What does it mean to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

[JAL]

I don't currently see Jesus face to face. Nor has He called me on my cell phone. So what makes it personal?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

I don't currently see Jesus face to face. Nor has He called me on my cell phone. So what makes it personal?

His Holy Spirit dwelling in the beliver. He makes His Home in them.
John 14
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our home with him.
Blessings

 

[JAL]

His Holy Spirit dwelling is the beliver. He makes His Home in them.
John 14
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our home with him.
Blessings

Agreed, but aren't you just pushing the question one step further back? You're just moving me to rephrase the question like this:

I don't currently see the Holy Spirit face to face. Nor has He dialed my cell phone. So what makes it personal?

 

[Theo H.]

I don't currently see Jesus face to face. Nor has He called me on my cell phone. So what makes it personal?

I believe that the absolute foundation for this is the belief that Jesus is alive right now and connected with everyone, including you and me. Then there is an openness for spiritual contact, and when you then pray to Jesus, He will answer you. He will reach you in some kind of way which is acceptable and appropriate for you, most likely not on your cellphone, but in some other way. That is what I believe in. Merry Christmas!

 

[timothyu]

How does any movement affect us? It resonates with us and becomes a part of our thinking and we act accordingly. So it is with the will of God, a will displayed in Jesus which became not a religion in His day, but a movement. We either understand the counter-culture of the Kingdom compared to the world of man we have made in our own image or we don't. The further we distance ourselves from the selfish ways of man, the closer we become to God and the easier it is for Him to work through us.

 

[RandyPNW]

I don't currently see Jesus face to face. Nor has He called me on my cell phone. So what makes it personal?

God doesn't always entrust Himself to people--we are emotional creatures, and do not respond well to divine truth on many occasions when we don't get our way. What makes God's word to our heart "personal" is the fact we may indeed sense Him and understand truth that He is conveying to us, even if He isn't "making a phone call."

I firmly believe that with regular discipline over years we are allowed to hear God a little more clearly and specifically. I know from my own experience that there is a huge letdown after experiencing God in a deeper way when afterwards we have to go back to experiencing the disappointments of living in this world. Still, it is good to experience Him in our lives in the deepest way possible.

 

[BobRyan]

I don't currently see Jesus face to face. Nor has He called me on my cell phone. So what makes it personal?

We can all say that as well.

A personal relationship with Christ comes through His omni-present Holy Spirit and starts with the new birth.
Rom 2: 26 So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will his uncircumcision not be regarded as circumcision? 27 And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a violator of the Law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from people, but from God.

Rom 8:14 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,

Jer 31:31-34 is the New Covenant under which that happens
31 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord: “I will put My law within them and write it on their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 They will not teach again, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their wrongdoing, and their sin I will no longer remember.”

1 John 2:26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. 27 And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him remains in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you remain in Him.

John 14:16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; 17 the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you.

 

[NewLifeInChristJesus]

Agreed, but aren't you just pushing the question one step further back? You're just moving me to rephrase the question like this:

I don't currently see the Holy Spirit face to face. Nor has He dialed my cell phone. So what makes it personal?

When Jesus walked the Earth, the paradigm for knowing God was through knowing Jesus.

“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” (Jn 14:7)​

But after His death, burrial, and resurrection, knowing God the Father and God the Son would be through knowing the Holy Spirit.

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 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 home with him. (Jn 14:22–23)​

The people of the world do not have an intimate personal relationship with the Lord because He is not in them. But if He is in you, He reveals Himself to you from inside your heart by way of Spirit-to-spirit communications. He is closer to you than face-to-face, and He does not need a cell phone to make Himself heard.

If He is not in you, then invite Him in and begin the journey!

 

[timothyu]

and He does not need a cell phone to make Himself heard.

If it already wasn't registered that would make a great church billboard lol 'Can you hear me now'

 

[Jonaitis]

I don't currently see Jesus face to face. Nor has He called me on my cell phone. So what makes it personal?

For many believers, a "personal relationship" with Jesus is prioritizing him in their everyday lives. By drawing near to him, he draws near to them.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

I do not think this is good terminology for the faith. There is nothing scriptural about the term "personal relationship" in the NT. You may even consider it harmful since it detracts from the actual wording of the scriptures. Also, some may take it wrong and think they are missing something that others claim to have. I do see where Jesus says He is our friend in that He gave His life for us. He also said that we are His friends if we obey His commandments.

John 15:13-14 KJV
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

Start with that. Do what He says.

 

[Hawkins]

I can feel that there's always a kind reminder from the depth of my own conscience. This deepens along with my Christian life striving towards holiness. I can see the changes on myself. I can compare today's me to the old me. I thank God and Jesus Christ that I can have all these which stop me from any doubts.

I speculate that a relationship with Jesus forms a very much subconscious pattern for one to reckon (possibly as said that the sheep can reckon the Shepherd's voice) and for his faith to grow when he chooses to live a Christian life. Reading Bible, saying prayers on a daily basis, attending church etc. are the way of living such a life. They all give me a peace of mind along with the relationship with God and Jesus Christ.

I also speculate that it's so in a more subconscious manner such that one's faith is built up instead of being destructed.

 

[concretecamper]

I don't currently see Jesus face to face. Nor has He called me on my cell phone. So what makes it personal?

There is nothing more personal than receiving Him Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist.