What Does it Mean to Have a True Relationship with Jesus Christ?

We all come into this world alone and some day we will leave this world alone. We begin by birth and end by death. Some of us will have many years here on this earth and others will run their race in a relatively short time. We are not guaranteed a long life and our lives can end without notice. While we are here on this earth we will form many relationships. We start with a relationship that we are born into, our family, and as we grow we will form other relationships along our journey. Why are relationships important and why is it important to form good godly relationships?

Your journey of your life was already written by God before you were born. God is simply waiting for you to take his hand and walk it out with him and it all begins with a relationship. The bible says (Jer 1:5) "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you. There are many kinds of relationships that we will form while we are here on earth. Did you know that your relationships will influence your life and the path of your life? What if you could have a relationship that could ultimately change your life and the direction of your life? What if you could have a relationship that would be fulfilling, exciting and one that will lead you into all that God has created you to be?

Most people when asked would agree that they know about God. A good percentage will tell you that they pray, talk to God, go to church, attend bible studies, volunteer for church activities, give or participate in charities and are faithful Christians. In America about 90% of us claim to be Christians and we are proud of it. However, have you ever stopped to think about what it means to be a Christian? The word Christian translated actually means to be like Christ. If you say you are a Christian then in essence you are saying that you are Christ like. If you are saying that you are Christ like then there is an assumption that you have a relationship with Christ. So, the question becomes do you have a relationship with Christ? Many people know about God, but do they really have a relationship with the one who created them?

A relationship starts with an agreement and depending on the type of relationship it will grow towards an intimacy. What does it truly means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ? What does it mean to be a true follower of Jesus Christ? If I claim to have a relationship with someone first of all both parties must be in agreement. If I want to get to know this person that I am in a relationship with I must spend time getting to know them. If you are married then you have a relationship with your spouse. In order for that marriage to flourish and become intimate you have to spend time with your marriage partner. If you want to get to know that person, then you have to communicate with that person. You have to invest time in someone if you want to get to know them.

The first step to forming a relationship with someone is an agreement between the two parties or sometimes perhaps a group of people (associations, friends and influences). The second step is growing that relationship by spending time getting to know that person; some would call this the courting stage. As we get to know this person and get more involved we will become more intimate and be more open and willing to share our lives with them.

Our journey with having a relationship with Jesus Christ is no different. If we truly want to know who God is we must start with a relationship with his son Jesus Christ. I'm not talking about religion (man's way to reach God through tradition); I'm talking about an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. A relationship with Jesus Christ starts with the acknowledgment of who He is, why he came, what he did and why he did what he did for you. Most Christians recognize this as the beginning of their journey, but few realize that this is only the beginning of the relationship. When you are a child your parents take care of you until you are old enough to take care of yourself. You grow up and leave your parents. You may end up going off to school but you are now on your own and your decisions become your own. You start to live a life of your own, making your own decisions and growing up in the world.

The new birth, (born again) is like being born again. However this time you are born into a different kind of family, you are born into the kingdom of God (John 3:3). When we say the prayer of salvation we are making a commitment to start a new relationship and live our lives not according to the world but for Jesus Christ. The gospel is good news (Mark 16:15) and when you tell someone the good news, they will rejoice and their eyes will be opened to the truth of God's word.

We must first understand that God loves us (you and me) and he has a wonderful plan for our lives. We each have an individual purpose to fulfill as well as a kingdom purpose. Our lives here on earth will end, so when we die can we be sure where we will spend eternity? Can we say beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are going to go to heaven? The answer to that question is yes we can. Why? Because the bible says this *(Rom 3:23)we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God and the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and whomsoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Hmm,it says that if I am a whomsoever and call on the name of the Lord I shall be saved. That's the good news, you simply have to call on the name of the Lord and you will be saved.

So someone who is witnessing to someone might say this: I'm going to say a prayer for you today. Lord I thank you for coming across this person's path today, bless them and their families with a long and healthy life, Jesus make yourself real to them. Do a quick work in their heart and if they have not received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior I pray that they would do so right now. If you would like to receive the free gift (salvation) that God is offering you today, say these words with your heart and lips out loud.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Come into my heart. Forgive me of my sin. Wash me, cleanse me, and set me, Jesus. Thank you that you died for me. I know that you have risen from the dead and you're coming back again for me. Fill me with the Holy Spirit, and give me a passion for the lost a hunger and a hunger for the things of God. Give me a holy boldness to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm saved I'm born-again and I'm forgiven and I'm on my way to heaven because I now have Jesus in my heart. Thank you, Jesus.

When you asked Jesus to come into your heart and to forgive you, he heard you and did so. All of your sins are now forgiven. Always remember to run to God and not from God because he loves you and has a great plan for your life.

When you said that prayer above, your relationship with Jesus Christ began. Jesus gives you the comforter known as the Holy Spirit; he will guide you and lead you into all truth. The Holy Spirit is God's voice on the inside of you. You will get to know Jesus through the inward witness known as the person of Holy Spirit. Just like any other relationship, you must spend time with him. The Holy Spirit is a person. The best way to understand a person is to spend time with them and form a relationship with them. The Holy Spirit wants to have a relationship with you, through the Holy Spirit you will get to know the character of God, his way and his word.

You have the written word of God, the bible, as your road map for your journey. Think of the bible as your instruction book. When you spend time in his word, the author of the book will become real to you through his word. You will find answers to your questions about your life by reading the bible. Don't look at the bible as a set of rules and regulations; see the bible as a new way of life and freedom in Christ. He teaches us through his word how to live a life for him by living it through him. Ask God to give you a hunger for his word.

