Over the years I have heard people say something like, "I have a relationship with Jesus Christ." What do you think they mean by that? I think this "relationship" that some say they have with Christ is often based upon subjective feelings rather than objective truth found in Scripture. It may surprise you to know that the word, "relationship" is not found in the Bible, at least not in the King James Version or New King James Version. But this is not to say that we cannot and should not have a relationship with Christ.
In fact, Jesus said, after teaching the parable of the Sower which was about hearing the word of God, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it” (Luke 8:21 NKJV). So, we are related to Jesus if we hear and obey the word. This relationship with Christ is not complicated. Rather, we can know whether we are in a relationship with the Lord by being obedient to the word of God. This relationship is based on objective truth, meaning the terms of the relationship are written down for everyone to see and understand in the New Testament. One does not have to guess at what pleases the Lord, nor should he expect to have this relationship if he refuses to obey the Lord.
When we respond to the grace of God in obedience to the gospel, Jesus washes away our sins (Revelation 1:5; Acts 22:16), and we then have fellowship with God and with one another (1 John 1:3). The underlying word in the original language of the New Testament for fellowship means: "close association involving mutual interests and sharing, association, communion, fellowship, close relationship" (BDAG). Fellowship with God then is being in a relationship with God. Jesus made this possible for us, as is illustrated by what Paul wrote to the Gentiles: that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:12,13).
So, to truly have a relationship with God one must know and respond to the truth in obedience. People can be deceived into believing they have a relationship with God, such as those to whom James wrote, but in reality, their faith was dead because they did not do works of obedience (James 2:14-26). Some in Jesus' day thought they had a relationship with God, being of the seed of Abraham, but Jesus told them their true father was the devil because they were behaving like him (John 8:39-44). What about you? Do you have a relationship with God? If you are doing the will of God, then your relationship with Jesus is that of a brother or sister. But others who are not will one day hear these words from Jesus: "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness" (Matthew 7:23)!
Brotherly, Jamie
