In his book, "What's So Amazing About Grace?" author Phillip Yancey writes the following:
"Imagine a groom on his wedding night holding the following conversation with his bride: 'Honey, I love you so much, and I'm eager to spend my life with you. But I need to work out a few details.
Now that we're married, how far can I go with other women? Can I sleep with them? Kiss them? You don't mind a few affairs now and then, do you? I know it might hurt you, but just think of all the opportunities you'll have to forgive me after I betray you!' (p 190)
We all know that a marriage like this wouldn't last very long at all. Neither will a relationship with God. Oh sure, we'll go through the motions of worship. Heck, we might even give a few dollars to a church now and then. But we will never move into the deep relationship God desires with each of us. We'll never experience the joy of the fellowship with the Holy Spirit that is waiting for each of us.
We all need to replace the question, "What can I get away with and still consider myself a Christian?" with the deeper question, "What can I do to ensure that God is glorified in everything I do?" In practical terms, the Christian should never ask the question, "What's wrong with it?"; rather, he or she should ask the question, "Will this bring absolute glory to God?" "Will this action shout from the rooftops that God is the greatest treasure of my life?"
The husband in the passage above would have done better to tell his wife, "From now on, my actions and my words will shout to you and to the world that I prize you above all other women. I don't need rules or limits or anything of that nature, because my love for you has turned my heart towards you and away from anything that would destroy that love. You are better than the rest, and I choose you over them all."
The same would be good words for any Christian towards God.
"Imagine a groom on his wedding night holding the following conversation with his bride: 'Honey, I love you so much, and I'm eager to spend my life with you. But I need to work out a few details.
Now that we're married, how far can I go with other women? Can I sleep with them? Kiss them? You don't mind a few affairs now and then, do you? I know it might hurt you, but just think of all the opportunities you'll have to forgive me after I betray you!' (p 190)
We all know that a marriage like this wouldn't last very long at all. Neither will a relationship with God. Oh sure, we'll go through the motions of worship. Heck, we might even give a few dollars to a church now and then. But we will never move into the deep relationship God desires with each of us. We'll never experience the joy of the fellowship with the Holy Spirit that is waiting for each of us.
We all need to replace the question, "What can I get away with and still consider myself a Christian?" with the deeper question, "What can I do to ensure that God is glorified in everything I do?" In practical terms, the Christian should never ask the question, "What's wrong with it?"; rather, he or she should ask the question, "Will this bring absolute glory to God?" "Will this action shout from the rooftops that God is the greatest treasure of my life?"
The husband in the passage above would have done better to tell his wife, "From now on, my actions and my words will shout to you and to the world that I prize you above all other women. I don't need rules or limits or anything of that nature, because my love for you has turned my heart towards you and away from anything that would destroy that love. You are better than the rest, and I choose you over them all."
The same would be good words for any Christian towards God.
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