The Foundation Is Relationship

Recently, while walking our dog, I had this idea that the issue with religion is that it takes away relationship.  I was thinking that if we were to reframe the basics of our faith through a relational paradigm, even reading scripture from that perspective, it would be helpful to people.  I was reminded of that as I was reading from John 17:1-5 NIV:

[1] "After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. [2] For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. [3] Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. [4] I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. [5] And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."

I write about the relational context of my faith all the time because that is the absolute foundation of my faith.  I don't have faith in the rules, the teaching, the practice of Christianity, I have a living relationship with the Lord.  I spend more time in dialogue with the Lord than I do anyone else.  My thoughts are often about Him, I am asking questions throughout the day, and often praying in the Spirit, as well.  This may be strange to some, but I do believe that this is exactly what Jesus spoke about over and over again.

Historically, God treated Israel as His people, and took that relationship personally.  For instance in the book of Hosea, He compared the Jewish people to a spouse who was a prostitute (see Hosea 1:2) because they were constantly casting their affection on other Gods, other nations. Almost the whole of the Old Testament is a record of God's interaction with a chosen people, starting with Abraham.  His intention was to lead the nation, but they wanted human kings (See 1 Samuel 8:6-8).  There was always intent for relationship from God's side, but the people kept messing up, losing sight of this.

When Jesus came, I think one of the real issues that He dealt with continually was the unfamiliarity of the people with the relational context.  It had been over 300 years since they had heard a prophetic voice, and religion at this point was just rules.  When Jesus came as Messiah they were all thinking He would become King and lead them as a King leads people.  Instead Jesus came not so much leading, as living amongst them, expressing love, choosing specific followers.  Rather than distinguishing Himself in battle or popularity, He loved and ministered to the poor, sick, sinners and the like. He met, talked to, and touched people individually.  The core of His whole ministry was relationship, and He was bridging that relationship gap between us and the Father.  The writer of Hebrews states that He was the perfect representation of the Father (See Heb 1:3), and that is exactly what Jesus was doing in His ministry, showing us what a personal relationship with God looked like. 

Going back to the verses from John 17, in Jesus' final prayer, He is talking about the nature of Eternal life being that we know the Father and His son Jesus.  This knowing is the same word that is used to describe marital intimacy.  Here is something I found online: 1097 ginṓskō – properly, to know, especially through personal experience (first-hand acquaintance). 1097 /ginṓskō ("experientially know") is used for example in Lk 1:34, "And Mary [a virgin] said to the angel, 'How will this be since I do not know (1097 /ginṓskō = sexual intimacy) a man?'" ( https://biblehub.com/greek/1097.htm). 

I don't know how much more relational Jesus could have made it... this is the key, relationship, knowing another through personal experience. 

It seems to me that through the ages we have lost some this perspective, as the Church has tried to guide and help, she has sometimes lost focus on what is really important.  Throughout History revivals have come about when people experience God's personal touch upon their lives once again!  There are times when God sovereignly visits a people in an area and many people have experiences of God unlike anything they have had previously!  This creates a fire of desire in others to experience God in the same way.  People rush to wherever to experience God, and when they go back home they often spread the contagion, which is personal experience!  They come away knowing God in a new and personal way, and many lives are changed!

Oh, that the invitation of the church would be "come and meet Jesus!"

We often hear sermons on what we should do, or not do, but rarely do we hear about one's real relationship with Jesus.  We are supposed to introduce people to Jesus, to show them how to live in relationship with Him. The whole impetus of our pursuing some level of purity, is actually supposed to come from the place of pure love, pure relationship, desiring only Him, it is not supposed to be holding to some list of behaviors that someone decided were important. 

In the same way that my love and relationship with my wife causes me to desire only her, to love her, to think about her, to do things to please her, we are meant to live our lives in relationship with the Lord!  Our lives of faith should be fueled and driven by Love for Him.  It is only in personal relationship that this context is developed. 

When Jesus ministered and healed people, they knew that God had touched their life!  They knew that He saw them, knew them, knew their need and reached into this world and touched them.  This is what I think church should be about, the invitation to encounter the Lord personally, the sharing of our personal interactions with Him.  Its not supposed to be the experience of a chosen few, we are all invited to be sons and daughters of the God, and as such we each have the availability of direct relationship!   He treats all of us uniquely, and while my description of my faith might be helpful to some, it is unique to me. 

There are ebbs and flows to all relationships, times of greater and lesser intimacy, but as in the case of my relationship with my wife of almost 37 years, it should always be deepening, growing, and becoming more and more important.  We are not supposed to reach a relational plateau in our relationship with God, we are called deeper and higher always!

My prayer today is that I come to know the Lord more and more!  My prayer is that we all would learn what it means to be the daughter and son of God!  My prayer is that we might say that we know Him!

Oh Lord, help us!  That we might know You,  Father, Son and Holy Spirit!!