God And You - Is It A Faithful Relationship?

I think we can agree that a relationship regardless of who it is between requires faith, trust, respect, and reliability to exist and to last. This relationship whether it is between friends, a married couple, or between God and you requires certain specific values or expectations to exist, grow, and flourish. The parties to this relationship establish boundaries or expectations that they usually expect from each other. It is through this expectation that each of us has for each other that the relationship grows and strengthens. The trust that develops from being confident in that other person’s word, belief’s, trust shown, respect given, actions, and reliability establishes a bond and relationship which can only grow and deepen. It becomes the foundation of that relationship. The parties of that relationship establish themselves what the level, basis, and or depth that relationship will be.

As you can tell from the title of this article the relationship we want to examine is between you and God. This article is not meant to explore every aspect of this relationship but to focus on the point that a relationship with God requires commitment from both God and You. Specifically this relationship requires faith. This faith means your faith in God and God’s faith in you. Did you ever think about God’s faith in you? Do you know God has faith in you?

In today’s world with most Christian preaching, the message of this relationship appears to be one sided with you being the one being asked to make commitments, sacrifices, and constantly make the effort as you are falling short of your obligations and commitments in this relationship. This emphasis appears to say you can not have a full relationship with God unless you are constantly doing works or meeting some unobtainable or moving standard. I can assure you that God does not see it that way. I do not mean that God is falling short as God is perfect and he loves you. God is the same everyday; faithful in his Word and promises to all who seek him. God is never late with his promises. God is a family. You are a part of that family. You can have a relationship now if you repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.

God is not seeking a one way relationship with you just to prove his power and authority as the Supreme Being (Colossians 1:18). God sent his Son Jesus Christ into this world to bear witness to the truth and to show his love for us (1 John 4:9). Jesus told this to Pontius Pilate when asked. He did not come to govern by force but by spiritual influence (John 18: 37). As was discussed above any relationship requires commitment, trust, and faith in the other person. It is no different in a relationship with God. In a relationship you should know the other person’s character and what to expect. In this relationship God knows who and what you are or are not, and He has accepted you “as is” and is seeking a relationship with you. Have you fully accepted God and his son Jesus Christ as your Savior to start this relationship? Do not let Satan and the uninformed deceive you and paint a picture of this relationship which is not supported by Scripture.

God instructs us to have faith in our Lord our God. Why does God command this? He commands this so we will learn to walk in righteous and accept what he has done for us. The righteous will walk by faith (Romans 1:17). The righteous from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe (Romans 3: 22). He commands us to put him first. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrew 11:1). By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible (Hebrews 11: 2-3).

The bible at Hebrew 11: 6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God because any one who comes to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. We learn from Romans 5:1 that we have been justified through faith therefore we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We gain access by faith in to this grace or relationship in which we now stand (Romans 5:2) or when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior.

Our relationship with God starts when we start to recognize that God is calling us in our daily lives. The foundation of this relationship begins when we accept God and His Son Jesus Christ as Our Savior. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). The bible at 1 John 4: 15 states “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.” We see from this Verse and Verse 16 the love God has for us. When we accept this relationship it is the beginning of our faith. This decision will be the most important decision of our lives. It is so important that your response will define your life here on earth and for all eternity. The majority of people have failed to address this critical issue in a serious manner whether we are speaking generally of the population or those who profess to be a Christian. The decision to accept or reject Jesus Christ and his “Word” or “Truth” is a decision that should be made carefully. It is crucial and foundational to any relationship with God.

God loved us so much that he made us in his own image. The bible at Genesis 1: 27 states “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” God has revealed himself to us through creation. This relationship with God began with us being made in his same image with the same feelings and emotions that we experience and can relate to with other fellow human beings in our lives. In short, we experience the same feelings and emotions as God does. I emphasize this to point out that even though you do not see God physically you experience God’s faith in you through his Word, Spirit, and actions. You also experience God’s love for us through others whom have accepted the calling on their lives to live in love and peace. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness (Galatians 5:22). These are the gifts of God to those who seek a relationship with him. God has poured out his love to us by the Holy Spirit. While we were sinners Christ died for us. If we want to enjoy these fruits we must join our lives to His. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. God did not send his Son to condemn the world but to save the world through him (John 3: 16-17).

