Religion, the Opiate of the Masses...

Marx wrote that religion was the opiate of the masses.  While that may be true in many situations, this is not the case with Christianity.

Of course, Christianity is not a religious system.
It's a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and it happens to take the form of some "religious" expression.

This relationship with Jesus is most certainly not an opiate.

As Tim Keller wrote, Jesus is more like the smelling salt.

Jesus first awakes us to himself through his Holy Spirit.
We are spiritually dead, in an unconcious state toward him, until he awakes us to himself.

Then Jesus awakes us to ourselves.  We see our sin, be begin to grasp our redemption, we start the journey of our sanctification, we are alive to the hope of our glorification.

Finally, Jesus awakens us to the world.  We see temptation, and we learn to run away.  We see needs, and we learn to run to help.  We see unjustice, and we are compelled to intervene.

Religion may be the opiate of the masses, but thank God that Jesus saves us from religion.
He is the smelling salt of God.
Shaking us from our slumber and sending us as his mission to the world.