Josephus,
You wrote:
I wonder ed, if you have a real relationship with God. What makes your relationship with God real? How do you know He's there?
Anyone can say he has a "real" relationship with God. But to US, the only "real" relationship with God is what the Bible says.
One can only have a "real" relationship with God when one has been reconciled to God and has made peace with Him.
Rom. 5:1 says:
"... having been justified by FAITH, we have peace with God THROUGH our Lord Jesus Christ."
Rom. 5:9 says:
"Much more then, having NOW been justified by his BLOOD, we shall be saved from wrath THROUGH him."
Rom. 5:10 says: '
"For if when we were enemies we were RECONCILED to God THROUGH the death of his son, much more, having been RECONCILED, we shall be savedby his life."
Rom. 5:11 says:
"And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, THROUGH whom we have now received the RECONCILIATION."
You will note from these verses Josephus that for one to have a "real" relationship with God, one has to be "justified by faith." But is FAITH ALONE enough? No, you also have to be "justified by the blood" of Christ in order to be SAVED from the wrath of God.
Most people say that once they accept Jesus as their Lord and savior, they have been "justified by the blood" of Christ and now have a personal relationship with God - meaning Jesus.
This belief is FALSE! We do NOT make peace with Jesus. We make peace with God THROUGH Jesus. Jesus is NOT God. He is the ONLY mediator between God and man. And nobody can be "justified by the blood" of Jesus by merely "accepting Jesus as Lord and savior." This belief is NOT supported by the Bible.
Apostle Paul also says that those who have been "justified by faith and by the blood of Christ have now beemn RECONCILED to God. How were these people RECONCILED to God?
Eph. 2:15-16 sys:
(15)"having abolished in his flesh the enmity, that is the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to a CREATE in himself ONE NEW MAN from the two, thus making PEACE, and that he might RECONCILE them both to God in ONE BODY through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity."
The Bible teaches that these people who were "justified by faith and by the blood of Christ" have made PEACE and have been RECONCILED to God in ONE BODY.
This ONE BODY is the church of which Christ is the HEAD (Col. 1:1

. Apostle Paul called members of this church, "churches of Christ" (Rom. 16:16) or
IGLESIA NI CRISTO in Pilipino or its equivalent in Hebrew or Greek.
These members did NOT belong to different denominations or sects. They were NOT divided. They had ONE faith, ONE hope, ONE baptism, ONE God the Father who is above all, and ONE Lord, Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:4-6; 1 Cor. 8:6).
These members NOT only
believed the gospel preached by apostles Peter and Paul. They were also
baptized and
ADDED to the church (Acts 2:41, 47).
Was this church a "universal, spiritual and invisible church" as Protestant pastors and evangelists teach? Definirtely NOT! The Bible teaches that
"...At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison." (Acts 8:1, 3).
Where do you find those who have "real" relationship with God the Father and with Jesus Christ, the Son of God? They are found in the only ONE BODY of Christ or only ONE church of Christ.
That church is the
IGLESIA NI CRISTO where I am a particular member of.
Ed