Is the language of a “personal relationship with Jesus” Biblical?
A post at the Out of Ur blog argues that this particular phrase is an example of Christians using misleading and non-Biblical language to describe their beliefs, and that doing so only creates confusion about the Bible’s teachings:
Evangelicals generally insist that “the meaning and purpose of life is to have a personal relationship with Jesus.” .... But we also confess that Jesus is not physically present on earth. So how does one have a personal relationship with someone you can’t talk to, share a glass of wine with, or even email? We need to do some fundamental reflection on the whole notion of having a “personal relationship” with Jesus Christ. While, on the one hand, I respect the longing for intimacy with God that these words reflect, they also concern me because they betray a creeping sort of secularization of our language about God.
Note that the author (John Suk of the Asian Theological Seminary in Manila) isn’t denying the evangelical belief that humans are uniquely loved and offered salvation through Christ; rather, he’s taking issue our tendency to take spiritual truths and wrap them up with culture-specific language that can subtly shape the way we understand those truths. He suggests that we stick with phrases like “I have faith in Jesus,” or “I believe in Jesus” to avoid any misinterpretation or confusion.
What do you think? Is Suk onto something? If so, can you think of other examples of “questionable phrases” we use to describe Biblical concepts? Or is Suk just playing with nitpicky semantics?
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April 5, 2006 at 21:00
It seems fairly plain to me. Many times it is repeated that God is our father, we are his children, and he loves us as a father loves his child. Later the bond between us and Jesus is even more intimate by using analogies of a bride and her bridegroom. Perhaps we can intellectualize these things away today, but to the first century jew such words would have been seen plainly, as a personal, intimate relationship between God and man.
Now that being said, to make the statement: “the meaning and purpose of life is to have a personal relationship with Jesus.” is a completely different matter. We are to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That personal relationshiop is not the purpose of our current earthly existence. I would argue for: “the meaning and purpose of life is to tell others of the personal relationship we have with Jesus.” But that would be another topic.
April 5, 2006 at 21:24
I would have to agree with Dierotao. Having a “personal relationship with Jesus” means that we talk with him (prayer). Notice that I say “with” and not “to”. To talk to Jesus would be only half of the story, we also need to be willing to hear and obey him. To simply say “I believe in Jesus” simplifies the relationship that Christians have with Jesus too much, it is about having a relationship with Him.
I also agree that our purpose here on earth is to tell others about Jesus, as Jesus laid out to us in the Great Commission – “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”.
April 6, 2006 at 02:14
i think that we are starting to question ourselves.we are letting people who think that they are more wise than God tell us what we believe.do not let people tell you what God “supposively” meant. read the bible and believe. you might not see him physically but think and ask yourselves when have i not felt his presence in times of needor when the whole world turns on me, who is there.your answer is God and you donot need to see him to know that he loves you and always makes you strive to be the best that you believe can become. i am not trying to convince anyone but we christians are letting satan win.He comes in different forms and if we start to question God i am afraid that he will win the battle.Jesus did not die for scientists to question him but for our salvation. Believe what you read in the good book not what some narrow minded person who is too afrai to admit that there is a greater power that man can not explain.”forgive them father for they not knoww what they are doing.” those are words that explains it all, are we ready to crucify Jesus again it may not be physically but verbally. think that is why our father gave brains not to question him.
April 6, 2006 at 05:22
I would rather say that having a personal relationship with Jesus gives life its meaning and purpose than saying that the meaning and purpose of life is to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Life becomes meaningful when we invest it to accomplish the purpose for which we have been given this life.
To that end, a relationship with Jesus is critical. How else would we know what our calling is or what is set apart for us to do? How would we get Godly insight and wisdom in daily living?
This relationship is possible and like any relationship, the relationship I have with Jesus was something I had to commit to, build over a period of time. It was not easy initially to tune into what he had to say, for example, and many times I too had the same questions about the reality of this ‘relationship’.
For me the answer to anyone’s quest for this relationship with Jesus is the Holy Spirit. Pardon the term, but he is the sim card we need to connect to God the father through Jesus. Without him there our relationship with Jesus will be as successful as a GSM mobile phone trying to connect without a sim card. True Jesus is not here physically, but the Holy Spirit who lives within us makes a connection which surpasses anything email has to offer.
