“In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.”
Exodus 15:13
It is easier to love God than it is to be a Christian.
I once thought that being a Christian started and ended with loving the Lord. I know now that those that are called by the Most High are called to love others as well. As stated by Christ, these are the greatest commandments.
So how come religion and being religious always trumps sustaining a redeemed heart and spirit?
I know that since I received the grace of the Lord through baptism, I have been overwhelmed by the awe of mercy. A heart of redemption reminds me that HE saved even a wretch like me and called me to be used for His purpose.
My redeemed heart is uplifted each day by the sweet- tasting, everlasting word of our Father in heaven.
Like I said, it’s easy to love the One who gave me His Only Son, the One who died for me to set me free from the strongholds of this passing world, the One who formed me and called me by my name. Loving the Lord is easy to do because I can never forget that HE made something out of nothing.
But whenever a person or thing challenges my ability to love others, I am forced to remember that being a Christian has more to do with living with a redeemed heart than having a religious life.
Religiosity portrays an ordered life of rituals in the name of the Lord. Religion demands that you separate those you sinfully judge from yourself, failing to reach out and touch the hearts of the broken and lost.
Friend, religion is not redemption.
Christ did not die on the cross simply for us to show up for church services or pretentiously be in one accord with our brothers and sisters in the Lord in face value. The Lord looks at our heart.
The heart of the redeemed also lives in oneness with the Lord in private, not just in public. It is not about what people see, but what the Lord sees. Truth is, the glory of the Lord should never be stifled by closed doors, nor should it be publicly displayed as a just a show to others. If we recall, Christ rebuked the priests back then for this sin against God.
A redeemed heart reverences God in truth and humble adoration.
Friend, living redeemed is what being a Christian is truly about. Thus, the heart of the redeemed mandates the love of others and forgiveness of others as God loved and forgave us.
Even God knows that it isn’t easy. That is why we were given the Holy Spirit. That is why we are encouraged to abide in Christ who is love. HE was sent out of God’s love for you and me. HE was sacrificed for love. HE was also resurrected for love.
I believe that it is when we cling to these truths, that we are able to live with a redeemed heart, forsaking all other ways of life and following the guidance of God to His Holy dwelling. Then our lives can become a true reflection of what God has done on the inside, for the outside world to see.
In prayer, I am striving with you to live redeemed as God called us, I pray today for a renewal of mind and right spirit. May we encouraged and strengthened by the Lord to live with a redeemed heart in Jesus name. Amen.