God Has No Religion
By Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute
(Originally written August 3, 2015; Expanded 2025 Edition)
Abstract
This paper critically examines the theological statement “God has no religion,” contrasting the divine nature of the Christian God with the human construct of religion. It demonstrates that religion is a human attempt to reach God through ritual, law, and moral performance—while true Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with God established through Jesus Christ. The study concludes that Allah, as depicted in Islam, cannot be the true God because Allah himself has a religion—Islam—whereas the true God transcends religious identity and institutional boundaries.
1. The Holiness and Transcendence of God
The Holy God is absolutely pure and has no fellowship with sin. Scripture affirms, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Between humanity and God lies a vast chasm of sin that no human effort can bridge. Humanity has sought to reach God through various means—religion, moral deeds, rituals, and prayers—but all these fall short of divine righteousness (Isaiah 64:6).
Religion, therefore, is man’s attempt to reach God through human effort. Christianity, on the other hand, is God’s act of reaching man through the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus bridges the gap between sinful humanity and the holy God by His atoning sacrifice.
2. Jesus Christ: The Only Way to God
The Christian faith asserts that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. As the Apostle Peter declares, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Likewise, Paul emphasizes, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and was raised on the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
Jesus Himself declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). This statement eliminates all other religious paths as insufficient to reconcile humanity with God.
3. Salvation by Grace, Not by Religion
Human beings cannot earn fellowship with God through religious observance or moral perfection. Salvation is a divine gift of grace, received through faith in Christ alone. “But to all who received Him, He gave the right to become children of God—to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
The Apostle Paul elaborates: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).
Thus, Christianity is not a religion of human works but a relationship of divine grace.
4. The Personal Reception of Christ
The relationship with God begins when one receives Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. Revelation 3:20 illustrates this invitation: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him.”
To receive Christ means:
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Recognizing one’s sinfulness and repenting.
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Trusting God for complete forgiveness through the cross of Christ.
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Allowing Jesus Christ to reign as Lord over one’s life.
Faith is not mere intellectual assent but personal trust in the living Savior.
5. Assurance of Salvation
Those who receive Jesus possess eternal life. “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11–12).
Believers are assured that Christ dwells within them (Colossians 1:27), and He will never leave them (Matthew 28:20). Faith, not emotion, confirms this relationship. As Hebrews 13:8 proclaims, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
6. Spiritual Growth and Fellowship
After receiving Christ, the believer begins a journey of spiritual growth:
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Prayer: Communing daily with God (John 15:7).
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Bible Study: Meditating on God’s Word (Acts 17:11).
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Obedience: Living out God’s truth (John 14:21).
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Witness: Sharing faith through words and actions (Matthew 4:19).
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Trust: Depending on God in all circumstances (1 Peter 5:7).
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Spirit-led Living: Walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16–18).
Fellowship with other believers is vital, as Hebrews 10:25 reminds: “Do not neglect meeting together.” Like coals in a fire, believers sustain their spiritual warmth in community.
7. The Theological Contrast: God vs. Allah
The Christian God—YHWH—transcends religion. He is not the founder, subject, or adherent of any religion. Religion is humanity’s structure; God is self-existent (Exodus 3:14).
Conversely, Allah of Islam is described as having a religion: “Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam” (Qur’an 3:19). This verse explicitly shows that Allah has a religion—a system of belief, rules, and rituals that binds even Allah to a specific theological framework.
This contradicts the nature of the true God, who is beyond all religious categories. The true Creator cannot be contained by a system; He establishes covenant relationships, not religious institutions.
If Allah has a religion, then Allah is part of a created system—a being within a belief structure, not the transcendent source of being itself. The Christian God precedes religion; Allah depends on it.
Therefore, Allah cannot be the true God, because the true God has no religion—He is the origin of existence, not a participant in it.
8. Conclusion
The statement “God has no religion” is not a denial of organized faith communities but a profound theological truth: the divine transcends human attempts to categorize Him. True communion with God comes not through religion but through revelation—through Jesus Christ, the only mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5).
The contrast between the Christian God and Allah reveals that the former offers relationship by grace, while the latter demands submission through law. Religion seeks to ascend to God; grace reveals that God descended to humanity in Christ.
Hence, salvation is not in religion but in relationship—not in Islam, but in Christ.
References
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The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV).
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The Qur’an, Surah 3:19, 5:3, 9:33.
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Augustine, Confessions, Book I–III.
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Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics I/1: The Doctrine of the Word of God. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1936.
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C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. New York: HarperOne, 1952.
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Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013.
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John Stott, Basic Christianity. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008.
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William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith. Wheaton: Crossway, 2008.
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