Personal Relationship with Jesus Misconception
It has become common nowadays to encourage people to have "a personal relationship with Jesus." When I was in my 20s what they usually and commonly mean by this is that one now has to start doing the following:|
Pray to Him directly, not just recite formal prayers. Read the Bible as His Word to them and not just a mere literature. Submission to His authority not as a mere obligation. Viewing Him as living and present and not just as a historical figure.
Practically, to them, one becomes a Christian when one starts to live the Christian life. This is essentially salvation by works dressed up in personal-relationship-with-Jesus language! How is this different in principle to just obey and live the Ten Commandments to become a Christian?
We all have a relationship with God whether we like it or not. Either one is an enemy of God or one who is reconciled to Him. We all start out as enemies of God. And the only way to be reconciled and have peace with Him is through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ for our sins. The moment we put our trust in what He did on the cross then that's the very moment when have a blessed relationship with Him.
RO 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
RO 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
RO 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
RO 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
RO 5:11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
