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"I don’t know of any other religion where personal performance is so clearly negated by the Love of God."
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 59.
I often have people ask me if I believe there is a God or not. Many of those folks are just trying to get a rise out of me. Some are actually interested. Whether it is the skeptic or just someone who wants to make fun of me for my weakness of believing in a God, I always give the same answer.
I say, "I really can't prove that there is a God. I happen to believe that there are a lot of things in creation that point to something more than just random chance making all this happen. All I know is that my belief in a God, particularly the God of Christianity has brought me a peace that is unlike anything else I have ever felt in my life. If that is nothing more than me deluding myself or if that is weakness, I could care less. That peace is worth any accusation of being delusional or any ridicule I might face for being weak."
I then ask this simple question. "How's the peace in your life?" If they say they have peace I commend them for finding something that works for them and ask them what it is that they are doing that brings them their peace. Inevitably what they describe brings them peace is something that just can't last in anyone's life. I then ask, "What will happen to your peace when that thing you are relying on is gone?" Now the conversation really gets fun!
You see, my peace isn't predicated on anything I can do or on anything that this world can provide. Sure I'll settle for the peace that money or position or power or good old fashioned stuff can give from time to time. But I always wake up the reality that those things come and go and just can't be trusted for the kind of lasting peace my belief in a God has brought to my life.
If the person hasn't given up talking religion with me at that point, our talk usually turns to the narrow mindedness and fallacy of Christianity. How can anyone believe in a person like Jesus who requires we pass through Him to get to this God? It is as though believing that Jesus came to save us is such an insulting and offensive concept.
I then talk about the fact that Christianity is the only religion I have ever seen that has so little to do with our personal performance. It is all about God's love for us when it comes to my belief in Jesus Christ.
You see, all other religions require that we get our act together in order to approach the God that they worship. I don't care what religion you choose, performance is the key to your advancement. Heck, even reincarnation is a performance based religion. Fail to improve on your self in this life you are doomed to repeat it over and over again until you finally are good enough to advance to the next level.
I have said it over and over again in these presentation and I need to say it again. Anything that I tie to my belief in God that requires me to perform up to some man-made or man-interpreted standard is a religion that will ultimately fail me at the very best and abuse me in its worst cases. Victim thinking is the result when I'm put in a position where I have to perform to prove myself good enough to be part of something bigger than my simple existence here on earth.
That's why I believe in Jesus. All I have to do is ask Him to pay for all that I have done, are doing and will do in my life that works to separate me from the God who made me. It is like a get out of jail free card! All the badness I have done is forgotten. All of the badness I will do will be overlooked. I don't have to do anything else but believe. What a deal! Why wouldn't anyone want that kind of deal?
Here's what the Bible says is required to be in the presence of God.
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.' Romans 10:9-11 (NLT)
It doesn't say you need to get your act together. It doesn't say that you need to figure out who you are and what your purpose is here on earth. You don't even have to go to church, tithe, pray, read the Bible, fellowship, be a good steward, or live a perfect life. Putting some effort into each of those things will pay big dividends in your walk here on earth, but they are not required for your faith in Christ to be all it is suppose to be in the life of a believer.
That can't be said about any other religion in the world that I know of. It is up to us in all other religions to get to where we need to be. With Christianity, it is all up to God. I'm not being lazy by choosing the performance lacking religion of Christianity, I'm being realistic. You see, I simply can't maintain the level of performance required for perfection for very long. Truth is you can't either. It is when we realize that our performance just isn't enough that peace goes out the window.
That's why I can emphatically state "I Am A Victor!" even in the times when the results of my actions work to prove the opposite. I'm a victor not because of what I have done but because of what God has done for me. Sure I want to improve on my life and will take steps to do so as I find the energy and motivation to move in that direction. But, my peace isn't predicated on my ability to make results happen.
How's your peace today? If you are lacking maybe it is time to take a look at how you are connecting to what you are doing with who you think you are. Do all you want and need to do today but don't let how what you do turns out be the basis on your standing in the world or with God Himself. You are a victor because God said you are. Live in that place of power and peace and let God's actions be all you need to make your life all it can be today.
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