What does it mean to have a relationship with God?

Many of us know facts about God but have never actually met Him. There’s a difference between intellectual knowledge and intimate relationship - and that difference changes everything.

It’s knowing God, not just knowing about Him - Relationship means intimate, personal knowledge of who God really is
It starts now, not later - Eternal lifeWhat is eternal life?Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus personally. It is only possible through Jesus. It means avoiding Hell, but also so much more. Full answer coming soon… begins the moment you receive Christ, bringing abundant life today
It’s based on His love, not your performance - God reconciled you to Himself through Jesus while you were still sinners
It grows through time spent together - Like any relationship, we get to know God by spending time with Him in prayer and His Word
It transforms everything - Understanding God’s true character changes how we see ourselves, our circumstances, and our future

A relationship with God means knowing Him personally - not just knowing about Him. It’s not about religious activities or intellectual theology. Jesus defined it this way in John 17:3 WEB "This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ." KJV "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." John 17:3 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter : “This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.”

This relationship begins the moment you believe in Jesus. 1 John 5:11-12 WEB "The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life." KJV "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." 1 John 5:11-12 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter says, “He who has the Son has the life.” Not something you wait for until heaven - a present reality. Jesus came to give life “more abundantly” ( John 10:10 WEB "The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly." KJV "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter ), addressing your current needs, struggles, and questions right now.

God’s heart has always been relationship. He didn’t create the LawWhat is the difference between law and grace?Law reveals our inability to avoid sin. Grace is God's unearned favor despite our flaws - Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness as a gift. Read full answer → so we could earn His love - He gave it to show humanity’s need for a Savior. Through Jesus, God offers relationship based on faithWhat is faith?Faith is trusting in Jesus Christ - not working up belief, but receiving a gift from God that grows as you hear His Word and dismiss unbelief. Read full answer → and graceWhat is grace?God's unearned favor toward us - a free gift of righteousness and forgiveness through Jesus, not earned by our performance. Read full answer →, not performance ( Ephesians 2:8 WEB "for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God," KJV "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" Ephesians 2:8 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter ). He demonstrated His love while we were still sinners ( Romans 5:8 WEB "But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." KJV "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter ), and now He invites you into closeness with Him.

A deeper look

It’s knowing God, not just knowing about Him

Many of us know facts about God but don’t actually know Him. There’s a difference between intellectual knowledge and intimate relationship. 2 Peter 1:2 WEB "Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord," KJV "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord," 2 Peter 1:2 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter says grace and peace are multiplied “through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord” - not academic knowledge, but personal, experiential knowing.

The Greek word here refers to knowledge that comes from close relationship, not distant observation. We can read about someone famous and know facts about them, but that’s entirely different from sitting with them, talking with them, experiencing who they really are. God wants that closeness with you.

If you want to know an author, you read what they’ve written. God has given us His Word so we can understand His heart, His nature, and His promises. He’s also given us Jesus. John 12:45 WEB "He who sees me sees him who sent me." KJV "And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me." John 12:45 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter says, “He who sees me sees him who sent me.” To know what God is like, look at Jesus.

It starts now, not later

One of the biggest misconceptions about salvationWhat is salvation?Salvation is being made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Its how we gain eternal life and get to know God. Full answer coming soon… is that it’s only about going to heaven when you die. But eternal life isn’t just about duration - it’s about quality and relationship. Jesus said in John 17:3 WEB "This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ." KJV "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." John 17:3 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter that eternal life is knowing the Father and Jesus Christ. That knowing begins now.

The moment you receive Christ, eternal life starts - a present reality, not a future hope. Many of us have cried out for forgivenessWhat is forgiveness?Choosing to release someone from their debt to you because God forgave you first-it's a command, not just a suggestion. Full answer coming soon… but never pursued the real goal: knowing God intimately. We treated salvation like fire insurance instead of the beginning of the most important relationship we’ll ever have.

Jesus came to give life “more abundantly” ( John 10:10 WEB "The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly." KJV "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter ). Fullness, overflow, richness in your relationships, your peace, your purpose - right now. A relationship with God addresses not just your eternal destination but your current needs and struggles today.

It’s based on His love, not your performance

Understanding God’s true nature is essential for a healthy relationship with Him. Many of us have a distorted view of God that stems from misunderstanding the Old Testament Law. We see God as angry, distant, or waiting to punish. But that’s not who He is.

