Principles vs Relationship

During a recent bible study, the subject of Christian principles was brought up. As I read through this study, the statement "God never called us to live by Christian principles" was made, and further into the study, I came to realize that truth. I have always felt that there were a lot of man made laws in the church that were expected to be kept and because of those laws, we tend to lose focus on the real meaning of being a Christian. That's one of the reasons I get so into the Bible, because it IS God's word and I trust that.

It is true that God never called us to live by Christian principles, rather He calls us to live in a relationship with Jesus. All too often, in the church, principles are taught without the relationship. To live by principles, I believe, is like living by the law of the Old Testament and when Jesus came, that old law was done away with. (But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law" Gal 5:18) Principle based living is powerless living which makes our Christian experience a religion instead of a relationship.

Having a relationship with Jesus helps us to live the way we are expected to live as true Christians and that becomes our desire, as well as God's desire for every believer.
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

It is my prayer that we continue in strengthening our relationship with Christ so we can know Him and live by His Word, rather than by principle.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY AT BOTTOM OF POST