So. God is immensely more than the conclusion of a logical argument. He is infinitely more than a philosophical principle. And heaven forbid he be reduced to a mere religious practice regardless of the ethereal, spiritual satisfaction such practice might bring.
God is a real person, and as a person he can be known. But, we need to say more than that. We need to also say not only that he can be known but that he should be known.
There are two reasons human beings should pursue a relationship with God. The first is that we were created for just such a pursuit. The meaning of life is bound up in a genuine relationship with our personal Creator. We are made to know God and live in relationship with God.
The second reason a person should pursue a relationship with God is because, really, the only way to truly know a person is through a personal relationship with them. So it is with God. The only way to truly know and understand and appreciate him for who he is is to engage in a relationship with him.
Arguments and quarrels lead to conflict not relationship. Round table discussions may lead to greater familiarity about a subject but not necessarily greater knowledge of the subject. We can talk about God all we want. We can, if we must, argue and attempt to persuade one another, but the only truly effective way for any of us to know God is through a personal relationship with him.
That leads us to the question, “How does a person have a personal relationship with God?”
I’m so very glad you asked. That’s a wonderful question. The Bible, God’s self-revelation, tells us that God is spirit as well as person, so we must expect that a relationship with him will be a spiritual relationship. It will be a relationship of the heart that appeals to our own spiritual nature. While sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell may get involved in some ways (we are whole people after all), a personal relationship with God is first and foremost a relationship based in faith.
Faith is the conviction that God is all he says and shows that he is. “Without faith,” the Bible says, “it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6, NKJV). Faith is usually the hard part, because so many of us have learned to trust only what we can see or touch or taste or smell or hear. But faith is the evidence of things not seen. Faith reaches God where empirical studies fail.
How do we get faith? Faith is a gift from God, and God loves to give gifts to those who ask for it. Start by asking God for the faith to know him and have a relationship with him. Start by opening the dialogue, making yourself accessible and open to the relationship.
Next, the Bible gives us this assistance: “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” God has given us his word, the Bible. Read it. Read it for yourself. This is God’s personal revelation of himself to each of us. Are there hard things to understand in the Bible? Yes. But there are hard things to understand in the lives of people all around us. All we have to do is ask them to clarify themselves for us. So it is with God. He wants us to know and understand him, so he gave us his word, and when it’s hard, just ask him to make it clear.
As you read and listen, take note of God’s character and nature. The Bible is God’s story about himself, and therefore must, in its entirety, be a true and trustworthy revelation of who he is, which it is.
Accept the invitations God offers you and do what he commands. This leads to experiencing the presence of God in your own life situations. I experience the depth of my wife’s gratitude when I do what she asks. I experience the simplicity of her wisdom when I ask her opinion. I experience the burden of her disappointment when I fail and her forgiveness when I seek it out. It is not different with God.
Finally, recognize and rejoice in God’s love. His love for you is infinite and unconditional. You begin to sense the magnitude of his affection as you walk in relationship with him.
That’s the Good News. God the person seeks a personal relationship with you that you can have with him through faith which he will give you when you ask with a sincere heart.
Pastor Dale McIntire has served as pastor of the Cornerstone Community Church in Grand Marais since April of 1995.
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