Fellowship with God (7 verses)
Establish a Relationship with God by Loving Others
Seek God’s face constantly through prayer, study and fasting. You have your assurance of a relationship in your hands now!
7 Verses to Support Assurance of Your Relationship With God
FROM THE CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE
Jeremiah 31:3 “… the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you.” He was speaking to Israel. He loves them still and us as a branch on the vine.
John 15:15-16a “I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I make known to you everything I heard from my father. You did not choose me, but I choose you…” He chooses us. We are in the Book of Life.
Hosea 6:6 “For I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” Seek His face and be his child. He tells exactly what he wants.
Romans 5:10-11 “For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having ben reconciled, we will be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.” If we all died “in Adam” then we all “live through Christ” … God’s love in action toward us.
Hebrews 11:6 “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Therefore, if you do not seek him, you do not believe He exists. Seeking him shows your relationship is “on track.”
Mark 12:32-33 “Then the Scribe said to him, “you are right, teacher. You have correctly said that he is the one, and there is no one else except him. And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as your yourself, is far more important that all the burnt offerings and all the sacrifices.” Love covers many sins. Again, acting out of love toward the Father and others establishes your relationship.
Romans 5:8 “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Pretty simple this statement. It establishes clearly that God has met his part of the bargain in having a relationship with us. He loves us more that we can fully understand.
Even so, is it hard to understand this; that our relationship with God is dependent upon us. He loved us first and will love us last. From the beginning until the day we return to him he pursues and loves us without relenting ever. He remains faithful even to those who do not believe. He is the Good Father. You now have a check list and several verses that hold this concept up. Take control of that relationship right now. Seek God’s face through Scripture Study, serious and constant prayer, and make sure that your life supports your claim publicly and internally that you love Jesus!
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“The Hymn “Blessed Assurance” was written and composed by
Fanny Crosby and Pheobe Knapp in 1873
... it is still sung in many churches to this day ...
”Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine
Heir of salvation, purchase of God
I’m born in His Spirit and washed in His blood
Perfect submission, perfect delight
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy and whispers of love”
YOUR PRAYER CLOSET: TAKE JOY IN THE LORD
In all that we do God is for us. He has a plan for each of us. He has provided a Savior for us through the resurrection of Christ. Pray to God in thanksgiving for all that He does for you every day and look up for His Son’s return.
Nehemiah 8:10 “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to the Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
1 Chronicles 16:32-34 “Let the sea roar, and all it’s fullness; let the field rejoice, and all that is in it. then the tree of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth.”
Psalm 16:11 “You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forever more.”
Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may go about in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
We do not have to ignore our troubles. They are real and we feel the effect. As Christians we have hope in the Gospel of Christ Risen. In that hope we gain heaven and an eternal existence, in the presence of God and His Son. What can man do to us? Nothing we are children of God and with Him all things become healed. God is for us forever. Death has been defeated. Give thanks in all that you do!
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LIFE CAN BE UNBEARABLE WITHOUT GOD
I have to share with you this invitation to reconsider your position with God if you are not a believer. I too was once a non-believer. I lived a sordid life as a devoted sinner. Oh sure, I thought I was a “good person.” I did not murder and did not beat my wife and put money in the basket at church and lived life as a poser. Yet I was arrogant and proud and certainly believed I needed nothing from an overbearing, rule setting deity who wanted me to yield and be second. I faked being a Christian for reasons that are profoundly stupid. I know you understand this. Why I even read my Bible and made notes, but I just wasn’t going to give in. I held out until I was 59 years old. I did not realize before then that I was one breath away from eternal hell. And my life was unbearable, hard, bitter, disappointing and unfulfilling … and yet I had held out for so long without a need to.
Here are some of my excuses for fighting against God:
:: I am not a “sinner”
:: I am a good person
:: I won’t live the Christian lifestyle
:: How can a loving God send someone to eternal damnation
:: Why would I trust a heavenly father when my earthly father abused me
:: Maybe later, I am not ready now
:: There are many paths to God
… and on and on … sound familiar? I was just too smart for any of this. I knew I could captain my own ship and structure my outcomes by force of will and focus and I would never kiss the ring! My life bounced along from this heartache, to that disappointment, failures at a marriage, drunkenness, failed businesses, and on and on … get the picture? I fully believed that “life is hard then you die” and that there was no relief.
Then one day, it all changed. The clouds did not part and there were no angels singing. I just had a change of heart. The Holy Spirit had been working on me forever. He waited me out! I had fought so hard. I realized that every excuse I had used to fight God and His offer were just excuses based on nothing. He was real and so was His Son. I gave in. You can too. It only took a minute or two for me to confess and ask Jesus to truly come into my heart. I don’t remember what I said, but I know I was as sincere as I could be, and I knew that God was waiting patiently for me to say the words. Thank you, Jesus!
I want to ask you a few questions: Do you have any kind of Spiritual beliefs? To you, who is Christ? Have you decided if there is a heaven and a hell? Where are you going or what happens to your soul once you die? If you found out what you believed was wrong, would you dare to change?
God has answers to all of those questions and reasons for you to lay down your excuses for resisting Him. All of that is covered on the pages of the Bible. He makes promises for your life that will help you to bear up under the weight of living. He does not promise a life of ease if you join with Him. The world is a horrible, evil place and will be that way until Christ returns. Anyone that tells you that belief in God and His Son make all the troubles disappear is lying to you. What he offers us is life eternal in a place called heaven, with no time, no illness, no troubles, no pain and being in the presence of unbridled love with Him and Jesus. And clear solid help with dealing with living before we die through the Holy Spirit. You can live in strength without fear. You can be a warrior in your life.
Once I believed what changed? I read my Bible more with a different attitude, I prayed for understanding and the strength to deal with life’s burdens and got all that and more. And I was saved from the debt of my sin against God. I still encounter trouble and challenges. Whatever I was then changed and continues to change. I became “born again.’ I actually started to live in a visible way as a believer.
I live in the same world you do. I am buffeted all the time, but one thing is dramatically different. I am sealed by the Holy Spirit who lives within me now, and I have access to God through Jesus who is my High Priest. I know that I am saved and headed to heaven. I am certain of that right this very minute. You can have this assurance too.
My life became manageable. I was freed from the oppressive sense of frustration and fear that I lived through. Things that once drove me crazy or filled me with anger could still occur, but I knew how to handle them with the help of the Holy Spirit. By allowing myself admit being weak and vulnerable; realizing my need for help I became strong through God. I was freed!
Above this section I have discussed the assurance a believer can have in their forgiveness. My presentation is based on Scripture. Not my rules or ideas, but what God has put in place. He offers us too much to fully understand. Yet, if we trust him, He gives us all we need, but not everything we want. My hope for you is that you will at least go to God in prayer and challenge Him to reveal himself to you. Whatever I share with you and whatever invitation I make to you it is poorly done, but it is sincere. You do not have to live an unbearable life. You can find the love and relief you need and want right now.
Want to know more then click the “Get Saved” button above on the header of this page. You cannot lose with God and Jesus. I sincerely believe you will find everything you need there! God Bless you!
