Friday, March 08, 2013

"Christianity: The Religion of the Possessive Pronoun"

Below is the devotional that I received this morning from ptl.org:
Romans 1:8a:
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ...

Thoughts for Today:

"I thank my God," Paul says. Thomas said upon touching the wounds of Jesus, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). Martin Luther once said, "Christianity is uniquely the religion of the possessive pronoun." In other words, you can be a Buddhist without knowing Buddha; you can be a Hare Krishna without knowing Krishna; but you can't be a Christian unless you know Jesus. Christianity is unique because it is not a religion -- it is a relationship.

Marriage is a great example of this concept. My wife and I do not live under a set of rules which someone else created for us to follow. For example, what time to have dinner, who is to make dinner, clean the house, do yard work, or anything else. We have freedom in our marriage because it is a relationship between us as individuals --governed by love -- not laws or regulations created by others.

Many people misunderstand Christianity when they place it in the category of a religion. I have had people say to me, "Oh that's right, you don't do ______________ because it's against your religion." It's sometimes hard for people to understand that my choice to not do something is not because it violates a religious rule -- rather I might consider it to be disrespectful or harmful in my relationship with Jesus.

Questions to Ponder:

How has your relationship been lately? And I'm not talking about your spouse or friends. Relationships are built because of time spent together sharing, learning, and in fellowship. How much time are you spending with the Lord? He always has time for you; will you make time for Him? Is Christianity just your religion or is your relationship with Jesus growing stronger and deeper?

For His Glory has been the mission in our home for many years. It's a choice in how we live our lives. A choice regarding the music we listen to or the movies we watch. I surely don't need any more pollution in my head. Continuing to go deeper, to the richness of a life alive with Jesus Christ.