We can learn of God’s faith and God’s faith in us through the Scriptures. The bible at 1 Thessalonians 5:24 states “The one who calls you is faithful.” Faithful is he. He who has called you is faithful, and if you trust him he will preserve you, the faithful. God has planned before the beginning of time a hope of eternal life with you. God does not lie and his promise of life and salvation through his son Jesus Christ will be fulfilled (Titus 1:1-3). God choose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the spirit and belief in the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13). This promise you must accept as true if you seek a relationship with God as it is a fundamental part of Gods plan, character, and promise to you.

Our God is faithful to his word, character, and promises. The word of the Lord is right and true and he is faithful in all he does (Psalm 33:4). If your faith is weak or if you stumble in your faith and walk with God the bible is clear God will not. The bible at 2 Timothy 2:11-13 establishes one of God’s promises. It states “If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure; we will also reign with him.” If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself. This is a faithful relationship which God promises and you can believe in, have faith in, accept, embrace, and rely on. If you should not have faith it will not nullify God’s faithfulness (Romans 3:3). He will continue to be faithful. The many promises of God can not be changed as they are promises which establish who God is, his perfection, his love for us, and his plan for our lives and our relationship with him.

In Deuteronomy 32:4 it states, “He is a Rock, his works are perfect, and his ways are just, A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. This is the first time in the Bible that God is called a “Rock.” It clearly expresses his perfection, lasting durability, his unchanging faith, and the character of his promises. This faith is part of his promise and guarantee to you which God promises you can rely on. God is a Rock and will fulfill his promises to you which you can count on as part of his relationship with you. This promise of God (as well as all others) you can find comfort and strength in with your relationship with God. You can rely on God’s Word. God is light and in him there is no darkness (1John:1:5). The word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8). The one who believes and does Christ’s word’s is building upon the “Rock.” I sincerely hope you make this choice.

Let look at additional Scripture of God’s faithfulness. In Deuteronomy 7:9 it says “Know therefore that the Lord your God is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” The Lord will be faithful in fulfilling his promises to the righteous. In 1 Corinthians 1:9 the bible says “God who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” God is faithful to his promises and will keep you by his power through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:5). The Lord is faithful and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

In 2 Samuel 22 during the reign of David the Lord delivered David from his enemies. The bible at verse 2-3 quotes David’s faith. It says “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior.” David’s call upon the Lord is an act of faith, trust, and acceptance of Gods Word and Supremacy.

Faith is an action. It is an action on your part and God’s part. God is always there. He will not forsake you. He hears your prayers. God sent his Son Jesus Christ to die for your sins. He is calling you into a relationship with him. Why did or does God do this? He does this because he loves you and has faith in you. He forgives your sins everyday if you ask and are sincere and repented. You need to learn God is faithful for yourself. It’s that important. Do you part to allow God to move in your life by staying in the spirit. If you do what you can do, God will do his part. Take that first step if you have not already done so in your relationship with God.

Jesus knew of his Father’s plan for him to suffer and die as the world’s Redeemer. The promises of God and his divine plan for mankind helped Jesus endure the suffering he experienced during his crucifixion. Jesus, the perfecter of our faith, was faithful to his Father. He is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). I know of no other greater act of love or faith than that of Jesus Christ for us and his Father.

The Bible at Hebrews 11 gives us many examples of faith by Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, David, Moses and others. The Israelites feared the Lord and put their trust in him and his servant Moses when God saved the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians (Exodus 14:31) during the parting of the Red Sea. These men spoke of faith from an internal strength and found God trustworthy to the promises made to them. These men were faithful, followed God, and can be examples of trusting in God through their daily lives even though they had not yet received what had been promised (Hebrews 11:39). This is the promise of the Messiah and the gospel of Jesus Christ. All must repent and accept Jesus Christ. It is clear that faith is strongest when it is placed in someone who has proven trustworthy. God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ “the Rock” have proven trustworthy. The message here is that these men believed and acted in faith and did as they were instructed. We too must act in faith.

