When Jesus began His earthly ministry, He went to different
places, sought different people, and told them to come and follow Him. He ate
with people of difference occupations and beliefs, and to all of them He spoke about
being in a relationship with the Father. For each of those people whom He met,
Jesus explained the great love of God, that He wanted none of them to be lost
forever, but to have an eternal relationship with Him. He explained this depth
of relationship with the most astonishing verse ever written in the Bible. Jesus
said, “God loved the people of the world so much, that He gave His only Son
(Jesus), so that whoever believes in Him will not perish forever from a
relationship with Him, but will have eternal life with Him” (John 3:16, my
paraphrase). God wants no one to be lost to sin and death.
This being the case, that God loves us, you, so much that He
sent Jesus to die for you, we realize Jesus’ earthly ministry was very
important. Jesus didn’t go to a person and say God loves you, then go away. No,
Jesus spent time with the people, especially His disciples. He taught them about
having new life. Jesus taught the followers about having a relationship with
God. He used His relationship as an example for the people. Jesus prayed the
believers would be one, just as He and the Father are one. John recorded this
prayer in John 17:21, but please read that whole chapter; it’s important. To be
“one,” means to be in a relationship, but not just any kind of relationship. It
means to be in a close, life-altering relationship. It requires work on your
part. Let’s consider two examples to help us understand the degree of this
closeness.
When you first met the person of your dreams, you didn’t go
to them and say, “Let’s get married now.” No, you called the person, dated him
or her. You spent time with the person and thought about that person often. You
may have sent letters or emails, possibly left cards on his or her car or sent
flowers. These were ways to deepen your relationship.
Let’s consider another example. When you crave cake, you
think of the ingredients and decide which flavor you want to taste. You take
the cocoa from the cabinet and put it in the bowl. You add flour, eggs, butter,
baking soda, salt, and milk. Now, you have poured all these into the bowl and you
step back. There’s still no cake. You might have the right ingredients for
cake, but there was no personal effort to mix it so it can become (grow) into
what you desire. That’s like going to church, hearing a sermon, listening to some
songs, and giving a tithe, but not giving of yourself, putting no personal
effort into it. Without applying what you know, like mixing the cake
ingredients in the bowl which is adding yourself and effort, your ingredients
won’t become a cake. This is the same as having a close relationship with God.
You must apply yourself in the relationship-go to Him, read the Bible, worship
Him at church, pray to Him regularly, take to heart the sermons and Bible studies
you hear, and seek His will. Without your effort to seek God, your relationship
with Him won’t grow. You would understand all the right things to do, but you wouldn’t
have applied yourself to the effort. Your lack of effort to have a close
relationship with God means you do not really love Him.
Jesus realized relationships required effort. He preached about
it in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and keep on
asking, and it will be given to you. Seek, and keep on seeking, and you will
find. Knock, and keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you. For everyone
who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks the
door will be opened.” Jesus spoke about being in relationship with God while he
walked with people on earth. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. It
requires personal effort; it requires drive to want to have a relationship with
God. If you just want to taste the individual ingredients, you are missing the
party. The cake is so much better when you mix it and invite some friends. Mix
the ingredients of your cake and taste the fruit of your rewards. The fruit of
putting in the effort with God is a vital, personal relationship with Him.
Lord, please help us
realize having a relationship with You is not about checking the boxes as if
faith is a task. It is about being with You, seeking You, and talking to You.
Help us add to our faith, hope and love, and with those a desire to be with
You.
