Beyond Belief

So, yesterday I was listening to Greg Boyd, lead pastor at woodland hills church. Great podcast, for those of you who may be so inclined to subscribe (for free). His teaching is very inspiring to me. He has a way of taking something I might already have known, but really bringing it alive.

So, he is doing a series called "beyond belief"about moving beyond mere believism. So, today, I am basically re-writing what I wrote in my journal this morning.

The Christian faith is more than a prayer for salvation. It is a covenant relationship that I commit to with Jesus. Now, if I just make that committment, but go on living my life the same as always, that is ludicrous! That would be like getting married, saying my vows, then going about my day to day life as if I am single. What do those vows mean? Nothing unless I am willing to commit to upholding them every day. every moment.

It is the same with my relationship with Jesus. He doesnt just want me to believe in him. He doesnt just want me to say a prayer to him so I can get out of hell. He wants to take AWAY my sins - not just cover them up so God cant see them. He wants to be a part of my daily life, not just squeezed in once a week at church. So, it is an every day surrender on my part. Not a one time deal. Constantly, I surrender to him as King. I allow him to be "the boss". I trust him. And, in return, he reveals to me some of the garbage (sin) in my heart. Im able to purge the garbage little by little and become transformed. I dont know about you, but having a transformed life with less sin and garbage sounds a lot better than just getting out of hell!

So, I really connected with the analogy of marriage. It is a constant commitment. Your life should look different than a single person if you are in a covenant relationship of marriage with someone. And a follower of jesus should not conform any longer to this world. We should be different. Our world is sinful. selfish. motivated by vain pursuits. You cant claim a covenant relationship with Christ and then just dive head first into the world with your "fire insurance" card in your pocket that allows you to get out of hell. That does nothing to transform your life. It does nothing to build His kingdom.

That doesnt mean you have to move away or sell all of your possesions to become a missionary in some obscure location. BUT, it might mean that. And, are you willing to listen if that is the call? Because, claiming to be a follower of Christ means a willingness to submit your very life to Him daily.

Now, am I really good at this? NO. But, Im learning to be better at it. And, it is really cool. Because, when you experience a transformed heart and life, your faith is a lot stronger! And, being a skeptic by nature, it is so fun for me to feel God being real and present in my life, rather than just hearing and learning about him, and trying to compile enough facts and proof so that my faith can be stronger! But, it takes complete submission on my part. So, that is REALLY HARD. That was my journal for the day, so I thought Id share.