> You know, they say the only way to salvation is through Christ, and I believe that. I'd say I'm pretty up on all my theology, except for one rather important thing: when I hear the phrase "relationship with Christ" or "relationship with God", I don't have any idea what it means. This is kind of distressing me, so if any of you have an answer I'd like to hear it.
>
> -Eric "Except from Wes" Sleator
> Sun 19 Aug A.D. 2001


I have a booklet entitled "Would you like to know God personally?" and I'll quote parts of it since it does a wonderful job of answering your question. It does get a bit redundant in parts, but just bear with that. Paragraphs prefixed with **** are not quotes, but me. If something doesn't make sense to anyone, *please* ask, or see one of the links mentioned below.

Dear Friend --
Yes, you can know God personally, as presumptuous as that may sound. God is so eager to establish a personal, loving relationship with you that He has already made all the arrangements. He is patiently and lovingly waiting for you to respond to His invitation. You can receive forgiveness of your sins and assurance of eternal life through faith in His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. --Bill Bright [Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc.]

****This booklet uses the "Four Laws" approach. I'll just quote points one through three without explanation since you said you were familiar with the theology. If anyone would like to learn more, however, see http://www.greatcom.org/laws/english/flash/ (flash version) or http://www.greatcom.org/laws/english/ (printable version) for a thorough presentation of the Four Laws.

1. God loves you and created you to know Him personally.
2. But since man is sinful and separated from God, we alone cannot know Him personally or experience His love.
3. Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin. Through Him alone we can know God personally and experience God's love.

****Even Satan believes this. So what makes the difference? How do you become a Christian? A personal relationship with God. This is the *only way* to get to heaven. And there is *only one way* to have this relationship, but it's a free gift from a loving creator; all we have to do is take it.

The Fourth Law: We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know God personally and experience His love.

Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive us of our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of our will.

Two kinds of lives:

Self-Directed Life --
Self is on the throne
Christ is outside the life
Interests are directed by self, often resulting in discord and frustration

Christ-Directed Life --
Christ is in the life and on the throne
Self is yielding to Christ
Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God's plan

****A personal relationship with God involves putting Christ in the center of your life. In Revelation 3:20, Christ says "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him." That means God's son will come into your life and be your friend. God's spirit will dwell within your heart. Relationships don't get any better than that.


Gahalia