Would it surprise you if I told you that God is not religious? Do you think he is? Would you describe God as someone who is mostly interested in giving people rules to live by? Would you define a relationship with God as being blessed when you obey and punished when you disobey? In other words, do you believe God is religious in that he is all about rule-keeping? What does the Bible actually say on this topic?
Let’s start with Genesis, the first book of the Bible, where we see God’s purpose in creating mankind. Genesis 2:7 explains who God is and His motivations:
“Then the Lord God formed man out of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being. NIV
As we dig into this verse, we are going to see that it reveals a fantastic love story between God and mankind. Use your imagination for a moment and become that first man. It doesn’t matter your gender. Just pretend you are Adam during the moment God created Him.
Visualize how God has just taken dirt from the ground and formed every cell of your body into a perfect being. Your skin, your eyes, your ears, your hair, your arm, your legs, and your face are all perfect. He is looking over you, admiring his creation. But, you aren’t fully human yet. You are lying there motionless. There is one more ingredient needed which will make you a real person.
God leans over your lifeless body and gently blows into your nostrils the “breath of life.”
The word “breath” here doesn’t mean “oxygen” but “spirit.” It means God blew the Holy Spirit into you as He was creating your human spirit. And the word “life” means lives, plural. This seems to be a clear reference to the entire Trinity entering you to live in you. As They do, you come alive and begin to breathe. Then, you open your eyes, and the first thing you see is God looking at you with love.
In the last part of Genesis 2:7, it says that you became a living being. The word “being” means soul, which is your mind, emotions, and will. Your soul has come alive also. With God living in you, only now are you fully human. You are the person God had in mind long before He created you. You are the human prototype for every human who is to be born after you. A human was originally designed to live in a relationship with God by God indwelling him or her. That is what makes us fully human.
What do you realize about God from this verse? You learn that He is your Creator. You were His idea. You exist because He wanted you to be here. That immediately gives you a great sense of value. You also realize that God has intended to unite Himself with you from the beginning of time. He wanted to be your source of life. He wanted to be close to you. Why? Because the God who is love, created you to live loved in the depths of your being.
Let me put it this way: God brought you into this world because He wanted to live in union with you. He wanted to have intimacy with you. Maybe you have heard that intimacy means “Into me you see.” This means He wanted to enjoy you, and He wanted you to enjoy him.
God did not create you because He needed someone to love him. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have been fully satisfied with the love and intimacy They have shared together long before you and I came along. If He didn’t need us, then why did He create us?
I hope the answer I am about to share with you blows your mind and removes any sense that God is religious. He was so full of love that He wanted to share it with another creature with whom He could unite Himself. He wanted to share Himself with you! You’ve been invited into the fellowship of the Trinity!
From the book, “God’s Best-Kept Secret: Christianity Is Easier Than You Think”
(Do you have a question you would like answered? If so, please reply to this email.)
© Mark Maulding, 201 7, (Baker Publishing Group), pages 22-24
