Would Jesus approve?

A note I wrote on facebook.. but for all eyes to see..


Would Jesus approve?

Wow.. how many times do I hear that at work in a day. I am glad that at least my actions, my words are constantly under scrutiny at work. But I do need to explain something to you all about my faith.

I have been asked...
if I 'can't' drink... because of my 'religion'.
if I 'can't' have sex... because of my 'religion'.
if I can 'ask' my pastor if I can miss church for just one Sunday.

First of all my faith does not have much to do with religion at all. Which is why, when you ask what religion I am.. I say Christian.. which leads you all to usually ask.. what kind of Christian (protestant, catholic..).. which always leads me to answer.. just Christian.

And even then.. I say Christian... but basically..my belief is in Jesus and in the Bible. Plain and simple. No titles. I beleive in the root of it all which is God.

Now.. to what I can and cannot do.
It is more what I choose and choose not to do.

I lately read this in a book (The end of Religion- Bruxy Cavey) : "Do I kiss my wife to earn her love? Or do I kiss my wife to express the love that we already share? ... Sure, God wants us to live good lives, but the goodness we live out in this world is an act of gratitude for our spiritual life and not religious attempts to be good enough to earn that life."

As for the commandments which you all know so well :) The laws as some of you call them.
I knew them well also even before knowing Christ.
But wow.. if only I had read a bit further..

"Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." Romans 10:4

"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. " Romans 10:9

You must have also heard the word GRACE before. (bah.. the song Amazing Grace ring a bell?)Jesus' grace is what saves me from the law.

If the afterlife were all based on whether or not we followed a set of rules.. Heaven would be a pretty large space with very little souls.

Nonetheless.. because I love my God.. I do try my best (and often fail, fall, disappoint.. which is where grace comes in again) to live my life with love and wisdom. Which by the way.. I have obtained most of by reading all those 'rules' in the Bible lol.

On my good days and even on the bad ones.. I hope I, at the very least, represent this one commandment by which I choose to live my life...

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. -Mark 12:29-31

I think... Jesus would approve. :)