a significant other, loving parents, to be a parent, friendship, family, money, fame, accomplisment, or simply just to be loved by anybody?
All of those things make us feel something. We feel accomplished, loved, or sometimes even invested in when people notice us.
We all strive to be apart of something, to belong to something. We are often hurt when others do not love us, invest in us, or care about “our sides” of the story when we are going through something. That hurt in turn always causes us to hurt others. The hurt can stick and cause destructive patterns of more hurt. The truth is until we’re truthful with ourselves about who we are (sinners) (Romans 3:23) and until we love others despite who they are we aren’t really being “like Christ”. (John 3:16) As a Christian the issue I have seen addressed more often lately is why a relationship over religion. You have the basic statement: religion is man trying to get to God, and a relationship is God coming to man. I heard someone recently say, “I am so tired of hearing this. It has become just another word. It’s the new cliché word like discipleship.” Although, yes I agree we have to be careful in Christianity with the “fad” words we use. However, the basis of what Jesus taught us is that it is a relationship with God the Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit that really is the impact of eternal life.(Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9) We know others and learn about them through relationships. Hence why Jesus said, “Many will come in my name, doing many things in my name, and say to me Lord, Lord, and I will say depart from me, because I knew you not.” (Matt 7:22) If we do not let God build relationship with us, we do not know the truth of His word, we don’t understand the back story behind the book,(the bible, God’s word). In essence God sets up relationship even amongst himself (God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) to model unity. (God said let US make man in OUR own image- Genesis 1:26) But because in American in a church that should be busy on the battlefield against the real enemy, this fallen angel called Satan, we instead are often busy just being obsessed with consumtion of “the american dream” as much as the world, and hence turn to consuming things to fulfill us, or others with hate and judgement, or worse we forget about the other enemy and make each other that enemy (Eph 6:12) Then we too often create cliques and fads and such. This is just another way for us to either replace that need to want something deeper or to try and self medicate. Through this people become numb. But please don’t let yourself become numb. This is a bad place to be in life. Apathy reduces the compassion and love that Christ set for us in our “gut” to feel for others, and sometimes apathy reduces the choice to chose love and compassion even when you “feel” otherwise. God is compassionate (Psalm 103). Christ was compassionate. He was God but humbly let himself be limited to man to put on flesh (Phil 2). He is the closest example we'll get to see God in flesh, in the same stuff we're limited in, to see His holiness as an example. “Christ is “the image of the invisible God.” (Col 1:15) He was known for being near the broken. He made his way among the sinners, and loved them even in their sin.(Luke 15; John 3:16) The beauty is He didn’t leave them in their sin. (Eh 5:8; 1 Cor 6:11) Now, is it possible that we sometimes go right back to the sin we once knew and that Jesus so freely broke the chains from originally? YES. But last I checked, Jesus was too busy seeking God’s will, (even though he was God), and spending time with the Father (in prayer), and in return letting the love the Father had for him pour over Him and turning right around and lavishing that love on us and others. You see, people knew when Moses came down from the mountain and had to cover his face where he had been. (Exodus 34:29). They knew by his countenance who he was spending time with. (Was Moses perfect? NO. He stuttered, He was co-dependent upon people, and asked for his brother to come speak for him because he didn’t think he could. He killed someone even.) But still they knew despite the weakness that Moses had, that HE WAS SPENDING TIME WITH THE LORD. (2 Cor 12:9) When countless others spent time with the Lord we see over and over people recognized the difference in them. Yes that difference needs to be a encounter with Jesus. When you walk away from your first real encounter with Jesus you are changed, but you are NOT immediately GLORIFIED. You have to be sanctified first, you are a work in progress. We see Paul mention this countless times through out the new testament. We are God’s workmanship (Eph 2:10). Jesus himself constantly spent time with the Father and the Spirit. We get so caught up on every law, every legalistic action that we try to make a cookie cutter way to have knowledge of God and still follow him. But then we become like detectives chasing the steps Jesus walked but we never actually get to stand in His presences. How sad. This is why I think others are right when they say that Jesus is not about religion (or mans traditions to get to him) and He is about a relationship. Because in a relationship, God can show you through His word how he feels about you, how he wants to forgive you, or how he judges you, but still desires to love you so much that He sent His son to die for you. BUT let God do that. Christian, STOP, trying to be God in others lives. Stop setting up rules and laws to set people up for failure and judging them through your own eyes. YOU are a sinner! You aren’t going to see what God sees. And if you tell me you do, I’m going to tell you, not completely, because you still speak to the Father through a Christ covered lense, which means, you still don’t have the right to