Am I with Christ?
Many people today describe themselves as "free thinkers." They challenge religious formality, pointing out that history is filled with division, conflict, and hypocrisy caused by human institutions. Religion has often been abused for power, and even well-meaning believers can easily fall into self-righteous judgment.
Yet, this was the exact hypocrisy Jesus confronted during His ministry. He consistently challenged the religious establishment to look past rigid rituals and pursue a life of genuine integrity. Following Christ is not about running through a checklist of religious activities. It is about a living, transforming relationship with God.
In John 15:5, Jesus says: "I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." Being religious and doing good deeds without remaining connected to the Vine leaves us spiritually empty. A true relationship requires two essential elements: time and love.
When we ask how we can know this invisible God is real, three foundational truths guide us:
The First Cause (Aquinas’s Five Ways): Nothing creates itself out of nothing. As St. Thomas Aquinas demonstrated in his First Cause argument (Via Causalitatis), every effect requires a cause, leading back to a primary Uncaused Cause—a Creator who exists beyond time, space, and mass. Just as a painting cannot fully comprehend its painter on its own, we cannot fully grasp God through human intellect alone.
Truth Is a Being: Human opinions, theories, and religious systems contain partial insights, but none can fully encompass ultimate reality. Aquinas explained that God is not merely a being who possesses truth, but Summa Veritas—Supreme Truth itself. Truth is a Person. While we see dimly now, we will see Him face to face in eternity.
Creation Reveals the Creator: As Psalm 19:1 declares, "The heavens proclaim the glory of God; the skies display his craftsmanship." A painter leaves a distinct signature on a canvas, and God placed His signature upon His highest creation: humanity. That signature—His core DNA—is love.
Wealth and status fade, but love remains priceless. Scripture reminds us in 1 John 4:8 that "God is love." Because God loves us, He did not merely send us a book or a set of complex instructions. When you love someone deeply, you do not just send a text message; you go to them in person.
This is the reality of the Incarnation. As John 3:16 reveals, God came down to us in Jesus Christ to meet us face-to-face. He accepts us because love is His very nature, and He invites us to walk with Him every day.