Do we ‘so love the world’ that we copy it?

God’s people have been trying DIY religion ever since Abel offered God a bloodless sacrifice (Gen 4:3-4).

After that, they tried getting to heaven – and making names for themselves – by building a tower (Gen 11:4).

Today, we build towers using worldly treasures, philosophies and systems, and then call them churches.

DIY religion is easy to spot. See how many symptoms you recognise:

1. Breaking of bread is curtailed.
2. Jesus is rarely mentioned.
3. The blood of Jesus is ignored.
4. Men and women make names for themselves.
5. Hierarchies emerge and leaders mediate between God and his people.
6. Procedures take priority over people.
7. Reason supercedes faith.
8. The Holy Spirit’s power is replaced by symbols and strange behaviour.
9. The focus is on successful projects, not obedience and faithfulness.
10. Outward conformity supercedes inward reality.

Jesus loved the world so much that he sent Jesus. But do we love it so much we become just like it?