The Law wasn’t given so we could earn God’s love. Romans 7:13 WEB "Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by producing death in me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might..." KJV "Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid . But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful." Romans 7:13 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter and Galatians 3:24 WEB "So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith." KJV "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." Galatians 3:24 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter explain that it was given to magnify sinWhat is sin?Sin is falling short of God's standard, and used to separate us from Him. The law revealed sin, and Jesus took the punishment for us. Read full answer → and show humanity’s need for a Savior. It was never meant to be the path to relationship - it was meant to point us to Jesus.

1 John 4:8 WEB "He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love." KJV "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." 1 John 4:8 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter declares, “God is loveWhat is God like?God is love - not just loving, but love itself. He's personal, relational, good, and deeply invested in you. Everything about Him flows from love. Read full answer →.” Not that God has love or shows love sometimes, but that love is fundamental to who He is. Romans 5:8 WEB "But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." KJV "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter says God demonstrated His love while we were still sinners. He didn’t wait for us to clean up our act. He reconciled us to Himself through Christ and isn’t holding our sins against us ( 2 Corinthians 5:19 WEB "namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation." KJV "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. committed: Gr. put in us" 2 Corinthians 5:19 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter ). This understanding - that God loves us and isn’t keeping score - is what makes genuine relationship possible.

It grows through time spent together

Like any relationship, our relationship with God deepens as we spend time together. We get to know His character by reading His Word. We experience His presence through prayer. We see His faithfulness as we trust His promises.

Prayer isn’t about religious formulas or saying the right words - it’s simply talking with God. He’s not distant or disinterested. Psalms 139:1-4 WEB "For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. Yahweh, you have searched me, and you know me. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and..." KJV "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path..." Psalms 139:1-4 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter tells us He knows when you sit down and when you rise; He’s familiar with all your ways. He wants to hear from you.

The more we study the Bible and spend time with Him, the more we recognize what He’s already placed inside us. Philemon 1:6 WEB "that the fellowship of your faith may become effective, in the knowledge of every good thing which is in us in Christ Jesus." KJV "That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." Philemon 1:6 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter says the sharing of our faith becomes effective when we acknowledge every good thing in us through Christ Jesus. We can’t give away what we don’t know we have - and we can’t experience intimacy with someone we don’t spend time with.

It transforms everything

Knowing God’s true character changes everything. When we understand that He is love, that He’s not holding our sins against us, that His heart has always been reconciliation rather than judgment - it transforms how we see Him, ourselves, our circumstances, and our future.

Ephesians 3:19 WEB "and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." KJV "And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Ephesians 3:19 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter speaks of knowing “Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” The more we know His love, the more we experience His fullness in every area of life.

This relationship isn’t just about warm feelings - it’s about truth that sets you free. When God’s love flows through you, it changes how you treat others. When you understand His goodness, it changes how you face trials. When you know His promises, it changes how you pray and what you expect.

What a relationship with God is NOT

Not religious performance - God isn’t keeping a checklist of your behavior; He offers relationship based on what Jesus already accomplished
Not earning His approval - You don’t have to clean yourself up first; He loved you while you were still a sinner
Not distant or formal - This isn’t rituals or religious motions; it’s personal and intimate
Not fire insurance - Salvation isn’t just avoiding hell; it’s knowing God now and experiencing abundant life today
Not based on feelings - While relationship involves emotion, it’s rooted in truth and God’s unchanging character