We can see that God’s faithfulness is enduring, lasting, and will not change. How is your faith in God? Have you accepted a relationship with God and his Son Jesus Christ? Have you accepted the Bible and the above as truth, or are you waiting for God to prove himself or perform in someway before you begin your walk or fully accept Jesus Christ as your Savior? I urge you to pray and seek God’s guidance if you are still undecided.

If you are experiencing problems in your life, know that God is not the designer of that illness, unhappiness, financial problem, or the problem or strife in your life that is affecting you. God is good and loving and wants to lift these burdens from you. We must learn and accept that God is always ready with his word, blessings, and promises. He is never late. He is waiting for you to accept him and his word and have faith. Faith is the key. We must remove those doubts from our lives and learn to think about God in the right way and have faith in him. We must remove those obstacles and any doubts from our lives that prevent us from accepting God’s promise of salvation through faith fully. God will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises (2 Peter 3:9). We grow in our faith often in difficult times which teaches and tests us whether we truly accept our relationship with God. God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13).

I urge you to examine your life and whether you accept your relationship with God. God is only asking you to believe and have faith while being led by the Spirit. You do not have to do any works to earn God’s favor and salvation. It is important to be faithful so that we can be witnesses for God and teach others. We must come to a place where we accept one hundred percent God’s existence, God’s plan for our lives, and the blood sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins. The faith you show releases God’s power in your life. If we confess our sins God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from unrighteous (1 John 1:9). We are purified by obeying the truth through the Spirit (1 Peter 1:22).

A relationship with God is not one side and is not about asking God for gifts and material things. It is deeper than that and goes beyond the realm of servant and master as many see and view it and conduct their lives. It is a loving relationship with emotions and responsibilities that can only be received and given through acceptance, commitment, faith, actions, and prayer. It is a relationship between God the Father and his son Jesus Christ who is the Savior of this world. There is a comfort in knowing God is there for you at all times and not just when it is convenient when we want him in our lives. It is a full time relationship and only experienced once you fully accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. The bible is clear that God is faithful. Why is God faithful? He does not need to be faithful to himself if that is why he established this world. God established this world and his master plan to have a relationship with YOU. The bible at Psalms 117:2 states “For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.” This is his promise of everlasting love for us.

Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). The righteous from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe (Romans 3:22). It is impossible to please God without faith and any one who comes to him must believe that he exists and that God rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11: 6).

Let love and faithfulness never leave you, bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:3). If you trust in the Lord and in all your ways acknowledge him, he will make straight your path (Proverbs 3:5). If you seek a relationship with God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ, grow in faith and put on the armor of God, for we are assured victory in our lives and our relationship.

When you think about God’s faith in you, the following should be considered. God had planned for your life before the human race or world was made. God sent his Son Jesus Christ to be your intercessor with Him. God created you in his own image wanting you to have dominion over this world. God gave you the ability to think and make decisions for yourself. God’s has always planned and wanted a relationship with you. God has always wanted a relationship with his creation which is a part of his divine plan. It is God’s divine plan to establish a kingdom here on earth which will rebuke Satan’s attempt to challenge his authority and supremacy by calling mankind to everlasting life and perfection through Jesus Christ.

While it is nice and beneficial to read about God’s relationship with other’s, it is better to experience your own relationship and live it. The learning about other’s faith and life does not make you alive in Jesus Christ, only your actions will. Jesus said at John 11:25 “I am the RESSURRECTION AND THE LIFE (emphasis mine).” He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. God wants to know what is in your heart. Life is short but are you ready for eternity? He that comes to the Father through his son Jesus Christ will not be cast out or driven away (John 6: 37). God and his son Jesus Christ are faithful and they will be faithful to you if you desire and seek a relationship with God. May the peace, love, and blessings of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

(c) 2012 All rights reserved.