* Building a Right Relationship with God - STAYING CLOSE

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.  

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my 

Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, 

that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.    

John 15:9-11

 

Specific Ways To Develop And Maintain A Close Relationship With God

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®       Make one's Bible study personally "profitable"

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Joshua 1:8

Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine...

Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.   1 Timothy 4:13, 15

     Ø       It's important to not read the Bible in a rush.

 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.   Hebrews 8:10

     Ø    Can we talk to God at any time and know that He hears us?

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.  1 John 5:14-15

 Jesus said,

"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you."    John 16:23

     Ø    Can we walk with God? And what exactly does that mean?

He who says he abides in Him [Christ] ought himself also to walk just as He walked.  1 John 2:6

This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.   2 John 1:6

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.   1 John 2:3

In the Bible, the word walk is often used to refer to one's lifestyle—how we live our life. To walk according to God's Word means to apply it, to put it into action. To walk with God means to obey His commandments and to follow—imitate—Jesus' example.

 ®       Does spiritual fasting also help in drawing close to God?

 Then I [Ezra] proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions... 

So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.   Ezra 8:21, 23

"But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."   Matthew 6:17-18

"Now, therefore," says the LORD, "turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."   Joel 2:12

Among the spiritual tools for drawing closer to God, fasting is a real power tool!  We should fast occasionally as a special form of worship and to draw closer to God. Remember, fasting is not done so that you can get what you want from God, fasting changes you as you sacrifice your way and put all of your concentration on God.  When you sincerely fast, God is pleased and will help you grow spiritually.  

 ®       When we meditate on God's ways and His creation, can we learn valuable lessons?

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.   Romans 1:20

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.   Psalm 143:5

I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works.   Psalm 145:5

God has two primary means of revealing Himself to humanity: His written revelation—the Bible—and the evidence of creation. Creation is fascinating, because we never cease to learn from it and be inspired by it. From creation we learn many things about the Creator.

     Ø    Will we be much closer to God if we stay away from bad influences?

 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.  1 Corinthians 15:33

The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.   Proverbs 12:26

. . .  As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Therefore "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what  is unclean, and I will receive you."  "I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."   2 Corinthians 6:16-18

We are continually faced with choices. We often must choose between exposing ourselves to bad influences or surrounding ourselves with good influences (including other believers). God is very displeased when we choose evil or what will lead us toward evil. The mind is like a sponge that will soak up whatever you expose it to, whether good or evil, and what goes in stays in, to a great extent.

A computer is a good comparison. A computer's output depends on what was input. Garbage in, garbage out. God knows our every thought. Don't allow experiences and thoughts in that you will be ashamed of when you face God.  

     Ø    Do materialism and an overly-busy life interfere with relationships?

 "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, materialism]."  Luke 16:13

"Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful."  Mark 4:18-19

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.   1 Timothy 6:9-10

Money is not evil, but the love of money is a major root of evil. So, yes, materialism and a super-busy life interfere with all our relationships and especially our relationship with God. They can choke to death our spiritual life like weeds choke to death the life of garden plants. When money and things become overly important to us, they are becoming our gods, which means we are putting other things before our relationship with God by prioritizing them over God.  

     Ø    Are satanic and demonic influences a significant danger?

 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith...    1 Peter 5:8-9

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  James 4:7

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.   Ephesians 6:11-12

Satan "deceives the whole world":

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.    Revelation 12:9

So even followers of Christ can be deceived by Satan or a demon when we aren't continually on guard. Satan hates all people, but he especially wants to deceive and destroy anyone trying to obey God. We attract Satan and the demons and become vulnerable to them if we are sinning, dabbling in spiritism or the occult, or letting down spiritually in some other way. And when one walks in the way of the devil, he or she is alienating himself or herself from God.  

     Ø    What is an effective and powerful way to stay close to God?

Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."  Acts 2:38

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.   Romans 8:6-9

How is it possible for a mortal human to have an intimate and ongoing relationship with the divine God? The most important key is God's gift of His Spirit to dwell in one's heart and mind! God's Spirit works to transform human nature to a godly nature and the mind of Christ, so instead of being inclined to selfishness and sin, we become inclined toward love and godliness.

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,    Philippians 2:1-5

To receive the Holy Spirit, we must repent of our sins and be baptized.

God desires a close relationship with everyone. In fact, He wants all people to eventually be His "sons and daughters":

"I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty."  2 Corinthians 6:18

Biblical Studies

03/05/22