"It's not a religion it's a relationship." If you have grown up in a church, or even know anyone who goes to church, it is likely you have heard this spoken before. Often in rebuttal to those at odds with religion. Oddly enough, this Christian 'axiom' is found nowhere in the Bible. I am not claiming this statement to be false, I simply wish to try the truth of it in the lives of those who state it.
I have found, mostly in myself, that we claim this "relationship" with Christ, yet we do little to act upon it. This is most apparent in our rampant prayerlessness. For being in "relationship", we talk with our King very little. Perhaps we listen to Him even less, most would say they read The Word of God. Which I commend, that is great, yet it seems even this has become a religious act. We do not read to listen to our heavenly Lord, often times it is a check off the list. Something to make us feel as though we have achieved more grace, as absurd as that paradox is.
What I find troubling about this, is we do many of our good works in order to commend ourselves to God, as though this will achieve some end. We treat our prayer, reading and worships as the means to some lofty goal. How Foolish! Prayer, and worship are all the Ends, they are not the means. What is eternity but to know the Living God. When we sit before the throne of grace we are recieving a glimpse of eternity.
This is not to say prayer does not achieve, I would argue prayer is our greatest means for action, yet it is because we are speaking to the Living God that it brings change. First in our own hearts, and then in the world. Our vanity loads us down with pressure of "saving souls' as though it is something we must do, we feel the burden of talking to men for God in an effort to move their souls. How foolish! It was not our own reasoning that rebirthed our souls, nor will it be our reasoning with man that will give them newness of life.
In view of this, it is clear our only hope for the Salvation of man is God's acting. Yet if this is so, why do we strive to change man's heart through reasoning with Him, rather than pour our hearts out before our Lord. With fervency we must pour our souls out like wine before our King. Let us be a generation with worn knees and praying hearts. Man's heart is moved in the closet of prayer. Let us arise at dawn and bring lost souls to Christ, when the Sun is highest let us labor to lift men up to God, as the sun descends shall we empty our souls in hope of redemption for the sons of Adam, and in the eeriness of night let us wake and intercede with zeal for our despairing race. May we be a people who do not take the graces of Christ's blood lightly, it is a weighty occurrence for wretched men to come before The Almighty Creator whose power is immeasurable. Let us go to Him in reverence and joy, rejoicing in our adoptions, but let us not neglect our fallen world.
I have found, mostly in myself, that we claim this "relationship" with Christ, yet we do little to act upon it. This is most apparent in our rampant prayerlessness. For being in "relationship", we talk with our King very little. Perhaps we listen to Him even less, most would say they read The Word of God. Which I commend, that is great, yet it seems even this has become a religious act. We do not read to listen to our heavenly Lord, often times it is a check off the list. Something to make us feel as though we have achieved more grace, as absurd as that paradox is.
What I find troubling about this, is we do many of our good works in order to commend ourselves to God, as though this will achieve some end. We treat our prayer, reading and worships as the means to some lofty goal. How Foolish! Prayer, and worship are all the Ends, they are not the means. What is eternity but to know the Living God. When we sit before the throne of grace we are recieving a glimpse of eternity.
This is not to say prayer does not achieve, I would argue prayer is our greatest means for action, yet it is because we are speaking to the Living God that it brings change. First in our own hearts, and then in the world. Our vanity loads us down with pressure of "saving souls' as though it is something we must do, we feel the burden of talking to men for God in an effort to move their souls. How foolish! It was not our own reasoning that rebirthed our souls, nor will it be our reasoning with man that will give them newness of life.
In view of this, it is clear our only hope for the Salvation of man is God's acting. Yet if this is so, why do we strive to change man's heart through reasoning with Him, rather than pour our hearts out before our Lord. With fervency we must pour our souls out like wine before our King. Let us be a generation with worn knees and praying hearts. Man's heart is moved in the closet of prayer. Let us arise at dawn and bring lost souls to Christ, when the Sun is highest let us labor to lift men up to God, as the sun descends shall we empty our souls in hope of redemption for the sons of Adam, and in the eeriness of night let us wake and intercede with zeal for our despairing race. May we be a people who do not take the graces of Christ's blood lightly, it is a weighty occurrence for wretched men to come before The Almighty Creator whose power is immeasurable. Let us go to Him in reverence and joy, rejoicing in our adoptions, but let us not neglect our fallen world.
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