Jesus: The End of Religion and the Beginning of Freedom

Set Free from Religion: Embracing the New Covenant in Christ

Religion ended for me when Jesus revealed Himself to me. In fact, before I truly knew Him, I practiced magic rituals, yoga and studied Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and other traditions. I studied deity worship and how to invoke spirits to embody their powers. Yet, despite all my searching, something was missing. It was the personal relationship that comes with knowing our Creator. It was the intimacy, the connection, the direct communion that no amount of ritual, discipline, or philosophical understanding could replicate.

While Jesus is the Author of Life and has been with us from the very beginning, I acknowledge that this is something many struggle to accept. That their God could manifest in the flesh to overcome the barriers set between man and Creator—it’s a concept that challenges the mind. But I believe this was always the ultimate plan: that man could be reconciled to God through the finished work of Christ.

So what changed everything for me was the revelation that Jesus was God manifested in the flesh, here to reconcile us to Himself. Once I had this understanding, I knew I no longer needed to search desperately for the system of belief that would give me the most control over my reality or the most rewards in the after life, how I might escape reincarnation or even how I might break free from the 'simulation.' All of the new age and ancient esoteric divination was no longer necessary. I just need to know Him.

Religion vs. Relationship with Christ

The word religion comes from the Latin religare, meaning "to bind" or "tie back." It implies obligation, constraint, and a return to something restrictive. But Jesus did not come to place heavier burdens on people—He came to remove them.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." — Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus wasn't speaking about physical burdens. He was speaking about the heavy religious expectations that the Pharisees and religious leaders placed on people. Rules upon rules. Sacrifices upon sacrifices. A never-ending system that kept people feeling separated from God.

But Jesus came to remove that separation.

The Old Covenant: A System That Could Not Save

Under the Old Covenant, Moses gave the Law—a system meant to teach people how to be set apart and draw near to God. But the law, instead of bringing true closeness to God, revealed human weakness and the impossibility of perfection through works alone.

"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." — Romans 3:20

The Law was a mirror—it showed humanity its imperfections, but it could not cleanse them. The priests would offer sacrifices again and again, yet sin remained.

Then Jesus changed everything.

Jesus: The End of Religion and the Beginning of Freedom

Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). He became the ultimate sacrifice, the one final offering that ended the old system forever.

"But when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God." — Hebrews 10:12

This is why, when Jesus died, the temple curtain was torn in two (Matthew 27:51). That curtain symbolized separation between God and humanity. But in that moment, God declared that there would be no more separation—no more religious barriers, no more high priests needed to mediate between us and God.

Jesus became the way, the only way.

The New Covenant: Faith, Not Religion

Now, under the New Covenant, what is required of us?

Not religious law. Not rituals. Not sacrifices.

Only faith in Christ and a willingness to let God work powerfully in and through us.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." — Ephesians 2:8-9

Religion says, “You must follow these rules to be close to God.”
Jesus says, “I have already brought you close to God. Just believe.”

Religion tries to control people.
Jesus sets them free.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." — 2 Corinthians 3:17

So, Is Following Jesus Religious Thinking?

No. Following Jesus is not about religion—it’s about freedom, grace, and transformation.

Religion keeps people bound to a system of control.
Jesus invites people to walk in the Spirit, move in faith, and let God’s power flow through them.

We are not called to return to the old way. We are called to stand firm in freedom.

"You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace." — Galatians 5:4

Those who trust in their own religious works, doctrines, and rituals miss the beauty of grace. Christ did not come to give us a new list of rules—He came to restore us to relationship with God.

This is not a religious approach to Christ; it is a relational and transformational approach. It is faith-centered, grounded in direct communion with God, and completely independent of human-imposed structures. Religion binds, but Jesus sets free. Religion demands, but Jesus fulfills. Religion creates distance, but Jesus restores closeness. To follow Christ is not to follow a system—it is to embrace a life of spiritual freedom, walking in the fullness of what He has already accomplished. And that is where true freedom begins.

I believe that salvation is not found in rituals, practices, religiosity, or even in how often or how eloquently we pray. Salvation is simple. It's already been done. Jesus completed it on the cross. So now what?

Now, we have the opportunity to enter into the relationship with God that He has longed for since the beginning. And yet, we have always been curious but fearful to engage in it.

We are experiencing God to the depth that we are willing to. We are not forced to believe in the finished work of Christ, but through the finished work of Christ, we become liberated from the desire to hide from God in our shame and pride. Instead, we develop a desire to step up from the cross, to rise from the grave, and to enter the throne room where we dwell in eternity with our Father. Our carnal separation is now an illusion, and it isn't a matter of how many Hail Mary's or how many communions or baptisms you partake in—the illusion only dissipates with the understanding of our identity in Christ. No longer slaves, no longer sinners, but children of God and co-heirs with Christ.

It is time to stop spreading the "Not Good Enough News" and start sharing the true Gospel. The Gospel being the Good News: You are invited to have a personal, deep, and spiritual connection to God, free of tabernacles and religious dogma. You no longer need to put your faith in man but in Christ's finished work that is done, all sins past, present and future paid in full. Like the Samaritan woman, we are not limited in how we can relate to our Heavenly Father. We do not require an intercessor because of what Jesus has done—we now can praise, worship, and speak to Him directly anywhere, even on the mountaintop.

One of my favorite scriptures Jesus clearly lays it out for the Samaritan woman who was ostracized by her community:

'Woman, believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem… Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.'" (John 4:21-24, NIV)

There is an undeniable and unshakable transformation that occurs when we no longer strive for God's love and awaken to the reality that we only need to accept God's Grace.