Can someone tell me what people who claim to be Christians mean when they say they have an intimate relationship with Christ? surely they are not speaking literaly as I find it would be irrational to believe someone could have an intimate or personal relationship with a Spiritual Being. I can understand someone saying I choose to believe in Christ I can say that with a certain amount of conviction, but I fail to understand how anyone is able to say (1) that they and God are intimate and (2) that they know they are going to heaven when they die, I choose to believe I will ,but God may well have other ideas, and justifiably so. I can't even say that I know that the woman I called Mother really was my mother , I may have been adopted for all I know many have been and were never told, I don't believe that to be the case but it could be.
I choose to believe Enoch and Adam walked with and were intimate with God and there may have been a few others like Moses who were intimate with God, It has been said that "Many are called but few are choosen" so how can anyone say I know I am one of the choosen ones?, but I have talked to people who make the claim that they are, and that they have an intimate relationship with God or Christ.
Could someone explain their reasoning to me?
Intimate Relationship With God
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cslewislover
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Re: Intimate Relationship With God
Well, I know that the Lord is with me and in me. When I became saved, He changed me and I knew He was there, and it's been like that ever since. I'm not going to go through all I've been through with my faith and with Him to explain, but I can give one example. One time I was really down. My life seemed ridiculous (well, in a lot of ways it still does!!), and I thought that the Lord must've abandoned me for things to get like they were. So I finally formalized that thought - that the Lord was gone. The moment I did, I felt Him rebuke me. I knew for sure ( 
), then, that He was still there. It's like the article says, though - we have the Holy Spirit and we pray to the Lord and develop that relationship. I'm sure that different people are different - some having spiritual closeness that they can feel right away, and others taking longer. To me, it's like something was added to me . . . and that's just the way it is . . . like getting a new organ; and then keeping the relationship up through prayer and obedience. Maybe some others will respond.
The following is from GotQuestions?org http://www.gotquestions.org/personal-re ... h-God.html. You may know these things already, but I thought I'd post it anyway.
Question: "What does it mean to have a personal relationship with God?"
Answer: Having a personal relationship with God begins the moment we realize our need for Him, admit we are sinners, and in faith receive Jesus Christ as Savior. God, our heavenly Father, has always desired to be close to us, to have a relationship with us. Before Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden (Genesis chapter 3), both he and Eve knew God on an intimate, personal level. They walked with Him in the Garden and talked directly to Him. Due to the sin of man, we became separated and disconnected from God.
What many people do not know, realize, or care about, is that Jesus gave us the most amazing gift—the opportunity to spend eternity with God if we trust in Him. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). God became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ to take on our sin, be killed, and then be raised to life again, proving His victory over sin and death. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). If we accept this gift, we have become acceptable to God and can have a relationship with Him.
Having a personal relationship with God means we should include God in our daily lives. We should pray to Him, read His word, and meditate on verses in an effort to get to know Him better. We should pray for wisdom (James 1:5), which is the most valuable asset we could ever have. We should take our requests to Him, asking in Jesus' name (John 15:16). Jesus is the one who loves us enough to give His life for us (Romans 5:8), and He is the one who bridged the gap between us and God.
The Holy Spirit has been given to us as our Counselor. “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:15-17). Jesus said this before He died, and after He died the Holy Spirit became available to all who earnestly seek to receive Him. He is the one who lives in the hearts of believers and never leaves. He counsels us, teaches us truths, and changes our hearts. Without this divine Holy Spirit, we would not have the ability to fight against evil and temptations. But since we do have Him, we begin to produce the fruit that comes from allowing the Spirit to control us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
This personal relationship with God is not as hard to find as we might think, and there is no mysterious formula for getting it. As soon as we become children of God, we receive the Holy Spirit, who will begin to work on our hearts. We should pray without ceasing, read the Bible, and join a Bible-believing church; all these things will help us to grow spiritually. Trusting in God to get us through each day and believing that He is our sustainer is the way to have a relationship with Him. Although we may not see changes immediately, we will begin to see them over time, and all the truths will become clear.
Recommended Resource: Seeking the Face of God: The Path to a More Intimate Relationship with Him by Gary Thomas.
