Most people think that faith and religion are interchangeable concepts. Those who are willing to investigate the differences between faith and religion will learn that they are exactly opposite in meaning as seen in the following statements:

♦ Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But, ♦ Religion is the substance of things that are seen, acted out, spoken, touched, tasted, heard, codified, managed and repeated according to rules and traditions established by an historical succession of religious leaders.

What this means is that religion is fake faith. More accurately, religion is hypocrisy.

Just to make this difference perfectly clear, we will rephrase these statements as follows with links to scripture:

♦ Faith is a matter of the heart which only God knows and only God can see. And, ♦ Faith is governed by spiritual laws. But, ♦ Religion always involves use of the flesh (i.e. physical body, mind, emotions) which religious people value and praise but God detests because it is usually acted out in public. And, ♦ Religion is always governed by religious laws.

 

It is reasonable to expect that people who drop out of religion know, or at least suspect, that faith and religion are not the same. Many, perhaps most, of them believe that God exists and aspire to genuine faith. But doubts and uneasiness about these differences between faith and religion cause them to drop out of religion. That is a good thing to do because it resolves the inner tensions they have about the differences. It is not good, however, if they also leave God behind because they have no idea about a righteous alternative to religion.

Most religionists entertain no thoughts of dropping out of religion. There is no doubt in their minds that God wants people to practice their brand of religion.  They are convinced that faith and religion are identical. They have not considered the following differences between faith and religion:

CHARACTERISTICS OF SPIRITUAL FAITH	CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION
Faith is something you have in your your heart	Religion is what people do.
Faith is perfectly manifest in the hearts of New Covenant disciples who hear God’s spoken voice and then act on what they hear.	Religious people listen to false prophets. They may, or may not, act on what they hear.
Faith is a spiritual gift from God.	Religion can be practiced by anyone.
Faith comes by hearing God’s word spoken through Christs (i.e. New Covenant disciples who are anointed to speak for God.	Judaism and Christianity evolve from literal interpretations of natural events, natural places, and natural people reported in the Bible.
Faith is the assurance of things not seen — except by God alone who knows the heart.	RELIGION is a collection of activities that people do with their bodies that can be seen by anyone.
Evidence of faith exists in God’s spiritual laws written on the heart of New Covenant disciples.	Evidence of religion exists in outward obedience to religious laws made and enforced by men.
Faith involves spiritual sacrifices of the heart.	Religion involves physical, material sacrifices at certain places at certain times.
Faith is between man and God.	Religion is a public matter that can be observed by anyone.
Faith is an internal  matter of the heart which only God knows.	Religion is evident in external activity of the physical body (i.e. flesh) that can be observed by anyone.
Faith is free of material cost.	Religion usually involves a financial cost typically called a tithe or offering. God is opposed to religious commerce.
Faith is spiritual, like the wind that cannot be seen with the natural eye.	Religion is always visible and usually happens in particular locations at set times.
Faith, being spiritual, is not predictable in terms of when, where or how it occurs.	The practice of religion is predictable because it is governed by written laws or long-standing traditions.
Faith is governed by God’s law written on the heart.	Religion is governed by the following people: Theologians who interpret the Bible and report their opinions in various kinds of writings. Denominational leaders who choose the doctrines their denomination will follow and monitor denominational activities to ensure that those doctrines are followed. Local religious leaders who preach the chosen doctrines and lead congregations in practices which are consistent with those doctrines.
The characteristics of true spiritual faith are all internal and do not include external practices done with the physical body.	Religion is always practiced using the physical body (i.e. flesh) in one way or another. In communal worship, custom predicts that worshipers will perform physical activities (e,g, stand up, sit down, sing, pray, read, dance, etc.) together at the same time.
Faith is dependent only on hearing God’s voice and does not require a human to teach it or supervise it.	Religion is always taught by and supervised by humans who are distinguished by titles, authority, and often by clothing, and whose position and income depends on a good personal reputation.
Faith does not have hierarchies of human authority.	Religions always have leaders (e.g. pastors, apostles, Bishops, Popes, rabbis, etc.) to establish organizational policy and direct religious activities.
Faith is trusting God who is invisible.	Religion is trusting men and women who can be seen.
Faith is practiced in the heart/spirit — not in a specific location at set times according to fixed ceremonial patterns.	Religion is typically practiced in a specified location on a regular schedule with more-or-less fixed ceremonial patterns.
Faith always brings glory to God.	The rewards of religion always accrue to the people who practice it.
Any praise that comes to the faithful person comes directly from God.	Praise that comes to religious people for their religious activity comes from other religious people.
Faith is a matter of the heart that only God can see.	Religion is always conducted by using the physical body in some way and can be observed by anyone.