Key Scriptures

John 17:3 WEB "This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ." KJV "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." John 17:3 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter - Jesus defines eternal life as knowing the Father and Jesus Christ
1 John 5:11-12 WEB "The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life." KJV "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." 1 John 5:11-12 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter - Those who have the Son have life, and it starts now
John 10:10 WEB "The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly." KJV "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter - Jesus came to give abundant life, not just existence
2 Peter 1:2 WEB "Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord," KJV "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord," 2 Peter 1:2 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter - Grace and peace are multiplied through knowing God
1 John 4:8 WEB "He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love." KJV "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." 1 John 4:8 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter - God is love - it defines His essence
Romans 5:8 WEB "But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." KJV "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter - God demonstrated His love while we were still sinners
2 Corinthians 5:19 WEB "namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation." KJV "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. committed: Gr. put in us" 2 Corinthians 5:19 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter - God reconciled us to Himself and isn’t holding our sins against us
John 12:45 WEB "He who sees me sees him who sent me." KJV "And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me." John 12:45 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter - To see Jesus is to see the Father
Psalms 139:1-4 WEB "For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. Yahweh, you have searched me, and you know me. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and..." KJV "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path..." Psalms 139:1-4 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter - God knows you intimately - every detail of your life
Philemon 1:6 WEB "that the fellowship of your faith may become effective, in the knowledge of every good thing which is in us in Christ Jesus." KJV "That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." Philemon 1:6 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter - Sharing your faith becomes effective when you acknowledge what’s in you through Christ
Ephesians 3:19 WEB "and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." KJV "And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Ephesians 3:19 BibleGateway · BibleHub · Blue Letter - Knowing Christ’s love fills you with God’s fullness

INTERNAL

Resources

Research Notes

From The Good News Slides

Slide 11: Get to Know God

The key to understanding how much God wants to bless us is getting to know who He is. If you were to want to “know” an author, the first thing you would probably do is read what he has written.

Key scriptures emphasize that grace and peace are multiplied through the knowledge of God (2 Peter 1:2), that God is love and those who abide in love abide in God (1 John 4:16), and that to see Jesus is to see the Father (John 12:45).

How do we get to know Him? By studying the book He gave us (the Bible, His Word) and spending time (having a relationship) with Him.

Slide 43: How to be saved

The main purpose of salvation is relationship with God. Acts 16:31 says to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. John 3:16 emphasizes that God gave His Son so that whoever believes should not perish but have everlasting life.

Additional references note that we are the same as Jesus in the spirit (1 John 4:17), and that holiness is a fruit of relationship with God, not a prerequisite.

From Discipleship Evangelism

L1-01: Eternal Life

One of the most familiar passages of Scripture is John 3:16, yet it has been misunderstood. The real purpose of Jesus coming wasn’t just so we wouldn’t perish-it was so we could have everlasting life. Jesus defined this clearly: “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ” (John 17:3).

Everlasting life is knowing the Father and knowing Jesus Christ. It’s not just living forever-every person lives forever in some form. The real message of the Gospel is that God wants to give you everlasting life, which is intimate knowledge of Him.

Many people think that everlasting life is something that starts when they die, but 1 John 5:11-12 says, “This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life.” If you have received Jesus Christ, you have eternal life right now-not when you die, but today.

Jesus came to give us life “more abundantly” (John 10:10). This abundant life addresses current needs, struggles, and relationships-not just eternal destination. Many people cry out for forgiveness but never pursue knowing God as the ultimate goal of salvation.

L1-04: Relationship with God

Understanding God’s true nature is essential for a healthy relationship with Him. Misunderstanding His character and nature is one of the reasons many people don’t have a positive relationship with Him.

In the Garden of Eden, Satan’s subtle statement suggested that God was not a good God, that He was withholding something from Adam and Eve, that He didn’t want them to reach their full potential. This same lie affects people today.

Many people have a distorted view of God that stems from misunderstanding the purpose of Old Testament Law. They see God as harsh, angry, or waiting to punish. But the Law wasn’t given to earn God’s love-it was given to magnify sin and show humanity’s need for a Savior (Romans 7:13, Galatians 3:24).

First John 4:8 declares “God is love.” His love was demonstrated while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8), not after we cleaned up our act. God has already reconciled us to Himself through Christ. He’s not holding our sins against us-He’s offering relationship today based on faith.

The more you understand who God really is-His goodness, His love, His grace-the more you’ll be drawn into relationship with Him. Religion often portrays God as angry or disappointed, but that’s not the God revealed in Jesus Christ.

L3-01: The Divine Flow

The first step in having the power of God flow through you to other people is acknowledging the good things that are in you in Christ Jesus (Philemon 6). You can’t give away what you don’t know you have.

When you recognize what God has placed on the inside through relationship with Him, things will automatically begin to happen. You’ll share your excitement, give testimonies of what God has done, and people will be helped.

God is love (1 John 4:7-8). When you feel genuine love flowing toward someone, that’s God Himself moving through you. Love isn’t just something God does-it’s who He is. The more you know Him, the more His love flows through you to others.