Do We Love God More than Legitimate Blessings?

Religion is Rules for Getting Blessings for Self

Religion is a set of rules with the 'Self' at its center. 
The core of religion is the self

1.  I want to be blessed and to reach utopia - eternal happiness. 
2. Then comes the set of rules that I can follow to get blessings.
3. I follow the rules to make life work, to ward off danger, and to preserve my eternal life. 
4. Doing the right things and getting things right is the main activity.

Religion is really the mixing up of priority - Putting ourselves ahead of God.

Success in religion is measured by the 'blessings' or 'enlightenment' one has. 

1. It leads to pride if one thinks he has succeeded and to
2. depression if he thinks he has failed. 
3. If things go wrong, one's first reaction is usually - "What do I need to do to get it right?".
   With such a mentality, it is no wonder we can't fully understand the Book of Job.

The Theme of Job - Not about Suffering but about True Love of God - God above All Else

The key theme of JOB is not just about suffering but about our trust in God. 
More specifically, each of us has to answer this key question "- "Is our love of God greater than our material blessings?". It is similar to our denying of self to gain Christ. i.e. For the sake of seeking Christ, I am willing to give up everything. Mat 16:24-26, Php 3:8.

    
The Story of Job
Job's friend attributed Job's loss of wealth and his sickness to his sins. Their theology is "God punishes the sinners". Job must have sinned against God to get these punishments. Job, with the same thinking framework, argued that he did not sin and challenged God for a fair hearing. Job accused God of punishing him without cause. God turning a blind eye to the injustice. Evil people are not punished immediately. 

God shows His glory and wisdom resulting in Job realizing his brokenness and acknowledgment of his need of God. Job 42:5 "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You; Job 42:6 Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes." 

Because of the presence of evil and evil will persecute righteousness, righteous people do suffer. We therefore cannot use suffering as a gauge of one's righteousness or sinfulness. Otherwise, Paul will be the biggest failure and sinner against God since he suffered so much. Innocent people also suffer due to the evil works of others. A partial view of a thing is a distorted and wrong view.

Christianity is about Relationship with God

Christianity is about a relationship with God. We should value the relationship with God higher than our well-being and blessings. Loving God includes loving others. (John 21:15-19 Jesus told Peter that love him more than material things and to love Him means to tend His sheep - His followers).

Our love for Christ will be strengthened through testing, just like Job. We may be broken to give up on ourselves and to desire Christ more. Our brokenness leads us to yield to Christ, to be freed, and to taste His power. i.e. 2 Cor 12:10b when I am weak then I am strong and Phi 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. . (see Larry Crabb's Soultalk too for more details)

Do we love God more than these materials wealth, health, my feeling. etc ... or in the absence of these...

The 1st and highest priority should be to know God - to encounter Him and have a relationship with Him. To trust Him fully whether we have or not the other legitimate blessings.

Christian Growth

Growth has no shortcut. When we first receive Christ, we struggle with sin. As we grow into maturity, we face another type of struggle - it is about giving up legitimate things for the higher priority of God and others. The process looks like this:

• Stage 1 Love Christ because of His blessings
• Stage 2 Love Christ with or without the blessing.
• Stage 3 Love Christ even when facing persecution.
• Stage 4 Love Christ no matter what. Putting our lives fully into Christ's hands and letting Him do whatever He likes.

The Danger - The False Gospel

It is so easy to fall into the trap of using Christ as our means to our blessings. It is not that God does not want to bless us, but that we should get our priorities straightened up. We should love and trust God first and let Him bless us, and God will surely bless us when we truly know and trust Him. God's principle is to trust first by sowing and then trust Him also to reap the rewards He has given. To give and not to reap is false humility too.

Psa 29:11 The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace. (Shalom - wholeness, safety, prosperity, peace, etc.)

Updated 8-7-2024

Getting comments from ChatGPT gives the following key points:

Your thoughts on religion and Christianity are profound and reflect a deep engagement with theological concepts. Here's a summary and some reflections on the main points:

Religion as Rules for Self-Blessing

You describe religion as a self-centered system where the goal is to attain blessings and avoid dangers by following certain rules. This view focuses on personal success and material gain, often leading to pride or despair based on one's perceived success or failure. This approach can distort one's relationship with God, putting the self ahead of God.

The Book of Job and True Love of God

You suggest that the core theme of Job is about trusting God above all else, rather than merely understanding suffering. Job's story challenges the notion that suffering is always a direct result of personal sin. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing God's wisdom and glory, leading to true repentance and a deeper relationship with God.

Christianity as a Relationship with God

Christianity, in your view, is fundamentally about a personal relationship with God, prioritizing this relationship over material blessings. True love for God is demonstrated through loving others and valuing God above all else. This aligns with the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, highlighting the transformative power of faith and love in the Christian journey.

Stages of Christian Growth

You outline a progression in Christian maturity:

1. Loving Christ because of His blessings.
2. Loving Christ regardless of blessings.
3. Loving Christ in the face of persecution.
4. Loving Christ unconditionally, fully surrendering to Him.

This growth involves a shift from a self-centered faith to a Christ-centered life, marked by increasing trust and surrender.

The Danger of the False Gospel

You warn against the "false gospel" that uses Christ as a means to obtain personal blessings. Instead, you emphasize the importance of loving and trusting God first, allowing blessings to follow naturally as part of God's will. This perspective encourages a genuine, humble faith that seeks God above all else.

Reflection

Your analysis challenges the often transactional nature of religious practice and invites a deeper, more authentic engagement with faith. By focusing on the relational aspect of Christianity and the transformative power of truly knowing and loving God, you provide a compelling vision of spiritual maturity and fulfillment.