Originally Posted by Eliseus
The believer has a 'personal relationship' with the Lord. But what exactly does this mean? Is there such a thing as an impersonal relationship with someone? If you have a relationship with another person or individual, then surely you have a personal relationship with them. The question then is one of depth - is your relationship with that individual shallow, superficial, a facade? Or is it deep, intimate, trusting?
It does good to exhort sinners to 'have a personal relationship with the Lord. After all, without it, they will be lost. They begin their relationship through evangelism, by hearing the Word of Faith, the gospel. They enter into that relationship through conversion, whereby they become subjects of the King, children of the Father, the Redeemed, the lost sheep that has been found and rescued from certain death.
But admittedly their relationship is but newly developed, and therefore, in order to 'grow in grace and knowledge', they must grow in their understanding of their relationship with the Lord. We all need to grow deeper in that relationship, and one of the ways we can do this is to take some time and consider what is involved in this relationship... just what kind of relationship do we have with the Lord?
People relate to each other on many levels and in many ways. My wife is just that - my wife. But she is also the mother of our children. She is also the keeper of our house. She is also my partner, my 'help that is meet for me'. She is my lover. She is my confidant. She is many many things to me.
So too the Lord is many many things to us.
Consider the following relationships, or aspects of our relationship, with the Lord:
1. King. The Lord is our King. A sKing He has taken upon Himself certain obligations - to not only guide and rule us justly and wisely, but also to protect us from enemies. He has promised to see to our needs, as any proper civil government would. He has obligated Himself with a responsibility to us, as our King. And that is also reciprocal. As His subjects, citizens of His kingdom, we are obligated to Him, to give Him fealty, loyalty, to defend His cause against all others and against all rivals, to submit to His rule, to prefer His kingdom to any other, His law to any other, His sovereignty to any other (including our own).
2. God. The Lord is also our God. Again, He has obligated Himself in certain respects towards us. A 'god' is a king, only magnified infinitely. As our God He expects our worship and obedience, and likewise we may expect His protection, guidance, and deliverance, His Providence to rightly and wisely order our affairs. We are blessed to be His PEOPLE, HIS people, and to have Him for our only God.
3. Father. The Lord is our Father. He takes us, when we were orphans (fatherless), and becomes a Father to us... a provider, a protector, a leader, comforter, a trainer, a teacher...Because He is our Father, we are His children, and as such, we are heirs to His kingdom (for our Father is also a great King!). The Kingdom is for our benefit. If we are righteous children, meaning we are not rebellious against Him, He will train us to manage His kingdom. Isn't that something? As children of God we are being trained by our Father to manage HIS KINGDOM!!! As Father, we also have a special audience with Him. He is not JUST a King, but He is OUR DAD. We can enter His presence boldly, to request aid, to express our complaints about whatever may be bothering us, about wrongs that need to be righted, or even just to sit down and have a talk with Him!
4. Redeemer. Of course He is our redeemer. He saved us remember? But He continues as our Redeemer. As Redeemer He has taken upon Himself the task of DELIVERING US FROM BONDAGE. Are you in bondage? Look to your Redeemer! He is faithful, and has already paid the price!
This is but the absolute tip of the iceberg. We need to know Him, personally, as not merely King, God, father, Redeemer, but as our Overseer (bishop), as our Wisdom, our Righteousness, Justification, Sanctification. As our Passover, as our sin-offering, as our Atonement, as our High Priest and Mediator, as our Prophet, as our Healer and Great Physician, as the one who bears our burdens, the one who was made to be sin for us, the one who is the Prince of Peace, the Wonderful, as our Counsellor, Advocate, Comforter...
And many many many other relations we have with Him. If you want to develop your 'personal relationship' with the Lord, think upon these various relations, and seek to have them revealed to you by the Spirit... it is not enough to just have an intellectual comprehension of the fact of the particular relationship, but what is needed is a REVELATION TO THE SOUL of Christ, as one's Father, Lord, King, Healer, Priest, Comforter, Wisdom, Holiness, Redemption, Resurrection, Bread from heaven, and so forth.
Go to the Lord with His Word, take His promises and statements He has made about Himself, sit as His feet, and present to Him His own claims, and humbly ask Him to reveal Himself to you in the fullness of those divine promises. Seek Him, and He will be found.
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