God uses many words to symbolically represent the differences between  faith and religion:

Faith	Religion	Scripture References
New Covenant	Old/First Covenant	The entire Bible is about the differences between the two covenants and how the New Covenant replaces the Old/First Covenant. Genesis 25:19-34; Romans 9; Hebrews 8; Hebrews 9; Hebrews 10; Hebrews 12:18-24; 2 Corinthians 3:1-13; Revelation 21:11 John 2:8; 1 John 2:17.
Life	Death	Deuteronomy 30:15
Tree of Life	Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil	Genesis 2:16-17
Good	Evil	2 Samuel 14:17; 1 Kings 3:9; Hebrews 5:14; Deuteronomy 30:1-15
Spirit	Flesh	John 6:63; Romans 8:1-4
Blessings	Curses	Deuteronomy 30:1-15
Clean	Unclean	Ezekiel 44:23; Ezekiel 22:26
Holy	Profane	Ezekiel 44:23; Ezekiel 22:26
Promised Land	Land of Canaan, Egypt, Babylon (i.e. Religion)	The entire Bible is about the differences between and conflict between religion and the Promised Land.
Kingdom of God	Kingdom of the World	Revelation 11:15
Light	Darkness	2 Corinthians 6:14
Righteousness	Unrighteousness	2 Corinthians 6:14
Righteousness	Sin	Proverbs 13:6; Romans 5:19-21; Romans 6:13-21; Romans 8:10
Freedom	Slavery	Gal 4:22-23; Gal 4:30-31; Gal 5:1; 1 Timothy 6:1
Faith	Works	Romans 3:27-28; Romans 9:30-33 Galatians 2:15-16 (See this link for understanding of the law).
Abel’s Offering	Cain’s Offering	Genesis 4:1-7; 1-John 3:11-15
Right hand	Left hand	Ecclesiastes 10:2; Matthew 25:32-46
David	Goliath	1 Samuel 17: 19-51
Mercy	Judgment	James 2:8-13
Light burden/yoke	Heavy burden/yoke	Matthew 11:28-30; 1 John 5:3; Isaiah 9:1-4; Isaiah 10:27; Isaiah 14:24-28; Isaiah 58:6-9; Jeremiah 2:20; Jeremiah 5:5; Jeremiah 28:1-14; Jeremiah 30:8; Ezekiel 30:18; Ezekiel 34:27; Nahum 1:13; Psalm 55:22; Psalm 68:19; Isaiah 46:4; 1 Peter 5:5-7; Psalm 38; Luke 11:46; Acts 15:7-11; Matthew 23:1-9; Galatians 5:1-6
Rest (i.e. ceasing from all religious works/labors.)	Works (labors) done according to religious laws.	Exodus 23:12;Exodus 31:15;Exodus 35:2;Leviticus 23:3; Deuteronomy 5:1-15;Psalm 46:1; Leviticus 16:29-31

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Considering the many different ways God differentiates between faith and religion, it is difficult to summarize the differences between the two concepts. It can be safely said, however, that all the contrasting terms in the above table point to two covenants (Old/First and New). Therefore, we will offer this statement as a practical, working concept that helps distinguish between the two:

The Old/First Covenant involves visible, public, elemental, religious ceremonies (e.g. eating and drinking sacraments, singing, prayer, washing with water, circumcision, etc.) done with the physical body at certain times and certain places according to rules and regulations written by and directed by religious leaders. In other words, it is nothing more than religious rules made by men. Evidence of the New Covenant is found in disciples whose hearts are fully devoted to God (i.e. they do not take instruction in righteousness or religious ceremonies from religious leaders). In other words, New Covenant disciples follow God’s spiritual laws written on their hearts.

 

STUDY TIP: Read more about the differences between faith and religion in RELIGION. See Two Covenants Part 1 and Two Covenants Part 2 for more about covenants.

Also see THE HEART IS THE PLACE for understanding of a heart that is fully devoted to God.