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What defines your faith in God? Do you attend church services, when you feel like it? Do you call yourself a Christians because your not muslim or jewish or Mormon? Did you ask Jesus into your heart or get baptized one time at camp or a service because you were scared you'd go to hell? Do you have a personal and real relationship with God or just a bunch of religious practices or motions you go through?
There is a lot of definitions out there to define a lot of people's "faith", but very few I think seem to grasp the idea that God truly wants a personal relationship with us and not just our "good deeds" or us going through some sort of religious motions. He doesn't want us using His grace as "get out of jail" free card, where we want to be "saved" just so we won't go to hell.
A relationship with God is like any other relationship, you have to be committed to it, or it's going to suffer, be a joke, or one-sided. I personally don't feel any person can save I'm a Christian, I'm saved by the blood of Jesus, and yet they are not consistent in their relationship with God, by not being faithful in their attendance, service, giving, and time spent with God.
I am not preaching works, nor am I preaching church attendance or involvement saves you, but if you are in a committed relationship with someone, you spend time with them consistently and faithfully, do you not? What does that mean? It means I'm gonna spend time with God in His Word(Bible) and in conversation(prayer). It means I'm gonna serve Him and give to Him because I love Him and want to please Him not because I want something in return, or I want to look good, brown nose, or think I can buy my salvation.
Too many people out there want the benefits of Heaven and Salvation, but continue to want to live like Hell and for this world. If you've accepted Jesus as your Savior and repented of your sins and asked him to save you and you've been baptized, then you have said to God at one time or another I'm In! I want to be saved and I want to live for you or be in a relationship with you. But, many times, people get saved or baptized and they think they are done, they did what they were supposed to do, they don't have to come to church, serve or give in church, or use their time and abilities for God.
I want to encourage you to get serious about your "Christianity" are you really saved? Are you really committed to this relationship with God? I cannot say I love my wife and kids and then never see them, never spend time with them, never come home, or put other things in front of them, and leave them an afterthought. Too many people want the benefits of marriage and family without fulfilling their commitment as a spouse and parent, and likewise too many people want to say they are saved and a Christian, yet don't serve, give, or worship regularly, and if they are not doing that, I would bet greatly they are not reading their bibles, praying, or spending any time with God to grow and mature their relationship with Him.
I want to encourage you to take your faith seriously. Understand that the salvation and forgiveness of our sins may be once and for all through Jesus, but that doesn't mean our Christianity should be a one time confession, emotion, or feeling to make us feel good so we don't think we're going to hell and then we can just go back to putting our self and the world first and living however we want and neglecting our relationship to God and to His church body.
If you're going to be in a relationship with God, act like it, be committed, be faithful, and make efforts to grow and nurture that relationship, it's a relationship, not a free pass to heaven to avoid hell. There is not straddling the fence, or playing for both teams, so pick a side and pick who you want a relationship with God or the world and I hope and pray you will choose God and remain faithful. We all have to work at it, like any relationship, but it's up to us to make the effort, learn from our failures, and not give up, but keep working on it. Making an effort is the key.
Mark 12:30
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
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