hearts and renews minds. Life with Him is a choice, not a system. It’s the hardest choice, but the only choice worth choosing.