Basing the answer from the Bible, religion is worship, a way of worshiping God or a deity or serving God or a deity. It is used in the Bible, in the Greek it is called Treskia, it means religion, worshiping and ceremonial observance. Now, the Bible tells us or teaches us a true religion or true worship or true service to God. In the book of James chapter 1, verse 26, let us read. “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” Now, you have to note that verse that if you are indulged in religion, but you do not train your tongue the way you speak, you speak carelessly, you speak hatred, you speak bad things against people, then your religion is nothing, is vain.
Meaning that there is a good religion and there is a religion that is vain. And the true religion is taught, the true worship, the true service to God is taught in the church of God, in the Bible. Let us read. In the book of 1st Timothy chapter 3, verse 15. ” But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” There is a true church in the Bible, the church of God. Now, in the true church in the Bible, men are instructed the things that they must do. That’s why the apostle Paul says, If I tarry long, that thou mayest know how to behave thyself in the house of God or in the church of God. All the teachings on how to behave, how to worship, how to walk, how to live, how to deal with people. All those teachings are in the church of God of the Bible. Remember that religion is worshiping God. And how do we worship God? Let us read from the book of John, chapter 4, verse 23 to 24. “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” It is clear the religion being taught in the church of God is to worship the Father or God in spirit and in truth. That is the true worship, to worship God in spirit and in truth. And that consists of the true religion.
Remember the meaning of religion is worshiping God. Christian is worshiping. If you worship an animal or a bird or a snake, you are worshiping a false God, not the true God of the Bible. And if that is the kind of worship that they are doing, that is something against God, which God hates. Something very evil in the sight of God. Let us read from the book of Romans, chapter 1, verse 25. “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Worship creature, not God, is a lie. We must worship the Creator, not the creature. Let us read Romans chapter 1, verse 23. “And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible men, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.” Anyone who does these things belongs to a false or erroneous religion. Because the true religion or true worship is to worship only the Creator, not the creature. Remember the word religion is worshiping God, the true manner of the Bible. To worship any other gods, especially creatures, you are a victim of false religion.
