“I am not any denomination, I am just a Christian”
said a young friend of mine. I wanted to just scream. This statement is usually code for I am afraid to align myself with anyone because I am afraid to offend someone. This made me think back to my youth and I was remembering that I too said that phrase. Hmm maybe I should cut her some slack. When I was young I didn’t think any of the denomination stuff (theology) mattered as long as I was a Christian, who cares about the rest of it. Wow how time and the Holy spirit changes things. I now understand that it does matter. The thing is, young people reading this, it does matter. How? you ask. Well imagine for a moment that you were born into a different culture where you had almost nothing and you grew up your whole life on the edge of starvation and poverty. Do you think you would look at life the same as you do now. The other way around is just as applicable, the poor being born into a rich environment. The point is that you would approach life with different expectations and that would effect your views, actions…well everything. Now back to theology. If your view of God is such that He is an intergalactic cop waiting to punish you for your bad behavior then you will act accordingly but if you knew God, I mean really knew God, for who He says He is then you would see the incredible love that he has for us. What’s more is He did more that just say He loves us. He showed us by buying us out of the eternal punishment our bad behavior deserves. You would also see that God is God, and that means that He is in control of everything at all times. He is sovereign. Ok now to put this all together God is in complete contol of all things and He loves me and that has a huge influence on my life. I am no longer fearfull because I know who controls it all and that if something does happen to me I know that it is God’s plan. Now I can hear the skeptics that are saying “yeah well really bad things happen to Christians too”. EXACTLY!! That changes nothing about God but it does change the way I react to the really bad things that happen to me. I can with absolute certainty rest in the fact that God is being glorified and His will is being done. Does that make it easier to go through reall bad things….well no….and yes. The suffering is still there and it really hurts but at least we can know that there is a purpose. We don’t always know that purpose but if we have a personal relationship with Jesus(God) then we can know real comfort and that changes the way you see life. I can’t imagine living with out Christ’s love in this crazy and depressing world. I have alot more to say about this subject of theology being relivent but it will have to wait for the next blog. Adio’s!