By Grant Gaines
Did you know that English is currently the most widely used language in the world? It is the official language of many of the leading world powers, including the USA and the United Kingdom. English is also the universal language of international business. Bottom line, the English language is used all over the world.
I personally find this a little bit strange because when it comes to learning a language’s grammar rules, English certainly is not among the easiest! For example, do I use “accept” or “except” here? What is the difference in “aisle” and “isle”? When do I use the word “whom” opposed to “who”? Does the question mark go inside or outside of the quotation marks in this context? And would someone please tell me what the purpose of a semi-colon is? The list of confusing grammar rules goes on and on, making me feel that I need to order the English version of Rosetta Stone just to understand my native language.
Just as it is easy to get confused with English grammar, it is also easy for people to confuse what Christianity really is. You see, many people view Christianity as just another world religion when in reality Christianity is simply a relationship with Jesus Christ. The difference between the two is as big as the Grand Canyon.
Religion is man reaching up to God. A relationship is God reaching down to man. Religion tells us we need to pray a certain number of times a day, facing a certain way, in a certain posture, and saying certain words. A relationship allows us freedom to come before God with confidence (Hebrews 4:16, NIV) knowing He loves us and hears our prayers (Psalms 17:6, NIV). Religion at its core is a list of do’s and don’ts. A relationship at its core is love. And finally, religion tells us we need to come before God to be loved by God while a relationship finds us spending time with God because we are already loved by God.
The reason it is so important to know the difference between religion and a relationship is because religion cannot save us. What church we go to cannot save us. Our pastor cannot save us. Our denomination (Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, etc.) cannot save us. And certainly, following a list of man-made rules cannot save us. Only a relationship with Jesus can save us.
But did you know that it is possible to be close to Jesus, sing to Jesus, and yes, even pray to Jesus all while missing out on a personal relationship with Jesus? To explain, let me use an example from the Bible.
Lodged in the heart of the Gospels and Jesus’s mission of love, we see the sad story of Judas who was so close to Jesus, yet missed out on a personal relationship with Him. Sure, Judas ate with Jesus, talked with Jesus, and prayed with Jesus, but just because you spend time with someone doesn’t mean you love them nor have an intimate, personal relationship with them. It’s all about your intentions, and we clearly see through Judas’s betrayal of Jesus that he did not truly love Him.
What were Judas’s objectives to hang around Jesus so much if at the end he was willing to betray Him? I’m not really sure. Maybe it was to be a part of a fast-growing religious movement. Maybe Peter, James, and John were some of Judas’s good friends and he wanted to be around them. Or maybe Judas’s mom wanted him to get a job and this was the best work he could find! At the end of the day we don’t know with certainty why Judas followed Jesus for three years and yet chose to betray Jesus for a small sum of money (Luke 22:4-6, NIV). But we can be certain that if we follow Jesus for any other reason than love, we too fall into the trap of religion and miss out on a relationship with Jesus just like Judas.
So what is your status with God look like these days? Is it a religion or a relationship? To answer that question you need only to check your intentions. If you are spending time with God to check it off your To-Do List or to feel good about yourself, you’re wallowing in an ankle deep pool of religion. However, if you are spending time with God because you love Him and want to grow closer to Him, congratulations, you are in an intimate personal relationship with the King of Kings and swimming in an ocean of His love!
Look, English grammar may always be confusing, but your standing with God doesn’t have to be. He has made it clear He loves you and wants a relationship with you. Do you share His desire?
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
©Grant Gaines 2013
