Citizenship or Relationship?

I heard an interesting thing this last week. Our friend was interviewing Thai people to work in the Baptist student center where Tony and I are teaching.  A middle-aged lady came in and sat stiffly across  from him as he looked over her application. In the box marked “Religion” she had written “Buddhist”. James thought it was interesting that she would be applying to work in a Christian institution, but figured this was yet another one of those “who can understand the Thai?” issues, and continued to the next page. The question was meant to be a discussion starter for the interview, and it asked simply, “Who is Jesus Christ?” She answered, “My Lord and Saviour.” 

The question was followed by, “Why do you believe that Jesus Died on the Cross?”. The lady had answered, “For my sins”. 

Now James was becoming a bit confused. Laying the application down, he said, “You say you’re Buddhist but you’re answering as a Christian. What’s up?”

She smiled and answered back confidently, “Of course I’m Buddhist, I’m THAI. But I believe that Jesus is the son of God Who died for my sins and I have asked him to be Lord of my life. My family has known for years that I’m different, and some of them have even started believing  in Jesus as well.”

James explained that being a Christian is a  RELATIONSHIP, not a nationality!

The lady got big tears in her eyes and took the application.  She turned it over to the first page, marked out “Buddhist” and wrote in big bold letters, “CHRISTIAN!” 

We’ve found that same attitude expressed by the Japanese we approach with the Good  News of Jesus Christ. So, so many times, they answer, with tears in their eyes, “But I can’t be a Christian; I’m Japanese.”

Before you get too smug, I wonder if you can relate to many of my own American family? If you were to ask them if they were a Christian, they would answer back, “Of course I’m a Christian; I’m no heathen!” To them, you see, the term “Christian” is either a mark of citizenship, or else it’s used as an adjective: something is right, decent, and so it’s “the Christian thing to do”.

So here’s the question I’ll leave with you today: Is your faith defined by your place of birth, or by your relationship to Jesus?

Love,

Marsha

"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ."

(Colossians 2:2)


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