This morning my devotional reading led me to consider how Christians live. Does it matter how I live as a Christian? Those who say no might run to the offers of salvation by grace alone. Those who say yes might run to James' faith without works argument. Sometimes this question comes up in discussions about salvation; does the way I live affect my salvation? I want to shift the focus away from this toward living everyday life.
Does it matter how I live as a Christian? Well, what do you believe about God? Does he want some ceremony or a momentous intellectual ascent to appease him to let you into heaven? Does he need you bombarding him with praises and adoration to help out his lack of self-confidence? Or is he interested in a relationship with you? Is he wanting to transform your life here on earth?
If God is interested in a relationship with me, it follows that I can hurt or strain the relationship with my own actions, even with my own thoughts. God has provided the way through Jesus to enter into relationship with him. As my relationship grows with God, I will look more and more like Jesus in my life. My will is transformed to strive for his perfection. I will be able to find true life in this world; my life will have purpose; all my desires will be to nourish my relationship with God.
It does matter how I live as a Christian.
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