Religion Vs. Relationship
One thing I did not expect when I started genuinely seeking Elohim was how much unlearning would be involved. Not just unlearning certain teachings or ideas… but unlearning the version of faith that was built mostly around appearance, routine, and external validation.
Somewhere along the way, many of us learned how to look spiritually alive before we ever learned how to actually be transformed. And yet, Scripture plainly instructs us to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romiyim (Romans) 12:2). But how can our minds truly be renewed if we never spend time in the Word for ourselves? How can transformation happen if our faith is sustained only through secondhand revelation, routines, or religious environments without personal intimacy with Elohim?
The deeper I study Scripture, the more I realize that YAH has never been impressed by performance. Throughout the Bible, He continuously confronts hearts that honor Him outwardly while remaining distant inwardly. One verse that has stayed with me deeply is Ezekiel 36:26:
“And I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. And I shall take the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I shall give you a heart of flesh, and put My Spirit within you. ”
True transformation was always meant to reach deeper than behavior alone. It is not simply about modifying actions externally while remaining unchanged internally. YAH speaks repeatedly about the condition of the heart because the heart shapes the posture of our lives, and renewed thinking flows from surrendered hearts. Transformation begins inwardly; in the mind, the heart, the intentions, the desires and from there, it naturally begins to reshape how we live.
What stands out to me most is that the very next verse,
“And I shall cause you to walk in My laws and guard My right-rulings and shall do them.”
That verse feels so simple, yet so profound.
It reveals that true transformation is not something we manufacture entirely through our own strength, discipline, or religious striving. The change itself begins with His Spirit. YAH does not merely command transformation from a distance; He places His Spirit within us, and through that relationship, our desires, convictions, mindset, and way of living begin to change naturally over time.
That change then produces obedience.
Not forced obedience rooted in fear or performance, but the kind that flows from inward renewal. His Spirit leads us into alignment with His ways, His wisdom, and His right-rulings; standards that are not determined by culture, emotions, trends, personal preference or church rules, but by Him.
Which became settling, because it means transformation is both deeply personal and completely dependent on Elohim.
This also made me realize how easy it is to reduce faith to religious activity alone. Many people associate “Christianity” primarily with services, worship songs, sermons, traditions, or denominational identity. And while those things can absolutely encourage and support our walk with Elohim, they were never meant to replace genuine relationship with Him.
Church gatherings can create space for fellowship and sound teaching can bring understanding but none of those things can substitute personal surrender, intimacy with YAH, obedience, or inward transformation.
And honestly, that is part of why I struggle to make a religious label my primary identity. My identity is not meant to be rooted in a system, denomination, or outward affiliation, but in YAH Himself, through Messiah and in the life He is continuously shaping within me.
Love for YAH was never meant to be something we visit once a week, it was meant to permeate our entire lives.
The way we think.
The way we speak.
The way we treat people.
The way we respond when we are offended, misunderstood, unseen, or challenged. Messiah summarized the heart of it beautifully and simply:
Love Elohim fully.
Love others deeply.
Everything else grows from there.
Maybe that is what I keep coming back to over and over again: “The Way” (Acts 24:14; John 14:6) was never meant to become a performance we perfect, but a relationship that transforms us.
“Let Me instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; Let Me counsel, My eye be on you.”
