Are you allowing religious obligations to take the place of abiding with Jesus?

Chances are, if you're reading this book, you've heard about Jesus, you believe in God, you call yourself a Christian. But something still doesn't seem right-you don't really feel close to him, and you don't really understand what it means to have a relationship with him. Do you have to behave a certain way? Do your good works have to outweigh your bad ones? Will your own efforts ever be enough?

The fact of the matter is, a relationship with Jesus should never be a rules-based life based on feelings of obligation. Following Jesus should be a liberation, consisting of more freedom and intimacy than you've ever experienced before. If Jesus really died on the cross for your sins, really rose from the dead, and really promises to come back again-he must really want a relationship with you!

How do we get there? The aim is not to be like Jesus to attain perfection. The aim is to walk with Jesus to experience transformation. It's not your behavior modification. It's his spiritual revival. Because God never wanted your works or your efforts; he wants your heart. And the more you walk with him and grow closer to him, the more you will become all he has created you to be. It's called abiding.