First, let me start by saying that when one gets born again, THE GREATEST asset gained is the ability to fellowship with God again through the power of Holy Spirit directly. It is an access back from living a lifestyle of sin to a relationship with the creator – God.
John 3:16 declares, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.
An intimate relationship with God is available to every believer, but it must be cultivated, nurtured, and developed just like any other relationship. If we are not careful, we can get so caught up in the “doings” of Christianity that we neglect the foundation principle of Christianity and that is our relationship with God.
Example, we can do ministry as a duty or as a call out of an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father. When you work from a relationship, God is involved in every level continuously. Romans 8:14 declares, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”. There cannot be an intimate relationship without communication from both parties. That means you are constantly enquiring from God how you should do things and He is telling you what to do. Have you ever tried to have a relationship with someone without communicating with them?
Doing or following the principles of God’s Word ladies and gentlemen, without a relationship with God can be frustrating, dry or mare practice of dead religion. Unfortunately, much of the work of the Lord is done by many believers in the body of Christ as routines instead of out of a relationship with God. Real joy in doing the work of God comes out of having an intimate relationship with God.
Example of Kingdom work may include:
- Attending of the church functions
- Leading small groups or even prayer meetings
- Working at church or getting involved in church programs
- Tithing or giving offerings every week
- Attending Bible studies or routine reading of God’s Word
- Tithing or giving your offerings
All these principles are good BUT they can become burdensome, lifeless, and void of power if the one doing them does NOT have an intimate relationship with God.
We must ask ourselves, “How is God involved in each principle that I am engaged in?” You see ladies and gentlemen, for these principles mentioned above to function with power, they must be applied inside a relationship.
Take giving of your finances to a church for an example. You can engage the principle of giving and drop in the offering plate as routine. The person who does that isn’t giving from the heart out of a relationship but instead, they are dropping it into a bucket. In fact, it’s no different than paying a phone bill. They have no relationship with the person who owns the phone company they just drop the money into the mailbox and that’s the end of it.
Unfortunately, many people are giving in the same manner. No wonder they are NOT experiencing the increase according to Luke 6:38. On the other hand, when you take the time to bring your financial offering to God or tithe to Him with words of love and faith (long before you ever get to church) that is a blessed principle of giving inside of a relationship with God and it will be effective in your life. The principles of God outside of a relationship with God will never yield the power you need to produce the result you desire.
In Philippians 3:10 (The Amplified Bible). Apostle Paul writes, “For my determined purpose is that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly].
The word “know” in this verse means to have intimate fellowship with or to know intimately. Apostle Paul is placing the utmost priority on having an intimate relationship with the God. He said, “It is my determined purpose to have an intimate relationship with my Heavenly Father and for that relationship to grow, develop, and to progressively become more intimate every day of my life.
As believers, we need to determine and purpose in our hearts to have an intimate relationship with God like the Apostle Paul did. Our level of intimacy with God determines how much victory and success we experience in our lives. We do not have an intimate relationship by default just because we are born-again. We must cultivate it.
When God gets involved in your activities, He will inject them with heavenly joy and delight. That’s what being saved is all about, having a personal relationship with your Heavenly Father and His son Jesus.
Let’s be clear about what we are saying. YES – the principles of the Word of God are vital to the believer and if the principles of the Kingdom are not applied, the blessings of The Kingdom will not be experienced BUT we have to do them out of an intimate relationship with God to experience greater blessing.
You can get so consumed with what you are doing that you forget that the foundation of everything you do should be out of willingness and being lead as you walk and fellowship with God. You can get so busy trying to do the “what” you are asked to do that you forget about the most precious thing in life, which is a relationship with “Who created you” When we make it our determined purpose to know God, the principles, and the relationship (the “what” and the “who”) fuse together and that is when the full potential (maturity) of the believer is reached and we start to enjoy the blessings as promised to us in the Bible.
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