A relationship with God?

There is, within the mystery of God’s divine nature, a relationship between the Father and the Son whom he sent into the world. This is a relationship of love: “the Father loves the Son” said Jesus (John 5.20). He also tells his disciples that “the world must learn that I love the Father” (John 14.31). There is therefore a deep love relationship existing in God, and this was so in eternity before the world began: Jesus tells his Father, “You loved me before the creation of the world” (John 17.24). 

  All this mind-boggling and totally unique revelation ensures that “God is love” (1 John 4.8), from all eternity. And his love overflows to the personal creatures he brought into being, so that we ourselves may enter into a loving and harmonious relationship with the God of love. Amazing – but true! This is our “raison d’être”; this is what our human existence is really all about. So failing to be in meaningful relationship with God is what it means to be “lost”. And to enter into this relationship with the God whose love is strong, compassionate, faithful, and eternal is to find the most wonderful fulfilment of which human beings are capable.

If this sounds unrealistic, you should realise that millions of believers in Jesus know this in their experience. The key question, then, is how do we enter into this relationship?

In fact, some kind of relationship exists already between you and God; it may be distant, indeed, it may be quite negative if you don’t want God in your life. But God is not far away from you. He calls people throughout the world to come to him, to trust in him, to commit to following him. 

When Jesus was asked what was the first and the most important commandment, his reply was both clear and radical: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12.29-30). God wants you to love him – because he first loves you.

To love God is to be in a harmonious relationship with him. He is not only the divine Lover, he is a heavenly Father – and he is also our Creator, our Lord, and our Master. Loving God involves seeking to please him – as Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14.15). Now pay attention particularly to this that Jesus added: “Whoever has my commandments and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him… My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14.21-23). He is saying that God, Father, and Son, will come to dwell in the hearts of those who respond to his love by loving him in return.

This is how a harmonious relationship with God starts. We have first of all to be persuaded that God loves us very much. “This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him” (1 John 4.9). “God demonstrates his love towards us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5.8). “The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2.20). Meditate on that until it warms your heart!

Clive Every-Clayton