Articles
Crazy Dog Look
It is always interesting to speak with individuals about spiritual concepts and how to serve God. I had one lady tell me that she didn’t have a religious preference. She said, “I just have a relationship with Jesus.”
That’s one of those statements that generate a curious dog look: one of those, what-did-I-miss looks. Language is intended to convey thoughts. Words are simply vehicles upon which thought travels. Now, the problem with the statement above, concerning a religious preference, is that the individual assumed I understood what she meant by the statement “I just have a relationship with Jesus.”
In some cases, individuals will say, “All you have to do is follow Jesus.” That’s all well and good, as a general statement is concerned, but what does it mean to “follow Jesus”? Therein lies a problem among men. It is true that an individual needs to have a “relationship with Jesus,” but that “relationship” must be defined by scriptural principles.
Let’s put this in the realm of our responsibilities to the government, regarding taxes. Every year the government requires everyone who has income, subject to taxation, to file a tax return. You walk into an accountant’s office and ask the question, “What do I need to do to file a tax return?” The accountant says, “Mail in the appropriate paperwork.” Now, the statement is a true statement: To “file” a tax return all you have to do is mail it in or efile the return. What the statement does not address is the gap between bringing in the income and the mailing. When you begin to examine the “gap,” you find that before you can mail, or efile the return, you must gather your receipts, put them in their proper category, total them up, make sure the deductions you are taking are according to the laws which regulate taxes, put the proper figures on the proper form, in the proper place, total them up and subtract your non-taxable from the total income to arrive at the total amount on which you are required to pay taxes. After you have completed the task and arrived at the correct amount, then you “file” it. Once it is filed, it is then subject to an investigation on whether or not your deductions were in accordance with the tax laws. The same is true regarding a “relationship” with Jesus. Prescribed laws define the relationship.
When Jehovah gave
Ross Triplett, Sr.