Religion

God does not call us to be "religious", He calls us to do everything out of love for Him and love for others. When our true motives are based out of love for God and love for others, we have no need for following a set of rules. For if we do things out of love for God we strive to make decisions that are pleasing to God according to what He teaches us in His Word. His Word teaches us how to love others.

Galatians 5:1, 4, 6 "So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. What is important is faith expressing itself in love."

James 1:27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

1 Corinthians 13:13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

Galatians 5:22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.