Common Law Christian

I am told that sometimes when a marriage breaks up the people do not actually get divorced.  As I understand it, the couple splits up and go their separate ways, but never go through the legal process of getting a divorce.  Maybe this happens because they don't want to go through the legal expense, or maybe this happens because they aren't sure that it is really over, or maybe this happens because it would be too much effort.  In any case, the end result is a couple that are no longer together but are still connected in the eyes of the law.

These unsevered connections can create big problems down the road.  Years later when one of the couple has amassed a pile of debt or wants to take out a mortgage or there are children involved.  All of a sudden one person discovers legal responsibilities for a person that has been long out of their life.  Some people's lives get pretty complicated,

In some states the opposite of this does work.  It's called a "Common Law Marriage".  It works like this.  If two people live as though they are married for a particular span of time, then in the eyes of the law, they are married.  So they live together and share finances and travel around together and take care of each other, then it is just like they are married.  

It is a practice that dates back to a time in the past when making a marriage official could be problematic.  Maybe you live on the frontier and the place where you would file the marriage licence or find a minister to perform the ceremony might be a long, long way away.  So people would just behave as though they were married and everyone went along with it.  In some states it still can go that way.

So what's all this got to do with us?  It's just this.  There is no such thing as a Common Law Christian.  Many people think of themselves as Christians because they are a good person or live in America or even because they go to church.  But attendance at church or living in the right neighborhood does not make someone a Christian.  Even giving tithes or writing a twice weekly blog won't do it.  We are Christians based on our relationship with God that comes through the Grace of the Holy Spirit and our acceptance of the redemption given to us through the death of Jesus Christ.  That's it.

We must deliberately divorce the negative influences of sin in our lives and formally accept the Grace being given.  Then and only then are we Christians.

Watch this video from Pastor Chris.

We are called to Love God with all our hearts and to Love our neighbors as ourselves,  We need to lead our lives so that all that we do is a reflection of God.  And that is anything but common.