What is a
Relationship with God?
You have a connection
with God,
whether or not you acknowledge it. That connection is an important
factor in
your relationship with others and with yourself. God
created everyone. Thus, as a creator, He
knows everything about your life! Most people don’t understand that
connection.
They don’t realize that God designed them for a much deeper relationship
than
they’re experiencing.
Many
people are consumed with a
“try harder” kind of religion. They believe that if you work hard, take
care of
your duties, and watch after your family or others, God will look over
your
whole life and conclude that in the end you are okay. They believe that
“they
must have more good than bad in their life so God will judge them
fairly.”
Perhaps you believe that giving up your bad habits will place you in
God’s good
graces. God knew that system is not really fair because we never can
measure up
to enough good. We are naturally self-focused and self-centered.
A
relationship with God is not
based on what you do—or abstain from doing. It is not about your best
efforts.
It is about a God who loves you and wants a relationship with you. In
fact, the
Bible says that “He is a God who is passionate about his relationship
with you.”
(Exodus 34:14) Think about that. How many people are passionate about a
relationship with you? Well, the God of the universe is. He loves you
right
where you are. He loves you despite your past. He wants a relationship
with you
no matter who you are or what you have done.
So,
how can you have a
relationship with God? He decided to send us His only son to tell us and
show
us the way. In fact, it’s the only way. His son Jesus Christ came to the
earth
over 2000 years ago to connect us to a deeper relationship with God. The
Bible
says, “For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God
and
people. He is the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)
We
have a natural desire to be
independent, to be the master of our own lives, to live by our own
standards.
It’s the ole “look out for number 1” attitude. The biblical word for
that
attitude is sin. It means to miss the
mark of God’s perfect standard. Our
sin cuts us off from God. Every single one of us struggles with this
problem.
“For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans
3:23)
Therefore, in and of ourselves, we can never measure up. Yet, the story
doesn’t
end there.
Jesus
Christ, and his death on
the cross, has made it possible for you to be in a relationship with
God. The
first step is to admit that God has not been first place in your life. Believe that Jesus died to pay for your
sin, and
ask him to forgive you. With that admission and desire you are given
this
promise: “But if we confess our sins to Him, he is faithful and just to
forgive
us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” (1 John 1:9)
You
may be asking, “Is that it?
So what’s the catch?” There is no catch! God’s forgiveness is free. We
don’t
deserve it, but God wants to give it to us anyway. If there were a way
you
could earn it, then Christ’s death on the cross would be meaningless.
His death
paved the way for us to give God all of the credit. “God saved you by
his
special favor when you believed. You can’t take credit for this; it is a
gift
from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so
none
of us can boast about it.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
This
decision is not about
joining a church or following some earthly leader. It is all about what
Jesus
Christ told mankind when he was on the earth. If you would like to begin
a
personal relationship with God today, pray a simple prayer as an
expression of
your decision similar to the one below:
To
begin your new relationship
with God, start with the basics. Find a born-again
Christian that you can tell
and share your story. Second, read the bible every day and begin with the
gospel
of John. Third, find a bible believing and teaching church. Consider
calling
our church – FBC Branson (417) 334-7437. Fourth, pray every chance you
get so
God helps you grow as a new believer. Congratulations, you are now a
born-again
Christian and your second life is just beginning!
Here
are some excellent books to
understand more about knowing God:
The God You're Looking
For by
Bill Hybels (Thomas Nelson)
Reaching for the
Invisible God by Philip Yancey
(Zondervan)
Discover God by Bill
Bright (NewLife Publication)
Knowing God by J. I.
Packer (InterVarsity Press)
The Grace Awakening by Charles
Swindoll (W Publishing Group)
Secrets of the Vine by Bruce
Wilkinson (Multnomah)
Discover the Real
Jesus by
Bill
Bright (Tyndale)
The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip
Yancey (Zondervan)