The fallen nature of man loves religion, it caters to his well being it bolsters the ego and develops mans self esteem. The gospel is the opposite of religion, it humbles the pride of man and changes his focus from self dependent to God dependent. Religion is man trying to reach to God by his own deeds, the gospel is God reaching man. All religions invented by man try to please their creator without ever knowing if they are sure but only hope it is true. Christianity has proven that its message is true by the one who personally delivering it coming from heaven. What if I gave an example of one having a billion dollars in the bank and all they had to do to own it was to believe it was put there, and act like a billionaire. If given the choice of being a pauper or a billionaire what would you choose. The gospel teaches we are paupers, but God is willing to give us his spiritual riches. We go from rags to riches, he gives us his beauty for our ashes. And it lasts for eternity. Religion does not promote spirituality but hinders it. It makes one obey from the outside without any real change of our nature from the inside. (Matthew 23:25 [Jesus said,] “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.”) I wouldn't walk across the street for religion, but I am willing to go around the world for the sake of the Gospel. There is a great difference between the two: Religion is man-made; the Gospel is God-given. Religion is what man does for God; the Gospel is what God did for man. Religion is man's search for God; the Gospel is Gods search for man. Religion is man trying to climb up the ladder of his own self-righteousness, with the hope of meeting God on the topmost rung; the Gospel is God coming down the ladder in the incarnation of Jesus Christ and meeting us sinners at the lowest rung. The spirit of religion will always point to man and his religion! Gods Holy Spirit will always point to Jesus Christ and His Gospel!