Have you ever heard someone proclaim, “I’m spiritual, not religious”? Do you ever wonder exactly what that means? According to Wikipedia, “Those who identify as SBNR [Spiritual But Not Religious] vary in their individual spiritual philosophies and practices and  theological references, referencing some higher power or transcendent nature of reality, without belonging to a religious affiliation. In the USA, most "nones", people without a religious affiliation, believe in God.”
So, a person who is spiritual rather than religious doesn’t go to church or read the Bible. They simply acknowledge a ‘higher power’. It is these who claim they know Jesus, but really have no idea who He is. They travel life’s pathway with no thought about eternity. “I’m a good person, God won’t send me to hell.” Sorry, but that don’t quite cut it with God.
As defined by Webster’s, religion is ‘an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods’. Therefore, to be spiritual requires no commitment to any organization or rule; just a vague notion of belief. However, neither religion nor spirituality are the same as salvation.
Christ did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment”(Matt 22:37-38). This command has nothing to do with following a law or acknowledging a higher power. Rather, it is a conscience decision to follow Christ and love Him with all you have. It is that saving love that brought Jesus to earth. It is that saving love that nailed Him to a cross. And it is that saving love that raised Him from the dead. All of that love was so that we would have a personal relationship with Him. To be in a relationship with Christ is to find fulfillment; it completes who we are. It’s not going to church religiously or acknowledging there is a God. “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe – and tremble!” (James 2:19).
It is time to examine our beliefs. Are we just religious? Or are we spiritual, but not religious? Neither is good enough. We must surrender our hearts and lives to Christ and simple follow Him. That’s all you have to do. To follow Him is to do more than follow a set of rules; to follow Him we must love. To be in a personal relationship with each of us which goes far beyond the laws of religion or vagueness of spirituality. Where do you belong?