daddy4ms

How does Jesus as a friend impact our relationships?  Jessica Thompson in Everyday Grace has some thoughts.  Here are a few chapters from her chapter on friendship: God doesn't feel obligated to be our friend; it is his joy to be in relationship with us. This obedience is not what makes them friends; it is what characterizes his friends...If we are true believers of Christ, we will obey. His love for us is what engenders a heart of obedience. Being obedient will obviously lead to a better life for us. God has given us rules for living so we can know how to enjoy him and life the most. Relationship with God is the ultimate goal of Christianity. There is one Messiah, and you and I are not him, and we shouldn't expect our friends to be our Messiah either.  Beloved friends of Christ, may we never forget that all of the love and acceptance we look for in each other can be found only in the arms of Christ.         

I am currently reading Jesus > Religion by Jefferson Bethke.  I am holding off on the recommendation because I am only a few chapters in.  But here are a few quotes: It isn't just good advice (religion); it's good news (Jesus). Jesus became the face of the Law rather than the concrete tablets Moses is always holding in those ancient depictions. Love is the new law. That is the essence of fundamentalism--living by the rules to stay out of trouble rather than seeing the rules as tools to bring us into intimacy and joy. We exchange relationship with God for a bunch of church games. There is no glory brought to God's name when people are doing something because it's an obligation, with no real enjoyment of their Creator. In speaking of the parable of the prodigal son, Bethke writes, "God gives grace to the younger and the older. No one is past redemption. No one is past grace. All God wants is for both the religious and the rebellious to come into the part...

If you know me, you have heard me talk about the difference between obligation and relationship.  Many times our service for others can look the same outwardly, but inwardly can be based either on obligation or a relationship with Jesus.  The difference is huge. Joseph Prince writes the following in his book, The Power of Right Believing : "When you understand God's grace and forgiveness, you will understand the difference between obligation and relationship.  Under the new covenant of grace, the motivation for right living has been changed. Under the law, right living is done out of religious obligation. Under grace, everything we do today is birthed out of an inward motivation that flows directly from a love relationship with Jesus." Do you agree or disagree?