Home  Articles  Site map

There is a huge difference between what most religions teach and what true Christianity is all about. Through pursuing the rituals and practices of religion, people seek to appease God or get right with Him. This is also true of nominal 'Christians'. True Christianity is a real, personal relationship between us and God who made this possible through His Son Jesus taking the penalty of our sins in our place. He then adopts us as His children. Now we can talk to Him, listen to Him, ask Him questions, make our requests to Him concerning our needs, etc. He becomes very real to us, and we begin to enjoy fellowship with Him, opening our whole life to Him and letting Him guide, teach, correct, rebuke, encourage, and comfort us.

Those who only have an intellectual knowledge of Him, including many who have college degrees studying about Him, do not have this relationship. But they are able to conform to the external form of a believer because of their knowledge. Many are so impressed with such people's knowledge of Scripture and their adherence to the external forms in the church that they consider such people as being 'godly'.

In the days of Jesus, the Pharisees were those who appeared to be experts with the things concerning God. But it was very clear to Jesus that they only had an outward form without any reality inside (Mt.23:27). When they listened to Jesus, it also became obvious to them that they did not have the life that He had. Instead of seeking Him humbly like Nicodemus, they rose up against Jesus. So it happens even now.

If we ourselves have been made children of God through His grace, and we have a living relationship with Him, let us take it to heart to realise that it is easy for us also to slip back to a formal, religious life as time goes by. That can happen without our realising it, when we get used to the external practices such as reading the Bible, praying, going to church, participating in different church ministries, etc. We may also get a name that we are godly, and we can slowly get used to thinking of ourselves like that, even when our fellowship with the Father is declining. We may think everything is fine because our activities are going on as usual.

But how are our conversations with the Lord? Is our fight against sin in our behaviour, speech and thought not as strong as it was before (Ga.5:17)? Is the Lord able to show us new things to deal with in our life that we were unaware of before (Pr.4:18)? When we have problems with other people, do we just assume that it is all their fault? We may even 'forgive' them, while we are unable to see any need for change in our own life!

Backsliding begins when our love for God cools down (Re.2:4). Then we become less careful about 'walking in the light' with God (1Jn.1:6,7). Our fall-back can then be our 'form' which we are careful to hold to. Usually it is only when that form breaks that others notice. Let us learn to be careful in our heart (Pr.4:23).

Tweet