By Gavin Boyle
Atlanta Falcons running back Nathan Carter shared how one of the least understood parts of the faith is that God wants us to delight in Him, rather than just follow a bunch of rules.
“One of the greatest joys of following Christ is simply delighting in the God who delights in you. Christianity is often seen as just following rules and trying to be a good person, but true joy in God enhances our obedience. Loving Him drives us to please Him, making obedience a joyful expression of our love rather than mere rule-following,” Carter wrote on Instagram.
“God is teaching me what it truly means to enjoy Him. I love reading the Word, praying, growing, and sharing the Gospel, and these are good things,” the athlete continued. “But I am learning that there is no greater joy Jesus wants me to experience than Himself. Enjoying His presence. Enjoying what He’s blessed me with. Enjoying who He is. What God is showing me is that: Jesus didn’t just save us to use us; He saved us to enjoy Him.”
Related: Falcons’ Nathan Carter Invites Fans to ‘Come and See’ the Goodness of Jesus
This is an extremely profound truth which sets Christianity apart from other religions. The fact that the Lord wants a personal relationship with us is so astounding that most people do not even realize it is true.
“Me dwelling place with be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people,” the Lord says in Ezekiel 37:27, revealing that even in the Old Testament, God desired to be in community with His followers.
Unfortunately, all too often Christianity gets painted as a set of rules and the Lord is portrayed as a vengeful deity who is looking down on humanity and shaking His head every time we sin. Carter has previously worked to combat this false view through other Instagram posts where he discusses other misconstrued topics.
In October, for example, he wrote about what it truly means for someone to go to heaven versus hell.
“What must I do? One of the most common misconceptions about Christianity is that hell is for bad people and heaven is for good people. But the truth is, no one in heaven is a ‘good person,’” Carter wrote.
“To be saved: Confess and repent, turn from your sin and your self-reliance, and trust fully in Christ. Believe that He died for your sins and rose again. And then live your life serving Christ and loving others as evidence for your salvation,” he added.
While Satan continues to employ confusion to cause millions to hate the Lord and Christianity, it is encouraging to see people like Carter use their platform to share truth and help their followers see the faith for what it truly is.
Read Next: Falcons RB Asks: ‘What Must I Do?’ to Gain Eternal Life
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