CHRISTIANITY CAN BE so confusing at times to both Christians and non-Christians, but I have observed over the past 15 years that it becomes clearer and you understand more the longer you stay in it, and the stronger your relationship with Jesus Christ becomes.
The Christianity I was taught or exposed to as a child isn’t what I currently live. I always felt that longing to give my life to the Lord, but hesitated because my understanding was that Christianity was all about one thing: The contract, aka the Commandments.
Christianity is all about “relationship”, nothing more, nothing less. It is also the only “religion” where a deity has and wants a relationship with his creation and that’s what separates Christianity from all other religions. The most powerful relationship on earth is the marriage between a man and a woman; let me repeat, a man and a woman. The most powerful relationship of all is the marriage between Christ and us, the church.
Have you ever wondered why Christ would use marriage to explain the relationship between the bride (the church) and the bridegroom (himself)? We don’t have time to go fully into it but here is something to ponder on. The bride (the church) being a feminine noun, speaks of a female and within a human marriage a female reproduces, bringing forth an offspring out of relationship with the groom, her husband. As the human woman reproduces, the family gets bigger. As the Bride (the church) reproduces, out of relationship with the Groom (Christ), the family gets bigger; winning souls. (Interesting, huh!)
Generally, married couples would follow a ‘contract’ (rules and dos and don’ts). There isn’t any wrong in having a marriage defined or functioning based on these, but having a marriage that is governed by this alone does not reflect neither does it prove the presence of love.
There are many marriages, which are rooted in ‘contract’ law, but the couples have no love for each other. The relationship is based on ‘works’. It’s similar to the relationship you may have with your workplace. You go to work and you follow ‘the contract’ and fulfil your job description, but it doesn’t mean you love to go to work or love what you do; it’s all about work. A relationship that is built on, protected by and governed by love is a more powerful one. When the relationship is powered by love, ‘the contract’ takes on a different meaning and context.
Out of love for my wife, there are things I wouldn’t want to do, boundaries I wouldn’t want to cross. Equally there are things I would want to do. Over the years as we have built our relationship, my love for her has grown and it is that growing love that makes our relationship strong. Also, as I get to know her more, I love and appreciate her more and most importantly, I understand her more.
There are things about my wife that used to upset me in our earlier days that do not now because I understand her better. Equally, over time, being in relationship with Christ, your relationship with Him will grow and with each experience, you understand and love Him more. There are things about God you didn’t understand in your early days that make sense now.
The relationship I have with my wife looks completely different to the one she has with her parents or her friends or her godchildren or her boss. Nonetheless, we all have relationship with her; and she is the same person, just her role changes (wife, daughter, friend, auntie, employee).
Similarly, although we all in the kingdom are in relationship with Jesus, the Jesus I am in relationship with looks different from the Jesus you are in relationship with, yet He is the same Jesus. I may be in relationship with Jesus the Provider (Jireh) but you may be in relationship with Jesus the Healer (Rapha) and someone else with Jesus the Protector and Covering (Nissi). What’s so beautiful and amazing about Christianity is that this relationship will change many times throughout our walk.
Christianity is simply based on relationship with Jesus Christ – built on, protected by and governed by love. The contract is a tool used to keep the relationship focused, protected and functioning well.
• Corey Worrell, a former Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, is director of C2J Foundation Inc., a project-based NGO focusing on social development. Email coreyworrell@gmail.com.