), then, that He was still there. It's like the article says, though - we have the Holy Spirit and we pray to the Lord and develop that relationship. I'm sure that different people are different - some having spiritual closeness that they can feel right away, and others taking longer. To me, it's like something was added to me . . . and that's just the way it is . . . like getting a new organ; and then keeping the relationship up through prayer and obedience. Maybe some others will respond.The following is from GotQuestions?org http://www.gotquestions.org/personal-re ... h-God.html. You may know these things already, but I thought I'd post it anyway.
Question: "What does it mean to have a personal relationship with God?"
Answer: Having a personal relationship with God begins the moment we realize our need for Him, admit we are sinners, and in faith receive Jesus Christ as Savior. God, our heavenly Father, has always desired to be close to us, to have a relationship with us. Before Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden (Genesis chapter 3), both he and Eve knew God on an intimate, personal level. They walked with Him in the Garden and talked directly to Him. Due to the sin of man, we became separated and disconnected from God.
What many people do not know, realize, or care about, is that Jesus gave us the most amazing gift—the opportunity to spend eternity with God if we trust in Him. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). God became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ to take on our sin, be killed, and then be raised to life again, proving His victory over sin and death. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). If we accept this gift, we have become acceptable to God and can have a relationship with Him.
Having a personal relationship with God means we should include God in our daily lives. We should pray to Him, read His word, and meditate on verses in an effort to get to know Him better. We should pray for wisdom (James 1:5), which is the most valuable asset we could ever have. We should take our requests to Him, asking in Jesus' name (John 15:16). Jesus is the one who loves us enough to give His life for us (Romans 5:8), and He is the one who bridged the gap between us and God.
The Holy Spirit has been given to us as our Counselor. “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:15-17). Jesus said this before He died, and after He died the Holy Spirit became available to all who earnestly seek to receive Him. He is the one who lives in the hearts of believers and never leaves. He counsels us, teaches us truths, and changes our hearts. Without this divine Holy Spirit, we would not have the ability to fight against evil and temptations. But since we do have Him, we begin to produce the fruit that comes from allowing the Spirit to control us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
This personal relationship with God is not as hard to find as we might think, and there is no mysterious formula for getting it. As soon as we become children of God, we receive the Holy Spirit, who will begin to work on our hearts. We should pray without ceasing, read the Bible, and join a Bible-believing church; all these things will help us to grow spiritually. Trusting in God to get us through each day and believing that He is our sustainer is the way to have a relationship with Him. Although we may not see changes immediately, we will begin to see them over time, and all the truths will become clear.
Recommended Resource: Seeking the Face of God: The Path to a More Intimate Relationship with Him by Gary Thomas.
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cslewislover
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Re: Intimate Relationship With God
I read this a while back, and your question reminded me of it. Maybe this will help you. This is from http://www.rbc.org/bible-study/been-thi ... olumn.aspx
What God Said To Me
Mart: What if I told you that God has been speaking to me about an issue that I haven't been able to put out of my mind?
Because you know me, you don't think I'm claiming to have heard God speak in an audible voice. You assume that I have had an idea that I believe has the signature of God written all over it. So you decide to hear me out.
Listen to what I'm saying
You hear me say, “I've been praying about what we can do to reach more people with the message of hope and peace, and the Lord has laid on my heart that we've been too cautious. We need to believe God for miracles, take risks of faith, and commit ourselves to outreach projects that, admittedly, are beyond our ability to afford. After asking God for clear direction, He has given me a pretty amazing vision for an idea I want to talk to you about.”
As you listen, you try to keep an open mind, but are not able to share my enthusiasm. You think the idea sounds more like presumption than a way to show our faith. But you don't say this to my face, because who are you to tell me that I haven't heard from the Lord?
What are you to make of this?
What's happening here? Why am I able to believe God for a miracle but you are not? Is it possible that I have a sensitive ear to the Lord's leading while you are more inclined to depend on human logic? Or am I using “spiritual talk” as a cover for my own ambition?
