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A personal relationship is one that through God's Holy Spirit living in the life of that one, bringing forth the witness of God's word living in the heart and it becomes that one's life.
Christ said, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him" ( John 14:21).
Now to me that is a personal relationship.
Also it says in:
1Corinthians 2:10-12
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
~The Holy Spirit knows completely the things of God and His intentions for humankind. The Spirit is thus the effective channel through whom we may receive God's revelation. He has revealed God by inspiring the Scripture and He continues to help us understand scriptural truth.
No one knows the hidden secrets of another person, the things known only by that person. In like manner the things of God are known only by the Spirit of God.
Here's a little bit from the article arguy1973 posted:
It is imperative that we Christians, explain, as best we can by the empowering of the Spirit, how a personal, intrapersonal, and interpersonal relationship with Jesus Christ is initiated and functions. Only God can effect that relationship of Christ with another, as an individual chooses in the receptivity of faith to receive the living Spirit of Christ into his or her spirit.
I believe that the Holy Spirit reveals the things of God to the heart of one who seeks after truth and desiring answers to all of ones life. It then becomes a personal relationship between God and the one seeking.
Blessings
Thank you for this explanation. I would like to continue the John 14 thought, the NASB says ,: " 'He who who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him'. Judas ( not Iscariot) said to Him, 'Lord, what has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world?' Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me. These things I have spoken to you, while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to rememberance all that I said to you.' "
Since Peter said that " all things pretaining to life and godliness" had been given to us, it is obvious that the Holy Spirit did just that.
I fully believe all the word of God, and judge everything by it. There is nothing in life that I do not judge except by the word of God.
I fully believe that once we obey the gospel, we recieve the Spirit as an "earnest of our inheritance". Eph. 1:4 Earnest = surety, pledge.
I also believe that we are the temple of God, therefore He dwells in us.
I believe Eph3:14-21....verse17, " so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith,"
Again, the New Testament is full of scriptures telling Christians that all 3 of the godhead are 'in' them. And I believe we have access to all that They meant for us to know through the written word.
I belive the scripture that says " Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were , the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1st Peter 4:11 NASB
If a 'message' is coming to anyone, that is not found in the word of God, it is to be feared as an addition to the word. It is a very serious thing to add to or take away from the word..that is.. to teach something as coming from God, that is not found in His word.
I agree, the more you study God's word, the more you find thoughts that may have never came to you before. I imagine this is due to the Spirit within us. That is logical. My dear brethren mention this phenomenon frequently.
[quote][If a 'message' is coming to anyone, that is not found in the word of God, it is to be feared as an addition to the word. It is a very serious thing to add to or take away from the word..that is.. to teach something as coming from God, that is not found in His word.
/QUOTE]
With sincere and humbleness I ask:
So what is your point about my post?
Because of the part I inserted from the article?
Is it the part the words "a personal relationship" because those exact words are not found in the scripture?
I don't understand what you are trying to say? I hope this post doesn't sound offensive because of the questions presented. That is not my heart intention. I do truly understand what you are saying in your entire post and totally agree with you!
Are you warning me about the article? And to be careful in reading something that could possibily lead one astray? Because I do compare what one says as their own interpretation concerning the word of God. And will take it to His word to see if it is in the context of His word.
Blessings
Last edited by Cyber Munchkin; 05-29-2008 at 10:49 AM..
Reason: add content.
[If a 'message' is coming to anyone, that is not found in the word of God, it is to be feared as an addition to the word. It is a very serious thing to add to or take away from the word..that is.. to teach something as coming from God, that is not found in His word.
/QUOTE]
With sincere and humbleness I ask:
So what is your point about my post?
Because of the part I inserted from the article?
Is it the part the words "a personal relationship" because those exact words are not found in the scripture?
I don't understand what you are trying to say? I hope this post doesn't sound offensive because of the questions presented. That is not my heart intention. I do truly understand what you are saying in your entire post and totally agree with you!
Are you warning me about the article? And to be careful in reading something that could possibily lead one astray? Because I do compare what one says as their own interpretation concerning the word of God. And will take it to His word to see if it is in the context of His word.
Blessings
I'm sorry, only my first sentence was meant specifically for you!
The rest was just my continuation of my thoughts on the subect we were speaking of.
The last paragraph was certainly not towards you. It was for the readers in general.
Again, I am sorry you thought I may have meant you. I will try to be more careful in the future to make a distinction as to who I am speaking to.
I'm sorry, only my first sentence was meant specifically for you!
The rest was just my continuation of my thoughts on the subect we were speaking of.
The last paragraph was certainly not towards you. It was for the readers in general.
Again, I am sorry you thought I may have meant you. I will try to be more careful in the future to make a distinction as to who I am speaking to.
Thank you so much for your clarification.
That is truly what I thought. But I really wanted to make sure. As in this forum things can really get way out of control then what the Lord intended to be said and done. As you probably have experienced yourself.
But your post is correct in all of its context..... we should always take what has been given to us from others and compare and bring it before the word of God, so that one will not be led into false truths.
There are a lot of things being said out there that sound pretty good, but they are only there for tickling of the flesh. And one truly needs the Spirit of God to discern.
I've had the same question myself (about the terminology, not the relationship). Maybe it's the language geek in me, but it always has seemed like a redundant term. I don't know if a person can really have an impersonal relationship with anybody else--at that point it ceases to be a relationship and simply becomes an acknowledgement of existence. For example; I believe that Anthony Hopkins exists and have seen his work, but I don't have any sort of relationship with him.
Okay, done splitting hairs, back to the discussion.
I've had the same question myself (about the terminology, not the relationship). Maybe it's the language geek in me, but it always has seemed like a redundant term. I don't know if a person can really have an impersonal relationship with anybody else--at that point it ceases to be a relationship and simply becomes an acknowledgement of existence. For example; I believe that Anthony Hopkins exists and have seen his work, but I don't have any sort of relationship with him.
Okay, done splitting hairs, back to the discussion.
I agree. It is sort of like the one saying that thinks they have a more 'personal' relationship than any other Christian. Sort of like the 'born again' thing. I have a hard time believing that any one who has obeyed the gospel has any closer relationship with God than any other, spacially if they are continuing in the way.
I understand what you're asking and wanted to respond without reading the other posts first.
A "personal relationship" with God is a coined phrase. And like all coined phrases, unfortunately, loses the impact of its significance and gets thrown around carelessly and meaninglessly. Kind of like the word "love."
The actual personal relationship with God started in Genesis 3 with Adam in the Garden of Eden. He enjoyed fellowship, personally, with God. He and Eve knew God on a personal, intimate level. That's God's perfect plan for us, to be involved personally and intimately with each one of us.
I keep seeing this term used, and cannot find a scripture to back it up. Where do you get it from? Is there a scripture that has that meaning that I cannot think of at the moment? I am very strongly a believer in "speaking as the word speaks".
You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. JOHN 15:14,15
Hi, although I believe that the phrase is a coined one, the meaning behind it is focused on one having a true relationship, fellowship with God/Christ. One can say that he or she is a Christian saying that he or she believes but is lacking in God's power and blessings being manifested in their lives. Are they walking in fellowship with God/Christ? I don't think that the emphasis on having a "personal" relationship with God/Christ suggests that someone is holier or closer than someone else although some may be feeling this. God is our Father, and we are His children and to me this is a personal relationship. God bless.
Last edited by ShanaBrown; 05-29-2008 at 05:48 PM..
I have a personal relationship with Jesus, I talk to Him just like I would a friend because He is my best friend. As Christians we should develop a conscious awareness of God's presence at all times. He is there when as we go through the day, at the grocery store, at work, when we get up, go to bed, He is there.
We must learn to walk daily with Jesus.
Yes he is always with us and we are aware of him every minute of the day.
All you have to do is open your eyes and you will see something he has done for you that day or the reason something happened. It is awesome to have him in your life. I feel I have a personal relationship with God for these and many more reasons!!
Dunroven
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