The longer I am in this kingdom life the more I see how dipped in religion I was. Cultural religion, church religion, atmospheric religion, it is like a skin that we are born into and it is challenging to break out of. Born again, baptized in water and the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, preacher of righteousness, experienced and was transformed by revival, have seen the dead raised, the sick healed, relationships restored and yet there is still residue of religion that is stuck to us like barnacles going along for the ride.

As Gentile believers who have been grafted into the vine that is Christ (John 15), we should not struggle with the “law” or struggle with “sacrifices” for we know very clearly it is by grace not works we are saved. We know this for our eternal salvation, but religion does not allow this to be our everyday reality. There is such a misunderstanding of what grace is, we have been taught to sacrifice, to serve, to give offerings and it has been taught as a transactional relationship not a covenant one. Pastor Dustin, our senior leader at Hope UC spoke of transactional relationships last Sunday and a friend of mine and I have been discussing this all week.

Transactional relationships are based on works, you scratch my back I will scratch yours; you do something for me I feel obligated to do something for you; there is a sense what is the catch in a transactional relationship. This is the “law” this is “religion”. Psalm 40 says, “It’s not sacrifices that really move your heart. Burnt offerings, sin offerings—those aren’t what bring you joy. But when you open my ears and speak to me, I become your willing servant, your prisoner of love for life.” Covenant relationships are coming from love not the law. We do for love what we would never do for money. We do to others out of love because we know we are loved.

Lisa Great Enebeli