In the Middle of the Pool

I'm sure some of you are fans of swimming. For sure there have been moments of pure bliss for me in the pool, and then other moments that have taken my breath away...literally. Have you ever considered swimming laps, but then partway through one of your laps, you can't seem to make it all the way across. It doesn't matter if the pool is six feet deep or ten, if you can't make it across, you begin to panic and wonder if you will drown. For most of us the pool is short enough that we never have that issue. In fact, we can almost make it across in one push-off from the ledge.

I want you to imagine, however, that you are in an Olympic-sized pool. And, it makes waves.

On one side of the pool is the ledge marked "Traditions and Values". On the other side of the pool is the ledge marked "Forgiveness and Grace". The life of a Christian consists of us treading water in the middle of the pool, perfectly balanced between the two ledges.

Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). We recognize that it is only by His forgiveness and grace that we are allowed to enter into the presence of God. There is no other way around it. If we have not personally claimed Him as our Savior and devoted our lives to Him, then He will not claim us on the Day of Judgement. In many ways, this seems to mark the attitude of Christians, by saying, "There's nothing that I can ever do without God's forgiveness through Jesus," as an excuse for the way that they live their lives.

However, James says that "religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (1:27). There is another camp that says, I am following God through my religious fervor. I prove to God, through my everyday actions, that I am His follower; and yet, their lives seem to be filled with a lot of them and a little God.

There is an unseen, but strongly felt, tension that exists within the heart of every Christian and that is this: I balance out my faith in God's salvation through living according to His Word. We know that balance must exist by treading water in the middle of the pool, but when we get tired, or when the water seems a bit higher than usual, or the waves just start to creep in enough to splash us in the face, we think about swimming back to the ledge. It doesn't really matter which ledge, because either is the mark of shallow living; but, swim to it we do.

Wars have been fought over religious differences. Souls have been lost over the idea of religion. We have this idea that our religious believes and ideology will save us. Even today, there is an ever-growing thought that there are many ways to God, and if you truly believe that your way is correct, you will be saved. Unfortunately, that is the farthest thing from the truth and it will damn all who believe it.

There is also a new movement that says, "Relationship, NOT Religion". I'm not inclined to disagree with them, but it still only hits part of the mark for which we should strive. For, in essence, our relationship with God is reaffirmed by the religion that He has set up for us. We first acquire a relationship with God and then put into practice the commands and mandates that He has given us. The relationship is equally important with the practice, but we've had a hard time understanding that. In fact, we've spent so much time arguing about it that we are willing to give up one to save the other. We are willing to forsake one ledge and cling to the familiar. Both are necessary and both are required.

If you're going to live your life as a true Christ-follower, then you must understand that God is your only source of strength in the middle of the pool. Rather than freaking out over the waves or fatigue, find your energy and comfort in the One that will sustain you. Don't go back to your old habit of short-sided and opinionated dialogue about how "good" you are, but rather recognize that He will provide for your every need as you obey His commands and remain unpolluted by the world.

Then the middle of the pool won't seem so scary.