NEW CHRISTIANS-Relationship with the Lord-by David Nelson

Posted: 2006-12-03 09:18:26

Relationship with the Lord          12-1-06            (To know Him)

The Lord gave me an insight one time when I was talking with a person who said they were a Christian and said they prayed all the time. The Lord prompted me, tell them that to be a Christian it is not only talking to the Lord but the Lord must talk to us also. Later the Lord reminded me how when we first become a Christian it was only because the Spirit drew us to the Lord (“no one comes to the Lord unless the Spirit draw him”), He convicted us of sin, and called to us to come to Him and to repent. That was possibly the 1^st time the Lord spoke to us and we answered Him by turning to Him and then we prayed to the Lord to be saved. But do you see that the initiative was with Him first speaking to our hearts, convicting us to come to Him and be saved. Then we came and said to the Lord, “Please save me.”

And it does not end there. Yes, we continue to talk to the Lord (pray) but He also continues to talk to us. He shows us things, shows us which ways are wrong or right, speaks to us to turn this way or that. Without this discipline, correction, speaking of the Holy Spirit to our hearts we would never grow or become more holy or become all that He wants us to be. As time goes on in our relationship with the Lord, He shows us what He wants us to do, what our calling is, what our destiny is, what job it is that we are supposed to do on the earth. Jesus said, “I do nothing on my own authority but only what I see the Father do, that I do, and what I hear Him say, that is what I say.” Jesus had a relationship with the Father and we, too, are to have a relationship with our Lord. Jesus said, “Take up your cross daily and follow me.” Every day He may speak something to us of what to do or just how to stay in communion with Him. He will tune our spiritual ears and teach our hearts how to know His voice better and better. “My sheep know my voice and they will follow me.”

So you see, the real meaning of being a Christian is not just for us to talk to God and pray but for us to learn how to have a relationship with Him, He will speak to us and show us the right paths and the purpose for which we are here on earth. As we learn to discern and follow His voice we will become Holy as He is Holy and we will be His child growing in His grace into His likeness and we will be prepared for Heaven. He wants to walk with us and fellowship with us and have a relationship. Without this we are not really His children because we are not being trained (see Hebrews 12:5-11 and 14)  “Without His discipline, training, and His holiness no one will see God.” To be a true Christian we must talk to Him (prayer) and He must talk to us, and we should continue in this relationship to the end. Otherwise we are as Hebrews 12 says, illegitimate children and not a true child of God.

But don’t be discouraged by these Scriptural warnings. Just know that your walk with God and relationship with Him is desired very much by Him. After all, He called us to it and has promised to keep us in the right way to the end, in His strength and His grace and His love. He loves us and wants us to be His friend very much.