At first I was going to wait and do this post much later after talking about what it means to have faith. However, after spending a little time with God I see that this is where I should start. I think a big problem that Christians face today is taking to heart the rules of Jesus ( thus the rules of Christianity) versus actually establishing a relationship with him. We think that if we just follow the rules alone that that will make us a good person and deem us worthy of heaven. However, that's not the case besides how many "Christians" have you met in life who upheld the rules but weren't very nice and focused more on condemning people for their wrong instead of showing the love of Jesus Christ. I'm not saying don't worry about following the rules, the rules are there for a reason but at the same time its our relationship with Christ that allows us to become transformed inside and become the person he created us to be. Romans 12:2 talks about this " Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
Then you will learn God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (NLT)" Everyone can follow the rules, but if we are not transformed inside then we are the same person just practicing different habits. That's why there are so many people who claim to be Christians but yet are hateful, or depressed, or have secret addictions and problems. They never truly formed a relationship with God, its only in a relationship with God that we receive all his love and promises truly becoming healed. Its through a relationship with God that we begin to "KNOW" him. Matthew 7:21-23 talks about this, " Not every man that cries to me , 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' Whenever the Bible says the words "know or knew" its means in a relationship sense, take your best friend or your mother or any loved one.
You "Know" them, you have spent time with them, invested love into them, did things for them and have helped them when they were down. All of this means that you have had a intimate connection with each other , intimate meaning characterized by or involving warm friendship or a personally close or familiar association or feeling an intimate greeting. That's the kind of relationship God longs to have with you, one where you spend time with each other. Versus the relationship that many Christians have, which is one like you knowing your very distant cousin that you see once a year or like a person at your job or maybe even a stranger on the street. You may know that person's name and you may know what they stand for or what they are about , but you do not truly "Know" them, you have not established an intimate relationship with them where you both spend time together. Likewise, if you only know the rules of God and not the Love of God , then you are like a distant relative that knows the word but does not know the author.
Like I said before anyone can learn the word of God, even the devil knows the word of God. Its your relationship with God that transforms those rules , his word, from just mere words on a page into guidelines for your new life. So yes, it is good to be religious and to follows God's rules, but do not let that replace having a real relationship with God.
I'm doing a Bible study on establishing a new relationship with Christ, in order to better aid everyone who is just starting out or staring again in their Christian walk. So each week I will bring you a new entry that can better guide you in the building of your relationship with Christ. In the mean time continue to get into his word , attend church and pray! These are the many way to spend time with God, you can also write him letters in a journal, or you could just find somewhere to be by yourself and just have an open conversation with God. Also the best thing about getting to know God, is that he already knows you. God knew who you were before you were born, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations" Jeremiah 1:5. God knows everything there is to know about you, how tall you are , your weight, even the number of hairs on your head. God knows about all you've done and all your going to do whether it be good or bad. SO don't try to hide your past from God, be upfront and truthful about it not for him but for you. Like I said God knows everything you've done, you telling him is setting you free, its nothing new to him. God knows every sin you've committed and he still loves you, he will always love you. So be transparent with him and open yourself up to a God that gives nothing less then Agape Love. Until next time, LOVE, PEACE, AND JOY.
NEED SOME HELP PRAYING? CHECK OUT THESE LINKS
- http://www.exploregod.com/how-do-i-pray?
- http://www.christianitytoday.com/iyf/advice/goodadvice/do-i-pray-to-jesus-or-god.html
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uqBNyvKKOw
How can we know, love, and worship the Lord Jesus Christ unless we really know and understand Who He was–as the Magi from the east did! Was Jesus a good man? He is more than that. The Bible says He “did no sin” (1 Peter 2:22.) Was he a great teacher? He is more than that. Officers sent to arrest Him returned to the chief priests and Pharisees and said, “No one ever spoke the way this man does” (John 7:46.) Today, just as the religious leaders of Jesus’ day did, many cults and even ministers and professors in religious schools deny the deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, the reconciliation of God and man through Christ’s death on the cross for our sins, and His physical resurrection from the grave. So it’s important that we know who Jesus Christ is and what He came to earth to do. This can help us not only to be sound in faith, but also to be witnesses to those who have gone astray. The Bible tells us these truths: