Series #1: 2. How do we Grow our Relationship with Jesus?
In our last session in this series, we talked how God expects us to grow. For many people this is blocked by barriers to reaching this growth. Therefore we need to make choice to get our motivation started on the right path; our will has to be willing!
Growth and change are ordained by God be a normal part of Christian living. When we really believe that, then we can work with Father God, so that growth and freedom will take place. In this session, we want to look at our relationship with Jesus. How do we come to the place of loving Him – with our whole being and others as ourselves?
‘To start with, isn’t Christianity just like any other religion?’ Is helps to set the difference right from the start of this session on our relationship with Jesus.
A travelling companion once suggested to a friend of ours that it wouldn’t matter which of the three major religions he picked for his own life. To this man’s surprise, our friend agreed with him – but then added: “However, if you want a personal relationship with God, there is only one way – through Jesus Christ.”
Real ‘Christ likeness’ has to do with a relationship with God through His Son Jesus, not by some new age thinking or some human theology. There is really ONLY one Way this happens! (John 14:6+7).
Then the question becomes, how do I relate with Jesus?
The Gospel, or Good News, is so simple that anybody can understand it and enter into God’s kingdom. If this were not so, only smart people would get to heaven. So how do we connect with God? Simple: when I accept the work of Jesus on the Cross, then Father God accepts each one of us (John 16:27). I can now walk and talk with Him like any child would walk with his father.
Although I have already legally become a ‘son’ of God’s, it does not mean I am mature. There is still a process of growth beyond having eternal life. In fact there are Five Overlapping, Inter-related steps we can go through in our growth within His kingdom!
Catch our post on ‘The Stages of Christian Growth’, coming soon!
Another way we can see some of the process of Christian growth is through His ‘name’: the LORD JESUS CHRIST
1. THE CHRIST – The Christ (or Messiah) was to be a Special Man sent by God to break the power of sin over mankind. He was to be God’s Answer to human suffering and sin, a Saviour to set all men free. This Person was given as a Promise some 7,000 years ago in Genesis.
We become “born again” as we have accepted the work of the Christ as a bridge between us and our Creator; we accept Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ. We then are adopted by Father God, and so start living eternally in relationship with Him.
2. He is LORD – What did the writers of the Bible mean by using the title of LORD? The people then understood this concept as they had many “lords” who ruled over them. It was a common title, applied to those with power or wealth above their own. They were also familiar with the LORD GOD of the Old Testament.
Jesus Christ is the Lord and Lords and some day, He will come back with all that recognised authority and majesty. Until then, He is ‘allowing us to allow Him to be Lord’.
We relate to Jesus as Lord when we submit to Him and allow Him access to every part of our lives. When we are obedient to God about every aspect of our lives, then we obtain the victory over our problems in the here and now. God then declares us to be overcomers (Revelation 2+3).
One of the most important issues of Lordship is …. who controls your life?
3. JESUS of Nazareth – THE human being who walks and talks with us today.
Ultimately God wants us to enter into a personal relationship with Him (not just legally). Whether we talk to Jesus, Father God or the Holy Spirit, relationship is of utmost importance to Them. When I have quiet time prayer and enter into communion with God, then I can experience the joy of being in God’s presence and fellowshipping with Him.
So how do I have a dynamic relationship with Jesus?
In the two Great Commandments, Matthew 22:37-40, God clearly expects us to have living relationship with Him (vertical) and then with each other (horizontal). Let’s look at a practical outworking of these two laws.
1. Letting God love me
One of the first things I need to do after becoming a Christian is to allow God’s love into my heart and life. Many Christians ignore this step and that is one reason why they do not live in victory.
God’s very nature is love (1 John 4:8, 16). If Jesus knocks on the door of my heart and I refuse to let Him in, because I do not think myself worthy, then I deny His power in my life (Rev. 3:20).
Ask this question aloud after me: “Lord Jesus. Have I allowed your love into my heart?” If you heard yes, follow silently with this question: “What percentage of fullness have I allowed in?”
Of course all of us feel unworthy to receive God’s love. Except for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, we are all in depravity and darkness. My righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) and there is nothing I can do to ‘earn my place’ in His kingdom.
But how can I even love God (Matthew 22:37) if I haven’t accepted the substance called agape love? All good things come from Him (Matthew 19:17); there is NOTHING that I can contribute outside of Him.
So, if I don’t accept God’s love, then I have no substance to love Him back with and I will not fulfil the first great commandment. Letting God’s love into my heart is a CHOICE. Wherever there is darkness, choose to deliberately let the light in.
2. Loving God back with all of my heart
Once I have accepted His love, then I can start loving Him back. Notice that I am to love Him first and foremost from the heart. Do you know that my heart is deceitful and wicked (Jeremiah 17:9) and may decide NOT to love God? I can have a resentful heart or a fearful heart or a heart full of idols. If that’s the case, I will not want to let God in or allow love out. So learning to know your heart and face whatever you find there is both a process and a deliberate choice.
3. God gives me dignity when I became His Son
Once I accept the Christ, I grow into becoming an heir to all His promises. Most of us know that Truth in our minds, but do we really believe it in our hearts? We need to experience God’s love for it to become real.
4. Then I can start loving myself in a healthy way
Once the truth of Sonship gets into my heart then, I can start loving myself with the same love that God has for me. I start believing that I am an eagle instead of a worm. After I start loving myself with agape love, I will start taking care of my physical, psychological and spiritual health.
5. Finally I start loving people
I will be able to love people unconditionally and without judgement, once I have forgiven myself and no longer feel shame and condemnation. I will do good works out of obedience and love. I will then have started my mature journey as a Christ Centred human.
As we have mentioned before, all this is a ‘done deal’ as well as a growing process. As we chose to continue to be partners with our Creator and allow Him to do the work in our heart, growth will happen.
In our Third session in this First Series on ‘What does it mean to be a Jesus Follower?’, we will examine how strongholds begin, what spiritual tools we have been given to bring freedom and healing. Jesus came to restore our free will and to set the ‘captives’ free. Do you have any areas of bondage, where the same sin keeps happening again and again? Stay tuned next session.
Until then, begin to chose to let the Holy Spirit show you more ane more about who Jesus really is and what He wants for your life.
God’s blessings, Susanne Fengler, Blog Author
www.christianfoundations.jesus-treeoflife.info
Tags: Relationship with Jesus
Filed under: Series #1: Being a Jesus Follower
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