Hello again!
I want to share a little of what I have been learning this past week. I’ve been slowly reading Knowing God by J.I. Packer. This statement just flew out at me. He wrote, “Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified.”
I grew up participating in social religion. But as I grew I realized just how imperfect our church was/is. I’ve witnessed prominent church people get hurt and leave my church. I’ve seen pride, greed, gossip and many more all inside the social religion.
I’ve seen all of these inside me. Because our social religion is built from imperfect people, there’s no wonder that the church has struggled. Social religion is not the answer. Just participating in a church will not bring redemption. Sometimes, the church has implied that just walking in the doors of the building, life will be better.
In Acts, the church was created by the overflow from individuals encountering the truth of the gospel and surrendering to the Holy Spirit. They didn’t evangelize by telling people to come to church but they boldly proclaimed the truth that Jesus died and was resurrected.
So all this to say, God has been teaching me the importance and priority of my private religion. Change in our social religion will not happen until private religion is a priority. Even that wording, I want to disagree a bit with Packer.
To me, religion implies a list of obligations. But through Jesus’ blood and resurrection, we have more than a religion. We are invited into a living and active relationship with our Father in heaven. So my priority, even while I’m across the world to serve, is my relationship with my Father.
My Father wants a special and unique relationship with me. He wants my complete attention and obedience. As I sit in His presence, He works in me and purifies me. As I lean into His love, he reveals His delight and joy in me.
1 Peter 5:10 says, “The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you…”
Please read this verse again! God, himself, will restore, establish, strengthen and support. Even in our suffering on this earth, God our Father is FOR us. God wants an intimate relationship with us. Jesus came for us to KNOW God. That’s the gospel.
So my question, what does your ‘private religion’ look like? Do you spend private time in God’s presence? Please don’t just rely on social religion to encounter our gracious Father and Savior. He’s inviting you deeper.
Love from Romania!
