Sunday, June 23, 2013

June 24, 2013

"Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39
 
What do you think is essence of faith?
 
Why does it matter?
 
What's the point?
 
Why bother with it?
 
Based on the Commandments I would have to say faith is about relationships.
 
In answer to a question about the Commandments Jesus reduced them to just two: love God and love your neighbors.
 
That sure sounds like relationships to me!
 
When you consider all ten of the Commandments you notice each of them have to do with relationships. The first four show how to relate to God, the next six give guidelines for how to relate to others.
 
Are we to conclude then that pleasing God involves doing relationships well? That would seem to be the case!
 
God has always existed within relationship. When first introduced to Him in Genesis God is in relationship, "let us make man in Our image". He dwelt in a mystical relationship within the Trinity and together they created another level of relationship when they created Adam and still another with the creation of Eve.
 
When Adam sin and broke relationship with God, God immediately announced a plan to atone for Adam's sin and restore relationships.
 
It seems apparent to me that the essence of faith is living in relationship with God and the evidence of faith is the quality of your relationships with others.
 
Can you relate to that?