Personal relationship

[Tellyontellyon]

Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?
What is that.. it sounds like more than Bible reading?
Are you a Christian if you don't have that personal relationship?

 

[BobRyan]

Jesus is a real person, a real being.

Rom 8 says this

9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

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Christianity is based on a miracle that happens in you -- the New Birth.
And then the miracle of the Holy Spirit (also called the Spirit of Christ) dwelling in you .
"Leading into all truth" John 16.

Step 1. Get access to a Bible. (there are free ones online at Biblegateway.com)

Step 2. Read the Gospel accounts (start with Matthew)

You are already in contact with Christians that can walk you through this - so that was a great move on your part.
The Holy Spirit is already prompting you to look into this topic - so you have made contact.

Almost everyone on the planet has heard of scary movies and spirits etc. All that is based on the false stories that Satan wants humans to think about.

But that does not negate the real story - of real beings, sinless, holy , very powerful and who are servants of the most High God that are working in your favor all the time.

Hebrews 1 says this -
7 And regarding the angels He says,

“He makes His angels winds,
And His ministers a flame of fire.”
...
14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to provide service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

They are here with us now - their mission is to help us.

Read through this book for your devotions - it will change your life. Spend time focused on the life of Christ.

Desire of Ages: Commentary on the Life of Christ

 

[Soyeong]

Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?
What is that.. it sounds like more than Bible reading?
Are you a Christian if you don't have that personal relationship?

The Hebrew word "yada" refers to relational knowledge gained through experience, such as in Genesis 4:1, where Adam knew (yada) Eve, she conceived, and gave birth to Cain. In Exodus 33:13, Moses wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him to walk in His way that he might know (yada) Him and Israel too. In Jeremiah 9:3 and 9:6, they did not know (yada) God and refuse to know Him because in 9:13, they had forsaken God's law, while those who know God know that He delights in practicing steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in all of the earth, so delighting in practicing these and other aspects of God's nature is the way to know (yada) Him and Jesus because he is the exact image of God's nature (Hebrews 1:3), which is eternal life (John 17:3). Likewise, in 1 John 2:4, those who say that they know Jesus, but don't obey His commands are liars, in 1 John 3:4-6, those who continue to practice sin in transgression of God's law have neither seen nor known him, and in Matthew 7:23, Jesus said that he would tell those who are workers of lawlessness to depart from him because he never knew them. So if someone delights in doing what is righteous in obedience to God's law, then they are building a relationship with Him through the experience of practicing His nature, but if someone is not practicing aspects of Christ's nature through following his example, then they are not a follower of Christ.

 

[angelsaroundme]

It's like you woke up despite not realizing you were asleep before. Like the world finally came into focus and everything feels new. Your heart may have felt full before, yet your heart is deeper now, and it's capable of becoming so much fuller than it ever was in the past.

 

[honey badger]

Jesus did not identify himself as the one sent ...

But I tell you the truth, it is profitable for you that I should go away; for unless I go away the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

the first helpmeet is feminine and the second is masculine ( process )

 

[ViaCrucis]

Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?
What is that.. it sounds like more than Bible reading?
Are you a Christian if you don't have that personal relationship?

Lots of different kinds of answered can be given.

Coming from a traditional Christian perspective as a Lutheran, a relationship with Christ involves the full Christian life through our union to Christ, in the Church, by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, through faith, through Word and Sacrament.

So it's about us in Christ, Christ in us; the Spirit in us and our life in the Spirit, through faith; it's about the hearing and believing the word of God, the presence of Christ in His Supper, living in the truth and reality of our baptism, confessing our sins, the forgiveness of our sins. My relationship with Christ is not just "me and Jesus", it's found integrated in the life-together of the Christian Church, in God's word, in the Sacraments, in a life that is worked upon and being transformed by grace--a life of discipleship, a life of being called to love other people and serve other people.

It's about Jesus, the Church, you, me, and everyone else. A meeting place of all these things in what we call the Christian life.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[NewLifeInChristJesus]

Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?

Yes, I have an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

What is that.. it sounds like more than Bible reading?

You are right, it is more than Bible reading. It is the most mysterious thing in all the history of the world. How can it be that Jesus can live inside our hearts, making Himself known to us by direct communications from His Spirit to ours? How is it possible that the One who spoke the worlds into existence, the One who is the brightness of God's glory and the express image of His person, the One in whom is all the fullness of the Godhead, and the One in whom are all the riches of wisdom and knowlege can live inside us? This is truly a great mystery.

Are you a Christian if you don't have that personal relationship?

Technically, no. If Jesus is not inside a person's heart, then that person is not technically a Christian. I would say there are many people who identify as Christians but do not have Jesus living in their hearts. This is why the Bible tells us to examine ourselves to determine if He really lives in us.

I can give you Bible verses to support what I've said if you are interested.