Europe is about tradition when it comes to religion and God: going through the motions of church, buying a candle to pray for loved ones, putting up death certificates to show respect, being “Christian” because that’s what their ancestors were and that’s how it has always been. I look into the eyes of so many people here who are “Christian” that carry absolutely no joy or hope in their eyes. But looking back to life in America, isn’t it the same?? People are “Christian” because that’s what they were born into. It’s the norm to be. The part that is missing so many times is the relationship with our Savior.
And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but mad-made rules learned by rote.” -Isaiah 29:13
So many people live as though salvation is the end result and goal in our Christian life when it truly is the beginning! I know I did!
Salvation (being born again) is the first of our new life in Christ. Producing good fruit and living in the freedom and blessings of Christ is His precious gift to us after we make the decision to give our life back to Him. (It never was ours in the first place.) The fruit of the Spirit (love, patience, joy, peace, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, kindness, and self-control) are just that- the characteristics of The Spirit living in us. Those qualities are produced in result of our Salvation because that is who Jesus is.
Jesus is love.
Jesus is peace.
Jesus is gentle.
Jesus is joy.
We experience the goodness of living for Christ daily when we give Him our whole heart and start a relationship with Him. When we don’t live fully in our relationship with Christ and just go through the motions, we are the ones who miss out on all the blessings the Lord has in store for us. We are the ones who cut ourselves short of the many extra sweet gifts Jesus is waiting to give us. We cut ourself short because we think we know what’s best for our life and make our own decisions without listening for His voice.
I am a walking example of this.
I wanted control. I wanted to be in relationships with people who I thought was best for me. I wanted to live where I thought I would be happiest. I wanted to fix my own problems. I wanted people’s approval. Do you notice all the “I want”? If I have learned anything in deepening my relationship with Jesus it is this…It’s not about me. It’s about Christ and His glory. My relationship with Jesus puts it all in perspective and in order. What I want may not and usually isn’t what the Lord wants for me. And walking in His will where my hands are up in the air releasing it all to Him changes it to this: I want to be and do what would be most effective and glorifying to my Papa.
Walking in peace that surpasses understanding is the result of this relationship. Loving myself and my neighbor as Jesus does is the result this ongoing and deep relationship with my creator.
When the relationship becomes the priority after your salvation, one can’t just go through the motions anymore because there’s no going back to who you were. Once you allow Jesus to completely transform you, He does! And you can’t help but make more disciples because Jesus is filling you up so much with joy and love that He flows out of every crevice of you! You want nothing more than to share with everyone you know and love about the renewal Christ gives for free!! Jesus did this to me, just as He has promised.
“I’ve tasted and seen the sweetest of loves.
Where my heart becomes free and my shame is undone.
Your presence, Lord. “