You started you new life with Jesus by saying a prayer and asking him into your life. Prayer is simply having communication with God. When we first learn to talk we can only say a few words, like Ma Ma and Dada. I first learned how to pray by reading through the book of Psalms. Perhaps this will work for you too. David the author of the book of Psalms wrote the book and was a mighty man after God's own heart. Don't make praying a religious activity where you beat yourself up if you don't pray for half an hour every morning. As your relationship grows and you spend time in God's word you will learn to pray and it will automatically become a part of your everyday life. It will be just like breathing. You will find yourself waking up and saying good morning to the Holy Spirit and beginning the day with Him. You will be driving in your car having conversations with God. Those who diligently seek him early in the morning will find him.

As you take your journey with God you will want to study more and get to know him more. If you have been living by the world's standards you will begin to learn that God doesn't want you to be conformed to the world ways. I recommend to start with getting to know who Jesus is by reading about his ministry while here on earth. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and you will understand who Jesus is, what his ministry was and still is and what he was like while in an earthly body.

Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to a bible believing church, one that teaches, preaches and practices the word of God and makes disciples. As you look for a church the Holy Spirit will guide you with an inward witness. You will know, this is the church that God wants you in. A church family is also considered a relationship. You will want to get to know the church before you decide to become part the church family. There are many churches out there and plenty to pick from, but not all churches preach and teach the word of God. Is the church a launching pad or a docking station? Churches that are launching pads will challenge you and encourage you to walk out your destiny. Churches that are docking station are simply there to fill the pews and are there to please the people. Get to know your surroundings before you decide to jump head first into the pool. You'll need to test the temperature of the water. I heard one preacher say, you will sense the peace of God and it will return back to you. You will have a check in your spirit, as most Christians call it, a knowing, and a peace about your surroundings.

Pray about each decision you make and be lead by the peace of God. As you grow in the things of God you will want to get more involved in perhaps a bible study or church activity. You have gifts inside of you that God wants you to discover. As you read and study God's word he will show you your gift/s and how and where they can be used for his kingdom. I hate to say this, but you cannot take a test to find out what your gifts are from God. A test can reveal some things about your personality. This is really no different than a psychological test. You're gifting/s from God will be discovered by reading his word and spending intimate time with him in prayer. You need to get to know the giver of the gift (Jesus) and he will show you what your giftings are. Some people have many gifting and others have perhaps only a few. It does not matter how many gifts God has gifted you with. As you get to know God he will reveal those gifts to you and how and where he wants them to be used for the kingdom of God.

God says, delight yourself in me and I will give you the desires of your heart (Ps 37:4). As you grow in the Lord he will show you what he has put on the inside of you. It's more important to know Him first, and then you will know how to use the gift/s that he has given you. I have noticed in my walk with God, which has been eight years now, that the key to your destiny is to tie the eternal plan and purpose of God to your gifts. If you're just performing works it will not produce any fruit for God's kingdom. I've also noticed that whatever your gift is, God will use it so that others will be drawn into a closer relationship with Him. The gift is not to draw you to the person but to draw you to a closer relationship with God. God has just chosen you as a vessel to let that gift flow through. A gift is given by God and is used at God's will, not mans. We must never lift up man or the gift, but always lift up and give glory to the name of Jesus. God will always use your gifts to draw someone to a closer relationship with him. A ministry should never be based on a gift; it should be based on the word of God, because God's word is the foundation.

All of us have a ministry when we are born-again and that is to be a witness for him to the entire world (ministry of reconciliation). This is the eternal plan and purpose of God, to grow the kingdom of God here on earth. As you become a witness for Jesus Christ he will use your gifting/s to draw other's into a closer relationship with him. Our individual purpose comes through the individual gifting that he has placed on the inside of each one of us. As you grown in the knowledge of God and who he is, God will reveal your individual purpose to you.

I'll give you this bit of advice; God reveals only pieces of the puzzle to you. Your destiny is like puzzle pieces and it will take a step of obedience to know where each puzzle piece is placed in your journey with God. Don't try to figure out the box top, just take each step and let God be a part of your everyday life and he will lead you right into your destiny. I think the biggest tip that I can give you is pay attention to what your heart is telling you. God's word says where your heart is there your treasure will also be (Matt 6:21). Recognize your natural gifts and ask God how he can use them for his plan and his purpose. Also, ask God to reveal gifts that you have that you may not even be aware of. Remember it's a journey and you won't always know what's ahead, but you will know that God has a wonderful plan for your life.

In closing I'd just like to thank all my readers. Recently I reached the web sites goal of 1,000 page views, which sets me on my way to earn more. That put 150 pennies from heaven in my bank account and for that I thank you. You see, God lead me to become a content producer here. I had an inward witness when I checked it out. It was about using one of my gifts of writing, to bring to those that read my articles the truth of God's word. I am using my gift to draw others into a closer relationship with the Lord. Thank you friends and avid readers for your faithfulness to read what the Holy Spirit leads me to write about.

Here are some great Resources and books that I recommend to help you with your journey. Remember your number one tool and road map is the Holy Bible. These are all resources that changed and shaped my life. I pray that God will lead you and guide you in choosing what is right for you.

Beth Moore's -Praying God's Word (book that teaches you to turn God's word into prayers)

Stormie Omartian - The power of a praying wife (teaches you how to be a godly wife & pray for your husband)

Joyce Meyers - The power of simple prayer (book that teaches you how to pray simply)

Kay Arthur's - Inductive bible study (bible study and book on how to study the bible)

Rodney Howard Browne's- Knowing the person of the Holy Spirit (DVD teaching series that teaches you that the Holy Spirit is a person and how to get to know him).

John Bevere's - Driven by Eternity (DVD teaching that teaches you about living for eternity & your purpose)