I know a lot of people myself included that wander around proposing that Christianity is not a religion but a relationship. Until this morning I would have amen’d you if you preached that, and as much as I do agree that being a follower of Christ is about a relationship with Jesus Christ, I think this saying has become a copout for a lot of people. The sad part is that I recognize that some may not even realize it. With the development of technology mainly social media our ability to relate or have relationship has become both better and worse. You see Im a geek, a straight tech nerd. And I struggle with using tech to keep people at bay because lets face it an email is easy than a conversation. But, in all reality tech just like money is a tool for us to use not a lifestyle. We cant profess to have relationship or be in relationship with people we have once a week conversation with that could fill the back of a postcard. Or we are in relationship with someone because we liked their facebook status or Instagram picture. We have lost the meaning of true relationship. True relationships require loyalty, investment of time, tears and resources. It challenges our comfortability, schedule and commitment to each other. The understanding of true relationships has become so diluted that people think there really in relationship or are “BFF” when in reality your acquaintances or strangers even. We accuse a younger generation of throwing around the word love and yet we take no responsibility for allowing it or setting the example. At this point your asking what does any of this have to do with Christianity and my “relationship” with God. Its simple, if your diluted about what a true relationship is then your going to be diluted about your relationship with God. When your relationship with people is keeping them at a distance and never being vulnerable or open to allowing people who truly care about you to bring correction or speak into your life, then you never truly experience true relationship. If we are naive to believe that a watered down version of relationship is true relationship then we will use a watered down version and understanding of our parameters in our relationship with God. What so many fail to understand, including myself on many occasions, is that we are slaves to Christ. A master and slave have a relationship, but its a certain type of relationship based on predefined understandings and boundaries. When we accepted Christ our lives were no longer ours, period. But, instead of looking at God as our master, He says it I do it. We look at our relationship with God as one of our shallow relationships we have with people on facebook or real life. Thus with an understanding of when He speaks it sounds like a good idea but we have to talk it out with Him before we consider doing it. Or we just flat out disagree and don’t do it. Im not aware of anytime that a slave had that choice. We are loving indebted to Christ for His sacrifice. We don’t make ourselves slaves out of I have to do this, but I want to do this because of what He FIRST did for me. We are forever indebted to Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. But, the great thing is that He is for us not against us. Meaning even though we owe Him EVERYTHING we still walk in favor and blessing and are treated as Sons and Daughters not slaves. But, somewhere we got this idea that I have a relationship with Jesus is enough. Kind of this, we are working it out, type of response for why we aren’t living out our salvation. My question is if we are accepting Christ in the first place, then its an acknowledgment that we are accepting the Bible as our ultimate and infallible truth. This means thats our go to, not our own ideas or logic. So if I accepted Christ then my heart needs to submit to His Word not a mentality that says convince me. A Christian lifestyle is truly the fruit of a relationship with God, the Word tells us that we will be known by our fruit. So my question is where is the fruit? If you tell me that you have a relationship with God then there is going to be fruit of the spirit in your life as well as the fruit of your repentance. Meaning you may not change over night, a point many complacent Christians would like to argue, but you will show fruit of growth in your growth and maturity in the Word and walk with God. So many people use the relationship concept as a cover up for their own complacency and its honestly time for us to lovingly but honestly hold ourselves and others who profess to be Christians accountable for a lack of fruit of the spirit and fruit of repentance. In my next blog I will discuss why we are doing Christianity wrong, because we are using the relationship copout as an excuse to not attend church or engage in a lifestyle fully surrendered and submitted to Gods will. Christianity is a lifestyle that yes is based on a relationship with the parameters that we are followers of Christ, followers not listeners aka doers not hearers, its not our diluted opinion of relationship that will convince or show people that we are Christians but our lifestyles. What does your lifestyle say about your relationship with God.