judge (that's God the Fathers title) you aren’t on His throne. Is hell real? YES! Is Jesus going to judge those who do not believe in Him? Yes. Will they go to hell? Yes. Does that mean that we need to push people into more hurt just so they turn around and continue to hurt others and run from Jesus? NO. Christians, Stop living by the flesh and being judgmental, running your own life. It’s sad I have to say that, because if we really lived the way that new testament believers did we wouldn’t have to clarify the difference. Quit complaining about America and others and how it’s going to hell because Christians might actually have to suffer. JESUS did. He said you would too. Get ready. Stop injuring each other in the battle and just love your neighbor as yourself. Go out of your way when they do something that you think is repulsive. Show them you are different. Even the world hates others and their own enemy. Jesus even said, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES. For even the world loves those who love them and are “like” them. And for those of you who have gained a love for things and not people. STOP. God’s word also said, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose His soul?” So let me ask you this question? If you are reading this right now, have you ever just really made stupid decisions? Have you ever lied to someone you love? Have you ever broken any of the ten commandments? …. Then you know how it feels to be loved even though you don’t deserve it. Especially if you are a Christian. Turn around and lead people to Jesus and let them have a relationship with him, and stop complaining and yelling at them for not being perfect in their “traditions”(Col 2:8) Secondly, I know, I am a christian, and I am writing this article so, for most people who do read this, I am just as convicted by God’s word, and His spurring me on to say this and be convicted by it. But I will warn you, I write this out of a heart that sees Jesus was really only harsh with the “religious” people of his time. Wether it was the Pharisee's or Sadacusses, or even those in political power who mocked Him. God will not be mocked. And we need to be careful not to hate the sin so much, that we cannot love the person who God died for. Let God give the plan. You stop. Just simply follow Jesus. Follow him into the trenches, and let Him battle for you, I and for Himself, and you just love and BE DIFFERENT, supernaturally love others so that they see that God is love. And make people want to come to church because they know God loves them. Don't try to convince them you've been with Jesus. Most of them don't care anyway, but you're giving Him a bad name by being so hateful. Don’t just preach that you’ve been with Jesus. Let them see who you spend time with, and they’ll know if it’s Jesus or not, despite the sin, and the mess ups you’ve done. As for the church. Be humble. You are one weakness away from sin. (Even Peter denied Jesus right after being with Him) Pride is the most deadly sin. It sent Satan spiraling into thinking he could be as great as God, and it sends preachers into thinking they are the real head of the church, and often forsaking accountability, it sends people into thinking they don't need a Savior and can do it all on their own. And it honestly is where God often just let hearts become hardened. Why this is, I don’t know. God is in the heavens and does whatever he please- Proverbs says. But ultimately, I know that he desires that none shall perish but all should have eternal life. And I know that he desires a relationship with each one of this through that. The most intimate relationship is that of a husband and wife. They become “one” in marriage. This is a reflection of something even more deeper with the Lord. Because I read recently in a book, “The clear message of Scripture is that one cannot know the Father apart from His Son and apart from the work of the Spirit of God. The unity of the Father, Son, and Spirit is consistent with the foundational Hebrew confession of faith— “Hear, O Isreal: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Duet 6:4) The Hebrew word for “one” indicates a composite unity, just as once cluster is made up of several grapes.” So God’s desire is for us to be “ONE” with Him. In this relationship. We must have fellowship with the wholeness of God which means actively knowing God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And this same book read: “ Ultimately, we are powerless to know God without the help of His Holy Spirit. The Spirit knows “the depths” of God and makes God known to us. (1 Cor. 2:10-13) So we know that we must know God in all three parts. We must be in fellowship with and build a relationship with all three parts of God to have a relationship to God and with God. We must be one with Him, as His church, and His people we are called His bride. (in Revelation). So please, understand, there is no room for pride in this relationship, or His kingdom. It’s to seek first His kingdom. And His kingdom, He is the only one on the throne. Please know that trying to judge others sinful nature and not love them is against the two greatest commandments (Matt 22:36-40) It is also trying to take God’s place in the life of another. It’s the same trying to be judge over them (which is God the Fathers thing) And trying to convict them is taking the place of the Holy Spirit. You cannot be God the way God can be God. So please just humble yourself, and seek Him. And lead others to Him, so that He can be God in their life. And do me a favor, love, teach, preach and spread the Gospel message. For those who desire such a relationship, seek God, find Him in His word (the Bible) Seek Him through prayer, and ask Him to make Himself known to you. He will. I’m sure of it. He wants a relationship. And not your religious practices!
