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When people decide to "test drive" Christianity, some question its doctrinal claims while others mentally try it on--imagining what they might look like as a Christ follower. "What will I become? How will I have to act? What will my friends think? Will I become a Jesus Freak?"

Suddenly, the image of a well-intentioned but not quit normal caricature of a Christian becomes frightening. Caricatures are images rooted in reality but distorted in a way to over emphasize some feature. Here are four Christian caricatures we need to do a myth test on:

1. Nancy No-fun. She prays, reads her Bible 24/7 and only laughs when God zaps evil people. She doesn’t smoke, drink, chew or run with guys who do. Fun is a dirty word. Boredom is her passion. She is known more for what she is against than what she is for. What pre-Christian wants to become a Nancy no-fun?

2. Ignorant Irene. Irene chants: "I do believe in God. I do believe in God. I do believe in God." Her favorite line is: "God said it. I believe it, and that settles it!" But pre-Christians are afraid to commit their life to blind faith without rational reasons.

3. Jesus Freak Jerry. Jerry is portrayed by tele-evangelists and movies as a Christian whose bizarre holy-roller behavior includes yelling, charming snakes, and ripping people off of their money. Among spiritual seekers, there is this fear that they might become like Jerry.

4. Willie Wimp. Willie lives the unwritten statement that religion is for women and children. He doesn’t say much except, "Yes, dear"; doesn’t get involved; never takes a spiritual stand; and keeps his religious beliefs to himself. Willie proves that any man who succumbs to spiritual things is very low on testosterone. Again, spiritual seekers fear becoming spiritual wimps.

For those of you who are checking out Christianity, which image are you most afraid you might become if you trusted Jesus as your Savior? As I mentioned earlier, there is a sense of truth or reality in each of these caricatures. In Nancy No-fun there are some behavioral boundaries that aren’t there to ruin our fun, but to protect us from trouble or harm. In Ignorant Irene there is a life of faith based on some rational reasons. For Jesus Freak Jerry, Christianity is a supernatural adventure where unexplainable things do happen, but supernatural doesn’t mean bizarre or "show-offy". For Willie Wimp, God calls Christ followers to serve others and be humble, but it doesn’t mean being a spineless doormat.

So far to this point, I have described to you four caricatures who practice religion. It’s what they "do" to express their Christianity or spirituality that bothers us. And what they do isn’t totally wrong. Let me expose this myth. Christianity isn’t fundamentally about practicing religion. It’s about a relationship to God.

One day Jesus was asked to identify which religious practice was the most important. Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' Mark 12:29-30.

What was Jesus saying? Christianity is essentially about loving God--being in relationship with Him, not about "doing" religion. In fact, performing religious activities often leads people to become fanatics like one of our caricatures. The same thing was happening in Jesus’ day when He hammered the pious spiritual leaders for their extreme religious activities, because they never connected relationally with God—to love Him with their whole being.

Here are three key words that define this love relationship with God—dependence, delight, and devotion. If you’re in the investigating stages of Christianity, this is the kind of life you are signing up for. For the Christ follower, this a great reminder of what God wants from you—it’s what a love relationship with God boils down to—dependence, delight, and devotion.

1. Dependence on God. God wants you to live as though your life depended on his action in your life. First of all, dependence, belief or trust is the basis for beginning a relationship with him. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." "Everyone" includes all who are willing. Believing in Jesus is the only requirement for eternal life. It means placing your trust in the fact that Jesus is who he claimed to be and that his death paid the penalty for your sins. You see, good people, even religious people don’t necessarily go to heaven; Christ-dependent people do.

Dependence is also the basis for your everyday life. Jeremiah 17:7 says, "But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence." Because I’m so independent, dependence comes hard for me. But when I lean on myself, I end up falling flat on my face. I make bad decisions and mistakes. I can’t be the husband I need to be to Jean. I can’t pastor this church effectively. I can’t make an impact on my own. I must continually declare my dependence on God. But it’s a struggle.

2. Christian character is also characterized by delight in God. God wants you to simply enjoy him. Psalm 37:4 says, "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires." Psalm 43:4 says, "I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight." Since I’m such a task-oriented person by nature, stopping long enough to delight in God is difficult for me. So what can we delight in? Delight in God’s creation. Delight in God himself—his character and activities. Delight in what God delights in. Delight in His Word—the Bible that guides us. Offer Him thanks for the impact of Jesus’ death and resurrection on your life.

A relationship with God is characterized by dependence on God, delighting in God and finally…

3. Devotion to God. God wants to be first in your life which will affect your choices, how you spend your money, where you live, how much time you spend doing certain things, who you date or marry, … Devotion means you’re committed to obedience—to do things God’s way rather than your own. King Hezekiah of the Old Testament expressed his devotion to God this way: "Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." Isaiah 38:3.

Years ago, King George VI of England addressed the British Commonwealth on New Year’s Eve at a time when the world was uncertain and despondent. He uttered these memorable words: "I said to the man at the gate of the year, 'Give me a light that I might walk safely into the unknown.' And he said to me, 'Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the hand of God. It shall be to you safer than the light and better than the known.'" That’s devotion to God! That’s what a love relationship with God looks like.

Dependence, delight, and devotion—are those words of fanaticism? Maybe, maybe not. Here’s the deal. Every one of us here today is depending on something or someone—money, talent, looks, or position. We delight in our own creations, accomplishments or stuff. We devote ourselves to our jobs, family, and pleasure. Everybody is depending on something, is delighting in something, is devoted to something. Here’s the question:

"Why not make that something or someone be God?"

If you sign on to trust Jesus as your Savior and follow Him, God is not interested in turning you into a Christian caricature but giving you Christian character. You sign up for a love relationship with God that’s characterized by dependence, delight, and devotion. When that relationship unfolds, Jesus promises the following in John 10:10: "I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of."

Would you characterize life today as better than you ever dreamed of? If not, a life characterized by dependence, delight, and devotion to God will lead to a more and better life than you’ve ever dreamed of. How about signing up for a love relationship with God? You won’t regret it.