Living the Faith: The Meaning of Personal Relationship with the Lord

[decoski]

I couldn't think of a fitting title for this new thread. What exactly should a personal relationship with Jesus Christ be all about? I know that He wants us to follow Him by obeying Him, but how does one really know they are entering the true personal relationship with Him. We cannot see or hear Him, and because of that I lack the motivation to read the Word or pray consistently. I guess my faith is weak? I don't want to start imagining I am hearing from Him and getting such personal directives as I have heard some charismatics emphasize in their conversations with me. I am not even sure if such a relationship exists. And if I read the Bible more and pray more, it seems like I would just be checking off my "good Christian list" to make me feel better. If such a personal relationship is possible, I want it to be genuine and the way the Lord wants it to be. I hope that makes sense. I hope there is some mature Christian can help me out here.

[NJon]

You may not be able to see the Lord Jesus Christ with your eyes as people could 2,000 years ago, but you can feel Him working in you through the Holy Ghost. A regenerate person has a new found desire for righteousness --- to forsake sin, die to oneself, and to live for God's will.

I know this because I was a false convert for most of my life. When I truly became a Christian, it was like light coming on in a darkened room. I saw the seriousness and depth of my sin, and fled to the foot of the cross. Since that time, I can see the difference between the former (when I was a false Christian) and current; the difference is radical. I thirst for righteousness instead of the pleasures of the world. Being a Christian isn't part of my life; it is my life. God and His will are on my mind every second of the day.

A relationship with the Living God can be felt. The Bible says that coming to Christ makes us a "new creation." Like human relationships, a relationship with Christ needs to be nourished. One of the best ways that this works with humans is communication, and it's the same with God. The Bible is God's way of speaking to us, and prayer is our way of speaking to Him. We must communicate with God regularly in order to grow spiritually strong and conform more to the likeness of the Savior and His righteousness.

You can never be perfect this side of eternity, but Christ justifies you as a sinner and makes you pure. Life should be a constant upward climb to become more holy and Christ-like. As you grow spiritually, and become more like Christ in thought, word and deed, your relationship to God noticeably grows stronger.

The Bible says that we should treasure God's Word (Scripture) more than our daily bread. Our physical bodies are born of the Earth as the Lord God formed us, and we need physical, Earth-borne food to sustain them. Our souls are created in the image of God, and we need spiritual food to sustain them. God's Word is that spiritual food.

You will never understand everything in the Bible. It's a lifelong learning experience. Yet, it is our responsibility (and God's will for us) to grow spiritually in prayer, reading the Word and living out in the likeness of Christ until the day that the Lord calls us home.

[James Peter]

Aside from charismatic experiences (that is in the widest sense, not specifically tongues or healing etc.) I don't think we can know. Unless we actually experience God then how can we say we have a relationship with him? All we have is a book of useful guidance and a habit of talking outloud. God is God, everything in Scripture suggests he wants us to be directly aware of him and I honestly see no reason to say that God has lost either the ability or desire to do so.