This sermon emphasizes the spiritual relationship in Christianity as a deep union with Jesus Christ, likened to a marriage where true happiness and fulfillment are found. It challenges the misconception that mere religious practices or upbringing make one a Christian, highlighting the need for a personal, intimate connection with Christ. The speaker underscores the importance of starting this spiritual journey early in life to have Jesus as a lifelong guide and source of true values. Additionally, it delves into the innate awareness of God in humanity, distinct from animals, and the significance of living in obedience to God's will for genuine happiness and purpose.

We're talking about a relationship. A relationship, which the Bible says is exactly like marriage. You know, just like in marriage, a boy and a girl get married together, and their whole life becomes different. And if it's a if it's a really good marriage, marriage makes both of them much happier than they were when they're single. It's true. Unfortunately, a lot of unhappy marriages, but a good marriage makes the lives of both people much happier than when they were single. And the Bible speaks of true Christianity like a marriage. A spiritual marriage, not a physical one. The physical one is a picture of the spiritual marriage between me or between you and not a religion. But a person, Jesus Christ. In Christianity, I'm not choosing a religion. I don't have to change my name. No. I'm marrying a person in my spirit. I'm saying, Lord Jesus, I want to be united to you. That is true Christianity. And if that spiritual union does not take place, you're not really a Christian. A lot of people think that if you're born in a Christian home, you're a Christian. Or you go to church, you're a Christian. It's not true. I was born in a Christian home, but for 19 years, my life, I was not a Christian. I mean, my name was Christian and I went to church, but I was not a Christian because I was not married to Christ. And the wonderful thing is that it's so easy. If you want to you can be married to him. And it's much better to be married to him when you're young, so that he can be your guide and friend all through life. And tell us what the true values in life are. You know, we live in a world with a lot of things which are a deception. We think that we can find happiness in money. Now, I realize that if you live in the slums, you're not going to be happy. And if you're extremely poor that you had to beg or sleep on the streets, you're not going to be happy. I don't believe God will ever allow any of his children to descend to that level. What I'm talking about is don't think that if you have lots and lots and lots and lots of money, crores and crores of them, so that you can do what you like with it. That's not going to make you happier. More money far beyond what you need is not going to make you happier. I mean, I've read numerous stories of people who commit suicide when they are when they've made so much money. There are stories of top film stars, businessmen who commit suicide proving one thing that money never made them happy and even the others who don't commit suicide. A lot of them divorce each other and they're not happy. Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ came to earth from heaven and walked on earth as a man and demonstrated to us what true happiness comes from. And he shows us that true happiness can come only by doing the will of God in your life. Opening your life to obey the laws that your creator made for you. You know, it says here about remembering your creator. Do you know that there is a creator who created you? In your mother's womb it was Almighty God who fashioned your body and gave you a spirit that makes you aware that there is a God above. And that's why we are different from animals. The dog or even a clever monkey does not have any... You can teach those animals many things. I mean, in the circus and all they teach elephants and tigers and monkeys, all types of tricks. But there's one thing you can never teach an animal. You can never teach an animal to be aware of God. That's impossible. It's impossible. I mean, you can make a monkey kneel down and fold its hands and... It's meaningless. But an awareness of God it's impossible. And it's not because of education that you have an awareness of God. It's not because your parents took you to church or temple or anywhere else. You go into the jungles where there is no education. Where there are barbarian tribes. We have some like that in India. I remember when I was in the Navy. I went to the Andamans 40 years ago. In some of those islands there were wild tribes who you know, had no civilization. And they they don't know the true God but they know there is some God. And so they worship something. Sometimes they make a stone or worship the sun or a tree or... You know why a lot of religious places are on top of hills? Because they think that's the way to get close to God. You know, the higher up you go. They all know that there is some power up there. We are not very sure who he is or where he is. But how did that awareness come? Now you never see a monkey or a dog building a little shrine for God or something like that. No. Because that awareness is not there. But these these people who are completely uncivilized. They have an awareness of God which did not come through education or newspapers or anything. It came through their conscience. And each of us has got a conscience that first of all tells us that you are a moral being answerable one day. To the God who created you. And that all of life is like writing an examination paper. You know, all of life is like you know, you sit in an examination hall for two hours. Here we sit in this examination hall for 70 years. And we are writing a paper. Every day. With our thoughts. And our words. And our actions. And our behavior. And there is no invigilator. Most of the time we are alone. But God is watching. And one day when we are dying it is like the bell ringing. Exam is over. And God picks up the paper and says OK, we got to evaluate you now. What is your evaluation going to be like? Why do I say it is good to start young? If there is a two hour examination paper, isn't it good if you come at the beginning of the examination? Instead of after one and a half hours is over. You got only half an hour to complete your paper. I don't want to come in one and a half hours late for an exam. I want to be there right at the beginning. That's why I want to start my life with God right at the beginning. But the wonderful thing about this is life is not just like an examination. An examination can be a burdensome thing. That's only one picture of our earthly life. But on the other side of it, it's a marriage. Think of... I don't mean an arranged marriage where both are unhappy with each other. I'm talking about a marriage where they really love one another. Boy and a girl really love one another. They long to get married. You read stories like that in the papers. Some young boy wanted to marry some young girl and the young girl wanted to marry the young boy and the parents won't allow it. And they go and clasp each other and commit suicide somewhere. I'm talking about that type of love for Christ. Can you imagine if they did get married? I mean, they really wanted each other. And if they lived all their life. Unfortunately, some people who start their married life like that, after six months they hate one another and get sick and tired of each other. That's another thing. But in Jesus Christ, it's that type of relationship where it's a deep love relationship where it's so exciting. It's difficult to describe. How can a very happily married person describe a happy marriage to some young fellow who is not married? It's very difficult. It's like that.