Listening to a recorded message this past week, the minister made this statement, which I’ve heard often throughout the years, and which in and of itself, is somewhat harmonious with the gospel, but in another sense, if taken essentially at face value, to me, lacks much clarification! Speaking about the difference between true and false Christianity, the speaker made the following comment, that ‘true salvation is a personal relationship with the living God.” This sounds absolutely wondrous, and I can hardly think of anything that could even compare to this? Interestingly though, in my early years as an Arminian ‘soul winner,’ this is the exact phrase that I would use, in telling others what made my form of ‘Christianity’ different from perhaps those that only viewed the Christian religion, as consisting of certain rules and regulations that one had to follow in order to merit eternal life; basically, just like all the other religions in this world! To counteract this notion, I would speak of my ‘personal relationship’ with Christ, and the fact that Christianity was not a religion, but a relationship! This was probably one of the most notable facets of my false faith back then, that I considered my relationship with God to be one of the pillars of my assurance, and that which sort of set me apart, and perhaps even above your typical churchgoer, especially these days!
But what are we even talking about when we think about a relationship with that God, that ONE GOD, out of whose incomprehensively holy and pure essence flows all life; the I AM, Absolute, Eternal and Unchangeable, who sustains and maintains all things in accordance with the good pleasure of his will? Whilst it’s blessedly true that the religion of Jesus Christ is gloriously built upon relationship, that relationship is not our relationship with him, nor even his relationship with us, but rather upon the relationship that exists within the Godhead, Christ’s oneness with the Father, and the Holy Spirit within the sacred parameters of that eternal and undivided ONENESS in a most sacredly blessed covenant union out of which flows all of our salvation! II Samuel 23:5.
In my estimation a lot of this personal relationship talk sort of diminishes Christ, as it attempts to bring God down to our level? Additionally, alongside and underneath much of this relationship chatter, this friendship speech, this ‘holy’ familiarity concept there lurks this false notion that a believer is somehow responsible to maintain this relationship with God? How can this be possible? The scriptures level us all, as they repeatedly state in no uncertain terms that ‘every man at his best state is altogether vanity.’ Psalm 39:5. In this light how can fellowship be based upon what we do or don’t do; that fellowship either commences, is maintained, or can be lost upon such precarious ground? We can join with those who asked the Lord, ‘what shall we do, that we might work the works of God?’ John 6:28.
Thankfully it is not built upon such sinking sand, as that of our own initiative and ability to maintain some sort of a relationship! Fellowship with God the Father, in the Lord Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit of Truth can never be based upon something which depends upon us in any sense whatsoever, because if it did, we might as well just forget it, because all those taught in the school of Christ are being reminded continually as to what miserable failures they are in every area of their lives, but at the same time, reminded as to how faithful the LORD is despite their unfaithfulness! Having nothing more or nothing less to offer unto the LORD that might help maintain a communion, or make us any more or any less acceptable in his sight, because that ONE offering has already been presented before the Father, by which Christ has ‘perfected forever them that are sanctified,” Hebrews 10:14, which is our only ground of access, (for through him we ‘have access by one Spirit unto the Father,’ Eph 2:18, even as we are accepted in the beloved ONE. Ephesians 1:6. God alone ‘is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” I Corinthians 1:9. All the communion and fellowship that we have with God in Christ must flow from this Divine Source. It is a fellowship of light and life, I John 1:3, the light of gospel truth as communicated within the framework of that ONE who is the embodiment of that truth, revealing the life that is in Christ.
In relation to maintaining a life of communion in Christ, what about John 15, where the Lord Jesus says, ‘ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you?’ John 15:14. This is no condition in order to maintain a relationship with Christ, but rather a evidential fact depicting the life of those that are in Christ, as being identified with the words of Christ, by observing his commands from a governing principle of faith and love which binds them, unites them, and constrains them to abide in Christ’s words, in his commandments, in his precepts which he writes upon their hearts, and which they follow after, by the energy of the Spirit, in the light of Christ crucified, as influenced by his grace, and constrained by his love.
There is an old hymn that goes something along these lines, ‘though our cup seems filled with gall, there’s something secret which sweetens all,” and that secret is that ‘our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.’ I John 1:3. “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” Psalm 25:14. MPJ