“A relationship with Jesus Christ.” What does that mean? Even lifelong Christians face challenges with the concept of a relationship with the Savior. Why? For one thing, the word relationship does not appear in older English translations. However, the stories and many other words point to relationships. Let’s explore this concept.
Love Invites a Relationship
Most people who grew up in an individualistic church-oriented culture recall:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
In addition, we discovered, “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) So, any thought of a relationship with Jesus originated in the heart of God.
Early in the Bible, we learned God created Adam and Eve and made himself known to them. God walked with them, sharing their lives. I can remember standing between my parents in our church as the congregation sang, “And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own.”
Our Faith Shapes Our Story
When I was young, my teachers influenced my understanding of the good news of the gospel. The central truth of the gospel is:
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
1 Corinthians 5:4
One day, I prayed and asked Jesus Christ to forgive my sins, promised to turn from them, and follow Jesus as I committed my life to him as Savior. My response to Jesus grew out of a conviction of guilt for sin. Likewise, prayer sought deliverance from sin through the grace of Jesus. In time, I discovered the Spirit of God had taken up residence in my heart. I had become a child of God.
God initiated my relationship with him. He invited me to receive Jesus Christ. Then the Holy Spirit took up residence in me. Gradually, the Bible taught me to show my love as Jesus’ friend by following his teaching. I have always seen him in a shepherding position in our relationship.
A Relationship Needs Clarification
Like many people, I thought the way to please God was by doing good things. I read my Bible, said prayers, tried to be nice to my siblings and neighbors, and went to church. But I didn’t understand very much in the small portion of the Bible I read. I limited my prayers to confessing sin and asking God to bless” the people I loved. I thought blessing meant to make good things happen. Then there was going to church. I didn’t have much choice in whether to go. People could see my body, but my mind wandered down many trails far from our church. Later, I realized people who have a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ are not just people who engage in certain spiritual practices.
I needed something more than intellectual assent to a historical Jesus. I wanted an interactive life with God. Doesn’t the Bible speak of people who have more of what we call “a relationship” than I knew? I noticed some people seemed to have something about their lives that revealed a meaningful walk with God. They had discovered their commitment to Jesus placed them in Christ. As a result, nothing could separate them from Jesus. Jesus stepped out of history’s past tense and became real. He joined them in prayer. In worship, the more they gave of themselves, the more they found Jesus. And, as they searched for Jesus in others, others discovered Jesus in them.
Commitment Strengthens Relationships
How did this transformation happen? Each learned the art of being present everywhere they ventured. Like Jesus, they sought to make the most of every moment. Even more, they looked for God in each situation. They lived their renewed commitment to Jesus daily.
Commitment grows not from how much we read or how long we pray, but from our connections with God as we read, pray, and allow our faith to transform our lives. We need to join him in what he is doing in the lives of people. How can we allow God to use our unique giftedness to bring Jesus Christ into our encounters with others?
How would you describe your relationship with Jesus Christ?
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Posted: September 21, 2020 by Harry Lucenay
“A relationship with Jesus Christ.” What does that mean? Even lifelong Christians face challenges with the concept of a relationship with the Savior. Why? For one thing, the word relationship does not appear in older English translations. However, the stories and many other words point to relationships. Let’s explore this concept.
Love Invites a Relationship
Most people who grew up in an individualistic church-oriented culture recall:
In addition, we discovered, “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) So, any thought of a relationship with Jesus originated in the heart of God.
Early in the Bible, we learned God created Adam and Eve and made himself known to them. God walked with them, sharing their lives. I can remember standing between my parents in our church as the congregation sang, “And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own.”
Our Faith Shapes Our Story
When I was young, my teachers influenced my understanding of the good news of the gospel. The central truth of the gospel is:
One day, I prayed and asked Jesus Christ to forgive my sins, promised to turn from them, and follow Jesus as I committed my life to him as Savior. My response to Jesus grew out of a conviction of guilt for sin. Likewise, prayer sought deliverance from sin through the grace of Jesus. In time, I discovered the Spirit of God had taken up residence in my heart. I had become a child of God.
God initiated my relationship with him. He invited me to receive Jesus Christ. Then the Holy Spirit took up residence in me. Gradually, the Bible taught me to show my love as Jesus’ friend by following his teaching. I have always seen him in a shepherding position in our relationship.
A Relationship Needs Clarification
Like many people, I thought the way to please God was by doing good things. I read my Bible, said prayers, tried to be nice to my siblings and neighbors, and went to church. But I didn’t understand very much in the small portion of the Bible I read. I limited my prayers to confessing sin and asking God to bless” the people I loved. I thought blessing meant to make good things happen. Then there was going to church. I didn’t have much choice in whether to go. People could see my body, but my mind wandered down many trails far from our church. Later, I realized people who have a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ are not just people who engage in certain spiritual practices.
I needed something more than intellectual assent to a historical Jesus. I wanted an interactive life with God. Doesn’t the Bible speak of people who have more of what we call “a relationship” than I knew? I noticed some people seemed to have something about their lives that revealed a meaningful walk with God. They had discovered their commitment to Jesus placed them in Christ. As a result, nothing could separate them from Jesus. Jesus stepped out of history’s past tense and became real. He joined them in prayer. In worship, the more they gave of themselves, the more they found Jesus. And, as they searched for Jesus in others, others discovered Jesus in them.
Commitment Strengthens Relationships
How did this transformation happen? Each learned the art of being present everywhere they ventured. Like Jesus, they sought to make the most of every moment. Even more, they looked for God in each situation. They lived their renewed commitment to Jesus daily.
Commitment grows not from how much we read or how long we pray, but from our connections with God as we read, pray, and allow our faith to transform our lives. We need to join him in what he is doing in the lives of people. How can we allow God to use our unique giftedness to bring Jesus Christ into our encounters with others?
How would you describe your relationship with Jesus Christ?
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Category: Christian Life Tags: Bible, commitment, gospel, historical Jesus, influence, prayer, relationship, transformation