Make a Statement

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. (Romans 10:9-10 NLT)

Open declaration sure differs from silent belief, doesn't it? I am not a 'stand on the street corner, repent or burn' kind of gal, but I do try to live my life in such a way that others can see Jesus through me. I am always ready to give an answer for the "hope I have as a believer, always be ready to explain it." (I Peter 3:15) My open declaration of faith was the day I was baptized - not as a child in the arms of my parents, but as an adult. While I don't always 'talk about Jesus', I do hope there is evidence of the work he has and is still doing in my life. Can others see Jesus in you? Do they know there is 'something different' about you that draws them to Christ, or is that 'something different' that repels them away from Jesus?

We can be so religious that our lives actually do the opposite of drawing others to Christ. Yes, we need to live a life that is a testimony to the goodness and grace of God. Yes, we need to live by a higher standard than this world might profess as 'normal' or 'okay'. Yes, we should be offended by sin but still be reaching for the sinner in a way that draws them toward Christ. As Peter put it, we live in such a way that we are always read to explain the hope we have in Christ Jesus. Religion has very little emphasis on relationship. In fact, it tends to focus more on the rules and 'disciplines' that have man's actions at the center of it, not so much God's. 

Christianity is focused entirely on Christ at the center. Religion is focused on the actions of man in 'attaining' some level of peace, goodness, or even greatness. Religion focuses on man's works - God isn't really at the center of those works. Christianity focuses on the work of Christ - what he has already accomplished on our behalf. We don't work our way to God - he has already come our way! Relationship is based in love - we are drawn because of his actions on our behalf. Religion is based in what we think we need to do to find our way into God's good graces.

While some are repelled by 'religion', very few are put off when they see a genuine relationship someone has with Jesus. They may not understand the difference at first, but something occurs when they spend a little time with you. They experience God's love in action. Perhaps this is the best 'testimony' we can make with our lives - living in such a manner so as to reveal God's intense love for humanity through our actions. Yes, we will still stand ready to explain why we have this hope and assurance of his love. Our 'statement' is made in the way we live out our relationship with Jesus first - then we are able to profess our faith in both words and deeds. Just sayin...