The Relationship

1 John 5:20 “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”

In this lesson we want to take a look at what the Christian Life is really all about. Is it a willing adherence to a specific Creed? Is it a “lifestyle?” Is it simply following the “moral code” as found in the Bible? We live in a world that is filled with vastly differing views and beliefs about God and how best to please, or in some cases, appease Him. What makes Christianity different from the other world religions? Finally, can we really know God's will for our life? How do we know if we are pleasing Him? Can we be secure in our Salvation or must we spend our life “hoping” that we are saved? I have been asked these questions time and time again during my life. Each of these are valid questions that deserve a reasonable answer. Many times they are asked by those who are seeking in their spiritual life but aren't satisfied with a blind acceptance of “status quo” answers which many people give to them. In order to seek the answers; let's go way back to the beginning. The Scripture opens with these words; “In the beginning, God created.” He created the heaven and the earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars. He created the plant life and animal life that fills the earth today. All of these things God simply created. However, in Genesis 1:26 we find that God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” In chapter 2 and verse 7 we find that “God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” In these verses it is apparent that much more care was taken in the creation of man than was taken with the rest of the creation. First, God created man in “His own image.” That doesn't mean that we are “gods” ourselves, but it does mean that we are “like God.” Isn't it interesting that when Satan came to Eve in the garden in the form of the serpent; the main component of his temptation was that she would be “like God.” Truth was that she was already more “like God” than either the serpent or the devil to whom she was speaking could ever be. God “formed” man from the dust of the ground. Man has a direct relationship with the rest of creation. He came from the same ground as the rest of the animals. Then, the Creator of the universe personally “breathed” into his nostrils the “breath of life” and man became a living soul. That is a spiritual being. This is the difference between human life and animal life and the reason that human life should be cherished most highly. All human life derives from the very breath of God Himself. Also, this is what makes the human soul immortal. Our life is part of God Himself and anything that God “breathes” is eternal in nature. In Matthew 24:35 we find one of the most misquoted verses in the Bible. Here Jesus says, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” He said, “words” and not “word.” To me this is significant because Jesus, who was God Incarnate, “spoke these words into existence.” Have you ever tried to speak without breath? It is impossible. Therefore, every word that Christ spoke was “breathed into existence” and is eternal in nature just like the human soul. Now, what is significant about the way in which man was created? The answer to this question is what so many spend their lives searching for. In the answer to this question we find the meaning of life itself. We find the answer to why we are here and the purpose for life. God created man in His own image, a spiritual being, so that man would be able to have a “relationship” with his Creator. When God “breathed” the breath of life into Adam's nostrils, that very special relationship began. Let's take a closer look at the relationship that Adam enjoyed with God. First, we find also in Genesis 1:26 that man was given “dominion” over the whole earth. Man was to be the “dominant creation”. It was God's plan that man “dominate” the earth. In Chapter 2 and verse 19 we find “And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field;” Adam enjoyed a special relationship with God and His creation. Can you imagine the time they must have had? God bringing every living creature to Adam and asking Adam what it should be called? So much for the “ug-ug” theory of the cave man. And God in verse 8 prepared a place for Adam. 8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God had already seen His creation and declared that it was “good”. Yet, for the man whom He created in His own image, He “planted” a garden in which grew every tree that was pleasant to the eye, and those that were good for food. What a diverse ecological system Eden must have been! What a beautiful garden it must have been! God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and took a rib from his side and made the most beautiful of all creatures which Adam called woman. The woman was to be a help mate to Adam, but it is noteworthy that she was not created within the creation over which Adam was to “dominate.” Ladies, remember that. You were created to help your husband, yet, he is not supposed to dominate you. Finally, the Lord would come to the garden and walk with Adam. I believe that we can see that Adam indeed enjoyed a very intimate relationship with his Creator. This was important to Adam, and this was important to God. It was also important to God that Adam “choose” to worship Him. So, in the midst of the garden He planted a tree that He commanded Adam not to eat from. He explained to Adam that if he disobeyed; then he would surely die. Every day that Adam chose to obey God was wonderful. However, we know that Adam eventually chose to disobey and at the urging of the devil, speaking through the serpent, ate the fruit from the forbidden tree. