I am not a very deep thinker. My thoughts are pretty simple. So here are some thoughts from a simple thinker like me.
I watched the "Why I hate religion and love Jesus" You Tube video just like the two million others over the last couple days as it bounced from Facebook page to Facebook page. I saw it and thought it was really great. I thought the Spoken Word thing was cool and the whole video was really hip. I too agree that I am not a religious person. I have a relationship with Jesus, not a religion.
I think Jefferson said a lot of right in this video. In fact I think everything he said was pretty right on. I think the problem is that people were taking many things out of context. He said he hates religion. I am pretty sure when he talks about religion he is talking about the so called "Christians." People (like the pharisees) who truly only cared about the law, but not Jesus. I DON'T think he was trying to say organized religion is all bad. It seems many people who watched this thought otherwise.
Yes, Jesus hates religious people. He hates the lukewarm. The people who say they love Jesus, but don't follow him. If you love someone you obey them. It's simple.
Going to church does not make you a Christian.
Not going to church doesn't make you a Christian.
What matters is that you believe Jesus. That you love Jesus.
So many of us say we believe Jesus and that sure, we love Jesus. Sounds nice, right?
I am here to state that if you say you love Jesus, but you don't spend your life trying to obey him, then you do not love him. Sound harsh? Maybe, but it is what the Buble says. Take it or leave it.
I love my husband. Seriously, he is the best. I respect him. And so when he asks me to do something, I do it. Not because I think he is narrow minded and trying to control my life. But because he loves me. And because he wants the best for me. And because he can see things that I can't sometimes.
It is sort of the same with Jesus. If we love Him, if we truly love Him, we will obey him. Will we do it 100% of the time? Of course not. We are sinners. We are human. And that's why there is grace. But we do the best that we can. We try and spend time with Him, we seek His will for our lives. We try and do what He says (which includes being part of the body of Christ (aka church). And when other people around us who are also trying to follow Christ pull us aside and say "Hey, I know that sin you are involved with is fun, or seems harmless. But it's not. And Jesus has a better plan for your life that that sin," we need to try and listen.
So there is it. Take it or leave it. Take Jesus or leave Jesus. But please, don't be how I used to be. Don't tell others you love Jesus just because you want to go to heaven. Don't say you love Jesus, but you love the sin more. That is just not possible. You have to choose. What's it going to be?
Very good post, Danielle.
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