The Only Relationship that Really Matters
From the November 30 entry in My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
One evening a few weeks ago, a dear lady joined my Bible study group for some discussion (and the best-tasting pumpkin bars I’ve ever eaten). Through the course of conversation, this woman learned that I had left her religion, likely the only church she ever attended. With inquisitive eyes, she asked me why I left that church.
I explained how I could only grow so far in Christ in that religion, which so often dictated what I should read in the Bible, the words of my prayers, and the attitude that I was not good enough for God. I told her that about a decade ago I started reading the Bible on my own, little by little, until I read the entire New Testament. I grew confused that my then-church had been teaching me things for years that Christ never mentioned, and while the repetition of the religious customs practiced within that faith became more meaningful me as I grew older, those customs were no where near as meaningful as the Word.
I joined Bible study groups and started listening to a variety Christian teachers, often checking my Bible to confirm their words. I did not realize it at the time, but my faith in the Word had surpassed my faith in humans, even Christian leaders. Then I bought a Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
As I grew to understand that Christ brought a new covenant to give all believers, through the extraordinary sacrifice of the crucifixion, a bridge to a one-on-one relationship with the Heavenly Father. Gone was false belief formerly instilled in me by my church that I was not worthy of God, that God was on some out-of-reach cloud in the sky, looking down on my pitiful sins.
My sins were still grievous before God, with no one sin being a milder transgression than the others. Each of the Ten Commandments carried equal weight, so while the thought of murder never entered my mind, my sin was as bad as the sin of a killer. Sin kept me separated from God, hiding in shame like Adam and Eve while wounding other people and hurting myself. But Jesus taught me that true repentance means turning away from sinful behavior, choosing to change my behavior and my thoughts while requesting forgiveness from God with a most sincere heart. God always forgives, so we can let go of the past and move into a new day.
With conviction in my voice I told the woman and my entire group, “Jesus died for me. He…died…for ME”.
I wonder if those words sounded conceited to her or anyone else in my group. The truth is that when I say Jesus died for me, the greatness and goodness of His presence while on Earth causes me to feel humbled beyond any other humility I have ever experienced.
Since that night, I pray daily that something said at the Bible study - whether my words, said with no ill feelings toward her religion, or the words of others - cause that wonderful woman to return to study the Word further with my group. She asked that we all pray that God “turn on the light” for her because she felt she wasn’t getting something, wasn’t quite “there” in her relationship with Him. I see a light from her already, the light of a loving heart, eager to serve God. She need not leave her religion to truly receive Christ as her Savior and to have that ultimate walk with God. I think she needs to let the Holy Spirit break down the walls that close her off from grasping how God loves her as much as He loves each saint, and He forgives her over and over as He forgave David’s repentant heart, over and over again.
1 Corinthians 15:10
(NIV) But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
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(KJV) But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
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(Message) But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I’m not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven’t I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn’t amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it.
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(Amplified) But by the grace (the unmerited favor and blessing) of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not [found to be] for nothing (fruitless and without effect). In fact, I worked harder than all of them [the apostles], though it was not really I, but the grace (the unmerited favor and blessing) of God which was with me.
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Categorized as Christianity, Christianity/My Utmost for His Highest