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this point. But as we know, it was not only physical death that was referred to here, but even more devastating, immediate spiritual death. What died that day was the “relationship” that Adam had enjoyed with God. God withdrew Himself from Adam and banished him from the place that He had prepared for Him. The place where they had walked together. The place where they had spent so many wonderful times together. Adam also lost the relationship that he had enjoyed with the earth and the animals. The animals now feared him; possibly because they could sense the rebellious spirit within him. Adam also lost the wonderful relationship which he had enjoyed with his wife up to that point. There was now a spirit of contention between them; which is shown through their refusal to take responsibility for their actions. Rough times were ahead. From that time forward Adam would only be able to reach God through the sacrifice of animals, shedding their blood. How may I come to this conclusion? Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to the Lord. Abel's which was a blood sacrifice was accepted, while Cain's, which was not was refused. In the dialog between God and Cain in chapter 4 one must conclude that Cain should have known what a proper sacrifice was. Where do you think Cain and Abel would have learned this? Most likely from their parents. Adam never again enjoyed the close relationship with God for which he had been created and the children of all men would be born with the spirit of rebellion within them and have a broken relationship with the Creator as well. Now, let us fast forward to the New Testament. Jesus said of Himself in Luke 19:10 that “the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” His mission was to be the perfect sacrifice for sin, which would require the shedding of His blood, that through Him the relationship between God and man would be restored. He would die a cruel death on the cross of Calvary and rise again on the third day that we may know that we serve a risen and living Lord! John, the beloved disciple, who stood at the foot of the cross with Mary, said it this way in 1 John 5:20 “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” What makes Christianity different from all other world religions? We serve the One, True, and Living God who lowered Himself in order to reach out and even to die in the place of, and at the hand of, the very creation that openly rebelled against Him. Man could not do this for Himself. Fallen man had no means of providing a perfect sacrifice. God provided it through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. He then raised Him from the dead and Christ now has the Name which is above all names and is seated at the right hand of the Father! Jesus said of Himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me!” He is, has been, and will forever be, the only way of Salvation. Period, end of discussion. How then is one saved? Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. It has been said that the way of Salvation goes by the cross. But the way of Salvation must go right through the cross of Calvary! If a man confesses with his mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart that God has raised Him from the dead. He shall be saved! Again, period, end of discussion. Now, we will talk more this week about what it means to “believe”, but this is the Scriptural way of Salvation and the only way of Salvation. What is the most precious aspect of Salvation? If you ask the question, “Why should a man be saved?” The most common answer is; “so he will go to heaven when he dies.” Or, “so he won't go to hell when he dies.” While I suppose these are valid answers, they miss the entire point of Salvation from God's point of view. God didn't create us for Heaven. Rather, Jesus said in John 14:2 “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Heaven is a place prepared for us to be with Christ and enjoy the relationship that He had with Adam prior to the rebellion. What is even greater is that we don't have to wait until we get to Heaven to begin this relationship. Jesus said in the 16th verse of this same chapter: 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 ¶I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. When we are saved; Christ comes to us through the Holy Spirit and we begin the restored Relationship with Him that only His sacrifice could provide. I wouldn't trade the Relationship that I now enjoy with Jesus for all the glory and gold that Heaven has to offer. I want to read 1 John 5:20 again. “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” The hymn writer C. Austin Miles so eloquently penned the words, “And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own.” The primary evidence of my Christianity to me is the fact that I KNOW HIM! And I will know Him throughout all of eternity. We must understand that we don't follow a “religion” but we follow the Savior. We don't follow a Creed, but we follow the God who is alive and indwells those who know Him. His presence is real and tangible. Now, I am not saying that “I follow the voices in my head.” It's not that way. However, I do sense the presence of the Holy Spirit in a real way because my spiritual senses have been quickened and made able to be aware of Him. And that my dear friends is what Christianity truly is all about. It's not just a lifestyle as some may suggest. It is not simply a code of moral values. It is a Relationship with the One who created us, gave Himself for us, and has prepared a place for us to be with Him throughout all eternity. Now let me ask you tonight, Do you have this relationship? Do you know Him? Have you confessed Him with your mouth and believed in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead? If not, then please allow me to introduce you to my best friend, my Savior, and my God, Jesus Christ.