What's Our Relationship With God Like?

What's our relationship with God like?


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Tree of Life

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Hmmm, neither. I think God is like:

Hello human being. I know you're scared about going to heaven or hell, and I know you want to be saved. What I can offer you is a way out of this: don't worry. Make the most of your life now, do the best you can, and if you need it, I will be here to SERVE you and HELP you, but ONLY if you plan to use that to SERVE the well being of others, and not just yourself. Hell, I won't tell you what heaven or hell is, because I'm not sure why you need to know so badly. I mean, have you made sure first to put food on the table? Let's worry about that heaven or hell, and when you die, let's see what happens then.

And why do we need some reward from God? Our Father will give as He wills, not as we will. Besides it's a partnership, you serve God humbly, God serves you humbly. This isn't black or white, this is grey.

This doesn't sound anything like Christianity to me.
 
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Halbhh

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I was inspired by a study of John 13 and Jesus washing the disciples feet. Peter would not allow Jesus to wash his feet at first. Peter thought that he would serve Jesus. He said he would lay down his life for Jesus. Peter was getting it backwards. Peter was actually in need of Jesus to serve him if he would be saved.

We too get it backwards. We think we will be saved if we humble ourselves for Jesus. But really we need him to humble himself for us in order for us to be saved.

I would argue that these are two radically different approaches to God. One is based on works and self righteousness. The other is based on the gospel.
The 2 are not in opposition.

The One Who saves us tells us to be humble.

Psalm 138:6; Proverbs 3:34; Proverbs 29:23; Matthew 23:12; Luke 1:52; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5
 
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Halbhh

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Indeed. Definitely not Lutheran.

All you can bring to God is your sins, Jonathan Edwards was right about that. That is only something the proud could despise, because it is good news indeed. Somebody wants to take away the trash in your life... for free.
That's right. And, we should always be in guard today against any instance of claiming Ephesians 2:8-10 is wrong in any of all three verses. When anyone implicitly would delete verse 10, it's just as mistaken as deleting verses 8-9.
 
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PanDeVida

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Which is it?
  1. "If I humble myself to serve God, then I will be saved and rewarded."

    OR

  2. "Only if God humbles himself to serve me will I be saved and rewarded."
Please explain your answer.

Tree of Life

To have a True relationship with Christ is to partake/eat and drink of His Body and Blood, there can not be any closer relationship with Christ than this bar none. Any other relationship is a long distance relationship with Christ Jesus, which is spiritual and good but not personal. This Personal relationship is to abide in Him and Jesus in us. Christ, says so Himself, not me. So if anyone has an argument with this post, their argument is with Christ.

Many say they have a personal relationship with Christ, but do not adhere to John Chapter 6:52-56 below:

John 6: 52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. 54He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him.

One must truly adhere to John 6: 52-56 if one wants to have a personal relationship with Christ, so that we can abide in HIM and Jesus in us. Amen Amen

If I have time I will make a thread on this most beautiful chapter in Scripture regarding having a true relationship with Christ.

Blessings,

Pan De Vida
 
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salt-n-light

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Which is it?
  1. "If I humble myself to serve God, then I will be saved and rewarded."

    OR

  2. "Only if God humbles himself to serve me will I be saved and rewarded."
Please explain your answer.

It’s “if I draw nigh unto him he will draw nigh to me” James 4:8). Both your scenarios are one sided. That defeats the point of a convenant.

But God call us first, we don’t call him first. We are the ones in need of salvation, He already provided that way.
 
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Halbhh

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It’s “if I draw nigh unto him he will draw nigh to me” James 4:8). Both your scenarios are one sided. That defeats the point of a convenant.

But God call us first, we don’t call him first. We are the ones in need of salvation, He already provided that way.

The thread has been useful (and I've only seen a small portion of the responses) to bring out this mutual relationship that happens. It's akin in my mind to how a parent has a mutual relationship with a child. After the child is a toddler, the parent begins to interact in a way that encourages the child to progress.

Another good answer I noticed:
What's Our Relationship With God Like?
 
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Ing Bee

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Which is it?
  1. "If I humble myself to serve God, then I will be saved and rewarded."

    OR

  2. "Only if God humbles himself to serve me will I be saved and rewarded."
Please explain your answer.

Hey Tree-

I think the way you've formulated the question in your OP is an example of an "excluded middle". I like the question of the OP title: "What's our relationship with God like?"

Are you getting the kind of interaction on this thread you hoped for? If not, it may be due to the dichotomous setup. I think the question itself, perhaps with some direction would produce some real eye-opening responses. Just a thought.
 
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