Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers…After last week’s blog, this seems like the perfect follow-up. I was thinking about this on my walk this morning, then I couldn’t get it out of my mind. That’s usually a sure sign for a title, so once I surrendered to the prompting, it took form in a matter of minutes. I love it when that happens.
Near the end of the 6th day of Creation, God had created the animal kingdom, but there was still something missing. Genesis 1: 26-27, provides the answer. God said, “Let’s make people in our image, to be like ourselves. So, God created people in His (Their) own image, male and female He created them.” So, the obvious question is, “What is “our” image, and what does the term “image” mean?” “Our” obviously refers to the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one entity, three in one.) Don’t get too hung-up pondering that, because if you engage in a discussion with anyone about the Holy Trinity, see how that turns out. Good luck!
Now, onto the matter of image. Obviously, it’s not a physical image because we are housed in a body made of flesh and bones, and He is a Spirit. No similarity there. Therefore, I believe it has to do with one unique feature that was gifted to us, but to no other member of the animal species. He gave us a brain for rational thinking. Every other animal operates on instinct, but we can make choices. Every animal knows when it’s time to eat, but we, on the other hand, might ponder that endeavor. “Hum…a burger? No; perhaps a pizza? No; a salad would be healthier.”
Because God is God, He knows something about relationships; therefore, He wired us with a brain. He revealed Himself to us, at first spiritually, then later by speaking through prophets, so we could come to know Him. As a result of that experience, we can either exercise our “free-will” to enter into that all- important relationship with Him (Them), or we can walk away. The choice is ours! It’s really no different than developing a friendship right here. First, we have to get to know people so we can make decisions about their character, their honesty, trustworthiness, and faithfulness. If they pass those unspoken tests, we can decide if we want to invest time in that relationship.
God always wanted a relationship with us, and not just a here-and-now relationship, but an eternal relationship. Even before He created the world (and Mankind), He had a plan for our salvation. His plan was for Man to choose a relationship with Him, but His plan has always yielded to our free-will. We can either choose Jesus Christ (salvation), or we can remain in the domain of darkness by not choosing His Gift of Grace. 2 Peter 1: 3 speaks to this process. “The more we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, His divine power (the Holy Spirit) gives us everything we need for living a godly life.” As we grow in that relationship, the more Christ-like we become. Do you ever ponder what God’s will is for your life? If so, becoming more Christ-like is the answer.
So, you may be asking yourself, “Don’t I get this with religion?”, and I would have to say, “that depends entirely on YOU and what you are looking for.” Religion can provide a structure, principles to live by, and traditions without a lot of commitment. Relationship itself only comes from participating in the process of growing and maturing in the knowledge of God, and the Truth of His Word.
Jesus didn’t come to start a religion. In fact, He came to straighten out the Jewish religion in which He was born.. No doubt, His purpose for coming was multi-faceted. He came, of course, to pay our sin-ransom so we could inherit eternal life. In fact, it is that truth that draws most people to Christianity. He also came to be the Word Incarnate, to preach the Good News to the poor, to set the captives free, to restore health to the blind, the lame, the leppers, the demon possessed, and He came to teach Kingdom principles.
Unfortunately, the Jewish religion of Jesus’ day had morphed considerably since the Law was given to Moses on Mt. Saini. (Keep in mind, those 10 Commandments are Kingdom principles, and they are God’s standard.) Unfortunately, the Pharisees, the religious leaders of that time, took it upon themselves to add another 600 man-made laws to the mix to ensure compliance to God’s Law. Needless to say, that didn’t lead to a happy, joyous and free life. In fact, quite the contrary! The people were totally over-burdened with all the “dos” and “don’ts” of religion.
Religions today, whether Christian, Buddhists, Hindu, or Muslim have their own interpretation of God’s Law, and it is presented in their doctrine, or their Holy Book. That information is vitally important because it is YOUR roadmap for a successful endeavor and outcome. But there is an inevitable flaw in this presentation. Whenever you start mixing the teachings of God with the teachings of Man, it turns out to be a sticky-wicket, much like the Pharisee example in the above paragraph. Too often the teachings of God fall through the cracks, and the teachings of Man are exalted.
God revealed Himself to the world through His Word. Two Scriptures substantiate this truth: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is used to teach us what is true, and to help us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out, and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing He wants us to do.” And 2 Peter 1: 20-21, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophets themselves, or because they wanted to prophesy. It was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God.” The Bible-based, non-denominational churches, are gaining in popularity today because they stand on the Word of God as their doctrine. We know, without a shadow of a doubt, that we have a relationship with the author of those words, so we count on the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. Ephesians 1:14 explains this clearly: “The Holy Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us everything He promised, and that He purchased us to be His own people.”
I would like to close with a statement that includes both truth and humor. I hope no one is offended by this because that is certainly not my intent. “Religion is a man in church thinking about fishing. Relationship is a man out fishing thinking about God.”
Feel free to respond to this message, and please share it with other social media friends.
May God Bless You Abundantly,
Dan Presgrave (a,k,a. Pastor Dan)
AWSOME!!!