These are not easy issues to talk about. None of us want our efforts for Christ to be motivated by human agenda. We want our leaders to be prayerful, spiritually sensitive, and responsive to what they believe God wants us to do. The Bible makes it clear that God uses people to speak on His behalf. The apostle Paul advised the Thessalonians, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-20).
I'm convinced, though, that the possible misuse of spiritual-sounding language and “God talk” gives us reason to think carefully about how we use phrases like these:
“God has been speaking to me…”
“I've been praying about this…”
“The Lord has laid this on my heart…”
“God told me to say…”
“I was led to come to you…”
“God revealed to me…”
“God reminded me of a Scripture…”
“God called to my mind…”
What are the motives?
Sometimes we talk like this to let others hear our desire to be in step with God. On other occasions we use such phrases as a way of writing God's signature under our ideas to make it difficult for others to disagree with us. We sense, even subconsciously, that when people hear us talk about “what God has laid on our heart,” they will be less apt to ask questions.
We can't afford to be gullible or naí¯ve
After saying, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies,” the apostle Paul went on to say, “Test all things” (v.21). The apostle John also said in his first New Testament letter, “Test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1 NIV). Both Paul and John reflect a caution that had been expressed earlier by the prophet Ezekiel. In the sixth century before Christ, he quoted God as saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: 'Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!' ” (Ezekiel 13:1-3 NIV).
A subtle misuse of quotes
If we casually say, “God said to me” or “The Lord spoke to my heart,” we blur the lines between what we know God said in His Word and what we think He might have said through our inner awareness.
This erasing of boundaries is an important issue. Even under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul was careful to distinguish between the Word of God and his own personal conviction (1 Corinthians 7:10,12).
At stake is our own discernment and the honor of the Word of God. If in normal conversation we speak as if what God says to us through our inner inclinations is equal to what He has said through Scripture, we are competing, even unintentionally, with the authority of the Bible.
Honoring the Word of God
So the question then becomes, “How do we speak for God?” After all, the apostle Peter wrote, “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God” (1 Peter 4:11 NIV).
Our answer needs to be rooted in an honest and reverent respect for the difference between our thoughts and God's thoughts. If we are sure that God has said something in Scripture, we need to quote Him accurately and with conviction. If we believe we are thinking in a manner that is consistent with His thoughts, then we need to say, “I think,” or “I believe this is a course of action that would please God,” or “I believe this direction is consistent with the teachings of Scripture.” The key factor is honesty.
The addition of “I think” or “I believe” may seem like a small matter. But the issue is big. It is the issue that God Himself expressed to Ezekiel when he said, “They say, 'The Lord declares,' when the Lord has not sent them; yet they expect their words to be fulfilled. Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, 'The Lord declares,' though I have not spoken?” (Ezekiel 13:6-7).
Dear Lord, Help us to be sensitive to Your Spirit. We want to speak in Your behalf. We don't want to misquote You. Please help us to show complete confidence in what You have revealed, while being open to questions about our own judgment and opinions. —Mart De Haan
What God Said To Me
Mart: What if I told you that God has been speaking to me about an issue that I haven't been able to put out of my mind?
Because you know me, you don't think I'm claiming to have heard God speak in an audible voice. You assume that I have had an idea that I believe has the signature of God written all over it. So you decide to hear me out.
Listen to what I'm saying
You hear me say, “I've been praying about what we can do to reach more people with the message of hope and peace, and the Lord has laid on my heart that we've been too cautious. We need to believe God for miracles, take risks of faith, and commit ourselves to outreach projects that, admittedly, are beyond our ability to afford. After asking God for clear direction, He has given me a pretty amazing vision for an idea I want to talk to you about.”
As you listen, you try to keep an open mind, but are not able to share my enthusiasm. You think the idea sounds more like presumption than a way to show our faith. But you don't say this to my face, because who are you to tell me that I haven't heard from the Lord?
What are you to make of this?
What's happening here? Why am I able to believe God for a miracle but you are not? Is it possible that I have a sensitive ear to the Lord's leading while you are more inclined to depend on human logic? Or am I using “spiritual talk” as a cover for my own ambition?
