Personal Relationships
vs. The Bible

In an article published June 7, 2003 in the Lakeland Ledger, Jim Jones of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote about a division arising in the Southern Baptist church over a controversial faith statement. It seems the Southern Baptists are requiring their missionaries to sign this faith statement, but some are refusing. Jones then makes a statement in his article which captured my attention. He wrote, "Critics say the faith statement is sexist and elevates the Bible over personal experience with Jesus." In this statement lies one of the fundamental divisions in the Christian world today. It is the division of emotionalism versus obedience – a personal relationship versus the Bible.

Emotionalism, as defined by the American Heritage Talking Dictionary, is "an inclination to rely on or place too much value on emotion or an "undue display of emotion." An emotionalist is "one whose conduct, thought, or rhetoric is governed by emotion rather than reason, often as a matter of policy." Therein in lies the problem. The "personal relationship with Jesus" spoken of above is governed by emotion rather than reason.

Must one have a personal relationship with Christ? Definitely! But it must be a personal relationship based upon His terms, not mine – after all, He is God. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15 NKJV). He also said, "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you." (John 15:14 NKJV). From the words of Christ himself, we read that a personal relationship with him of love and friendship is based upon obedience. Can you guess where you find the commandments of Christ? They are in the Bible, specifically, in the New Testament. If I need the Bible to determine what Christ requires of me to have a personal relationship with Him, it is obvious that the Bible supercedes any emotional claims I might make. It is interesting that near the end of the apostolic period, when the inspiration of God was putting the final touches on the written Scriptures, John wrote, "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son". (2 John 1:9 NKJV). Our personal relationship with Christ hinges upon our continued obedience to his teachings.

Christianity was never intended to be somber or emotionless. Even our Lord wept over those who would suffer when Jerusalem fell in A. D. 70. However, Christianity is a serious religion. We cannot throw reason out the window and replace it with emotionalism. In order to have a personal relationship with Christ, obedience is essential, and the Bible is the only guide in what is acceptable obedience.