What is a Personal Relationship With God?
by Mart De Haan

What does it mean when a person claims to have a personal relationship with God? The Bible doesn't use those exact words. But it does show the importance of learning how to know, love, and trust a very personal God. Let's take a closer look at the marks of a personal relationship with God.

A Spiritual Relationship. To meet God doesn't mean we have to see Him visibly. We don't need to wait for visions or life-changing dreams. We can encounter God with the eyes of our understanding. Because He is an all-powerful, ever-present Spirit, He can reveal Himself to us at a deeper level than our physical senses.

A Christ-centered Relationship. It is Christ, the living Word, who reveals, defines, and expresses the personality of the Father. It is Christ who should continually be in our thoughts as Lord and life.

A Submissive Relationship. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7). No one deserves to be feared more than the Lord. He alone determines where we will spend eternity. Such authority deserves our respect and fear.

A Growing Relationship. Growing to maturity takes diligence and patience. We must never be satisfied with the level of our knowledge of God. We must also be patient with ourselves and not expect more than God expects of us. Don't rush the process, but don't let it stop.

There are steps to take to begin this relationship.

First step: We need to admit our lost condition. The Bible says we all come into this world physically alive but spiritually dead--missing out on the life for which God has made us.

Second step: We need to know what God has done for us. To solve the problem of our lost relationship with His Father, Jesus died in our place, offering Himself as a perfect sacrifice to pay the price of sin.

Third step: We need to personally believe and receive God's gift. No one can earn a relationship with God. It is a gift of His love and mercy--not a reward for our effort. We are saved by trusting in Christ.

Having a relationship with God is not a way to get everything we want. It is not the key to financial success, good health, and long life. It is a means of finding the ultimate purpose, the ultimate security, and the ultimate hope.

(This entry was taken from Campus Journals
devotion for April 24/99)
Still don't understand? Email me at jesusfreak_15_98@yahoo.comand I will try to answer your questions as best I can!