Before turning to the difference between religion and spirituality, we must first define the two terms. Religion may be defined as "belief in God or gods to be worshiped, usually expressed in the form of conduct or rites" or as "any specific system of belief, worship, etc., often involving a moral code ". Spirituality can be defined as "the quality or being spiritual, non-physical" or "of an essentially spiritual nature, manifested by life, thoughts, etc.; trend or spiritual nuance ". In short, religion is a set of beliefs and rites that claim to bring a person to a proper relationship with God,
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The most common mistake about religion is to think that Christianity is only one religion among others such as Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, etc. Unfortunately, many who call themselves Christians actually practice Christianity as a religion. For many, Christianity is nothing more than a set of rules and rites to observe to ensure you go to heaven after death. This is not true Christianity. True Christianity is not a religion, but it is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, the Messiah-Savior, whom we receive by grace, by means of faith. Certainly, Christianity has rites (eg, baptism and the Lord's Supper) and rules (eg do not kill, love each other, etc.), but they are not the essence of Christianity. The rites and rules of Christianity are the fruit of salvation. When we receive salvation through Jesus Christ, we are baptized as a testimony of our faith. We take the Lord's Supper in memory of the sacrifice of Christ. We follow a list of do's and don'ts for God's sake and gratitude for what he did for us.
The most common mistake about spirituality is to think that since there are many forms of spirituality, they are all equally valid. Meditating in unusual bodily positions, communing with nature, seeking to communicate with the spirit world, etc., may seem "spiritual," but it is in fact erroneous forms of spirituality. True spirituality is having the Holy Spirit of God, which we receive when we accept salvation in Jesus Christ. True spirituality is the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in a person's life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, benevolence, faith, gentleness, mastery of self (Galatians 5.22-23). At the heart of spirituality is the desire to become more and more like God, who is Spirit ( John 4.24 ), and to see our character conform to His image ( Romans 12: 1-2 ).
Religion and spirituality have in common that they can both be false methods of relationship with God. Religion tends to substitute the cold observance of rites for a true relationship with God. Spirituality tends to substitute communication with the spirit world for a true relationship with God. Both can be, and often are, false paths to God. At the same time, religion can be useful in the sense that it indicates that there is a God and that we are accountable to him. The only real utility of religion is to show us that we are not up to it and need a Savior. Spirituality is useful in showing us that spirituality is not limited to the physical world. Men are not purely material beings, but they also have a soul and a spirit. We are surrounded by a spiritual world that we must be aware of. The true utility of spirituality is that it shows us that there is something and someone beyond this physical world, with whom we must be in relationship.
Jesus Christ is the accomplishment of both religion and spirituality. He is the one to whom we are accountable and to whom the true religion directs. He is the one to whom we must be connected and towards which true spirituality directs.