These are not easy issues to talk about. None of us want our efforts for Christ to be motivated by human agenda. We want our leaders to be prayerful, spiritually sensitive, and responsive to what they believe God wants us to do. The Bible makes it clear that God uses people to speak on His behalf. The apostle Paul advised the Thessalonians, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-20).
I'm convinced, though, that the possible misuse of spiritual-sounding language and “God talk” gives us reason to think carefully about how we use phrases like these:
“God has been speaking to me…”
“I've been praying about this…”
“The Lord has laid this on my heart…”
“God told me to say…”
“I was led to come to you…”
“God revealed to me…”
“God reminded me of a Scripture…”
“God called to my mind…”
What are the motives?
Sometimes we talk like this to let others hear our desire to be in step with God. On other occasions we use such phrases as a way of writing God's signature under our ideas to make it difficult for others to disagree with us. We sense, even subconsciously, that when people hear us talk about “what God has laid on our heart,” they will be less apt to ask questions.
We can't afford to be gullible or naí¯ve
After saying, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies,” the apostle Paul went on to say, “Test all things” (v.21). The apostle John also said in his first New Testament letter, “Test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1 NIV). Both Paul and John reflect a caution that had been expressed earlier by the prophet Ezekiel. In the sixth century before Christ, he quoted God as saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: 'Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!' ” (Ezekiel 13:1-3 NIV).
A subtle misuse of quotes
If we casually say, “God said to me” or “The Lord spoke to my heart,” we blur the lines between what we know God said in His Word and what we think He might have said through our inner awareness.
This erasing of boundaries is an important issue. Even under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul was careful to distinguish between the Word of God and his own personal conviction (1 Corinthians 7:10,12).
At stake is our own discernment and the honor of the Word of God. If in normal conversation we speak as if what God says to us through our inner inclinations is equal to what He has said through Scripture, we are competing, even unintentionally, with the authority of the Bible.
Honoring the Word of God
So the question then becomes, “How do we speak for God?” After all, the apostle Peter wrote, “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God” (1 Peter 4:11 NIV).
Our answer needs to be rooted in an honest and reverent respect for the difference between our thoughts and God's thoughts. If we are sure that God has said something in Scripture, we need to quote Him accurately and with conviction. If we believe we are thinking in a manner that is consistent with His thoughts, then we need to say, “I think,” or “I believe this is a course of action that would please God,” or “I believe this direction is consistent with the teachings of Scripture.” The key factor is honesty.
The addition of “I think” or “I believe” may seem like a small matter. But the issue is big. It is the issue that God Himself expressed to Ezekiel when he said, “They say, 'The Lord declares,' when the Lord has not sent them; yet they expect their words to be fulfilled. Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, 'The Lord declares,' though I have not spoken?” (Ezekiel 13:6-7).
Dear Lord, Help us to be sensitive to Your Spirit. We want to speak in Your behalf. We don't want to misquote You. Please help us to show complete confidence in what You have revealed, while being open to questions about our own judgment and opinions. —Mart De Haan
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new-medic
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Re: Intimate Relationship With God
I could never be as eloquent as CSLL, or add to that great reply, but I can only tell you what I experienced myself. Once I began having a sincere, deep prayer life, including partial fasting, I began to have a "personal" relationship with God. He spoke to me in rhema word, through random scripture I was directed to or stumbled across, incidences that answered prayers directly; too many things to just call coincidence.
I admit now that I have backslid, and have not spent nearly enough time in prayer or study of the Word, and I miss that feeling of connection. I am working to get it back! Seek the Lord while He may be found, call on Him while He is near.
It took work on my part, and once you "get it", you get it...hard to explain, for me.
I admit now that I have backslid, and have not spent nearly enough time in prayer or study of the Word, and I miss that feeling of connection. I am working to get it back! Seek the Lord while He may be found, call on Him while He is near.
It took work on my part, and once you "get it", you get it...hard to explain, for me.
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ageofknowledge
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Re: Intimate Relationship With God
cslewis gets my vote as well new-medic. I argue with God too much... lol.
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imoneru?
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Re: Intimate Relationship With God
Me to , but then didn't King David as well? and God still called him a man after his own heart...Rayageofknowledge wrote:cslewis gets my vote as well new-medic. I argue with God too much... lol.