it happens so subtly

Things change when a living faith turns to a religion.
Someone defined the danger of loosing our touch with
God by saying,
” first comes a revival, then a revival movement,
then a movement.”
This can happen to all of us.
I Sam. 5 has an interesting story of the Philistines and their
relationship with an idol, Dagon. Their god
failed in an embarrassing way, but that did not stop them
from worshipping him. His failure actually just added a new
element to their religious ceremonies. That god was no better
than Santa Clause, it only existed in their own imaginations.
The churches in Galatia turned from a living faith
to a dead religion. Paul warns them of the futility of
carnal religiosity,” for if righteousness comes through the law,
then Christ died in vain.” Gal.2:21
I’m in danger of exchanging my faith to a dead religion
when I
1. don’t need miracles anymore
2. sin doesn’t discourage me anymore
3. nothing touches my heart
4. have become accepted by the world
5. stop confessing my sins to God
6. don’t win souls anymore
7. have no more questions to God

Religious behavior without a personal relationship with God
is like a well polished but disconnected telephone. It has no
signal in it. A phone without a signal is just a head-ache.