Hey Lark, long time no talk.Trying to appear as though you have religion and having a personal relationship with Jesus are two different things.
It's strange, all those who deny Jesus, still live under there own law, there own bondage, their own religion that looks upon those who don't agree and exhalt their own distorted reality. For instance, there are those who have no beleif in God or right and wrong yet make ridiculous judgements that poison there very chance at the freedom of a loving, all accepting relationship with those around them.
For instance, their is the man who lusts for power that he knows he is missing. His natural power is in God, but perverted and inverted, his heart reaches after things like money, sexual attractiveness, intelligence,and phisical strength to prove himself worthy to those he is deceived into beleiving trully validate his character i.e. bosses, mates, parents, friends etc. So he learns how to get positive reactions and makes it his moving force to follow these shallow princapals.
He shames himself by trying to exhalt himself and in his own heart he knows there is no truth and nakedness in him. With many different masks, he ventures forward trying to gain honor, respect and love yet never knows the freedom of seeing himself in the harsh reality of who he really is, thus never accepting the grace of God upon his tired and phony soul. Tired, he moves on trying to gain a place that he fancies he deserves because he starts to beleive in his own making and is offended when no one thinks him as grand as he starts to think himself.
If for one moment we saw ourselves for who we are, prideful, wisdom idolizers, insecure, deceived, lost, in bondage to our own ideals, weak against that which we repeatedly do even though we know inside it is wrong, then we would be able to stare into the eyes of Jesus and say " There is such thing as fallen beings and I am one of them. and I long to be filled that which is truth, light and love. I long to be set free from every thought of how I will gain respect and love tommorrow. To be set free from the bondage of others opinions, from my own expectation that stem from trying to exhalt my own worthiness and importance. "
Then and only then will we enter into the grace of God and be set free from everything in us that deceives our own souls. This is Christianity. Not religion but a relationship with a God who loved us so much that he died to pay for our sins. How can anyone who can't see thier own sinful frailty believe such a thing. If we believe we have no wrong in us, this concept is ludicrous, even annoying and down right insulting.
Lark, Jesus was not Catholic. He is the truth the way and the life. The healer, redeemer, the merciful, compassionate,loving allknowing Son that gave his life so that they who had enough courage to see what state they were trully in, could recive his gift of everlasting life.
Those that think that sin doesn't exist do not think they are in need of salvation.
It's not about following godly behaviour that makes you a Christian. it is those who have cast their selfishness at the thrown of grace and receive that which only faith can deliver into thier apathetic hearts... The love of the very one who designed our being. That love will give such precious strength, conviction and truth that the things that we onced valued imprtant becomes silly compared to the power, grace and mery we receive in Jesus.
If we can't stand the idea of God now, then what makes us think that he will force us to be with him always? The time is now. And this is the gospel of Jesus.
