Got Religion or a Relationship?

Do you have a real relationship with Jesus Christ or are you merely religious? If you answer, “Yes, I have a relationship with Jesus,” let me ask another question – “How do you know it is a personal relationship with the living Lord versus some religious experience or religious routine?” Now, I’m not trying to confuse you, I simply want you to think through what I’m asking. Someone is probably thinking right now, “I know I have a relationship with Jesus because I pray every day & I read the Bible every day.” That my friend is great & those things should be a part of your life if you’re truly in a relationship with Christ; but, these things alone do not confirm a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Moslems pray 5 times a day & read the Quran as part of their religious discipline. Many secular college professors, who actually deny the deity of Christ, read the Bible every day in order to teach it from a historical point of view. And most sinners which end up incarcerated will say a prayer occasionally as do those who find themselves in a crisis & sitting in the emergency room.