As for the intimacy or fellowship that comes with sharing a glass of wine, who can you get more intimate with or fellowship more with than someone who knows your heart far better that you do?
This relationship is available to anyone who desires it. When I preach it, I just let the Lord do his thing, and I have not seen anyone who has gone the distance disappointed yet. I believe this is true because Jesus desires a relationship with us more than we do.
April 6, 2006 at 07:18
“I have faith in Jesus”. “I believe in Jesus”. You could replace “Jesus” by any kind of impersonal idea – love, family, capitalism, education. Also “faith” and “believe” are religious jargon, and given many interpretations by different people. While valid, I don’t think these statements cut the ice.
An important point of the new testament is that all individual believers have the Spirit, and can experience a closeness with God available only to a select few in the old testament.
On the other hand in our postmodern individualistic society this message is easy to get across. The counter-balance, that God is an awesome and holy and will judge the world, and that Jesus is Lord of all, is a different matter. I think the phrase “personal lord and saviour” misses the fact that Jesus is Lord, period. Yes we can and should submit to his lordship individually, but woe betide us if and when we don’t.
What about Jesus’ own terminology: “I follow Jesus”?
Finally, I would say our ultimate purpose is to glorify God – “He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (Ps 23)
April 6, 2006 at 07:43
I do think there was value in John Suk’s posting. The language of “personal relationship” arose out of attempts to reform and reinvigorate the formal, impersonal religion of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Now, with “experiencing God” being given new priority in many churches, and warm & fuzzy language being used throughout Western Christianity, maybe it is time to reform in the other direction, to emphasize the Lordship of Christ and the holiness of God. One of the wonders of the Bible is the richness it provides when describing God and our relationship with him. Whenever our churches and our cultures deviate from true Biblical faith, the Holy Spirit uses language and concepts that have always been there to bring us back to the right path.
April 6, 2006 at 07:54
I’ve always hated that turn of phrase. That doesn’t really mean that it is wrong, but I just don’t like it much. Ahead of it is, “I have asked Jesus into my heart.” Neither really capture what happens at the point of salvation and the life that follows. It’s true that we have a relationship with God, but we don’t really have anything but poor examples here on earth to make that description real or accurate.
April 6, 2006 at 08:27
Another common phrase I’ve talked about is “asking Jesus into my heart.” Jesus called us to abandon our lives, to walk in total obedience, to abide in His Word, to fellowship with one another, to work out our salvation in fear and trembling, to hope in the return of our King. He never said anything about our heart, save that it’s the source of our wickedness or the source of our righteousness.
It is His work to remake our heart, but His process of doing so is through trials and hardships, not through a simple prayer of “Jesus, come into my heart.”
As for, “I believe in Jesus,” I think 95% of Americans who claim they believe in Jesus are those to whom Jesus will say, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?... Depart from me, you evildoers!” We must test ourselves constantly (2 Cor. 13:5) and be certain that we are not merely hearers, but doers as well (Jas. 1:22). We have built a religion of words and straw today, and have become the Pharisees of the 21st century. I don’t think this comes out of ill-intent so much as a society that is far removed from Scripture and true fellowship.
April 6, 2006 at 09:06
The short simple answer: Yes.
Some further thoughts: Sure Suk is onto something, but what he is onto is semantics.
All we can do is intelligently guess at what 1st C. Christians understood the phraseology of the New Testament to mean. We don’t have any 1st C. Christians hanging around to ask for a first person account. Language is cultural and time-sensitive. Words have meanings but they change over time and in different contexts.
Using biblical phraseology/terminology is fine. Probably preferable at times because it IS different than 21st C. language and allows us the opportunity to explain things in more detail. Ultimately, though, the whole purpose of language is communication. So whichever words/phrases/terms best communicate the message/good news/gospel to those with whom you’re speaking… use ‘em!
April 6, 2006 at 09:35
Suk is definitely on the right track. Modern evangelical denominations coined and continue to propagate the notion of a personal relationship with Christ being what defines the “saved” from the “unsaved”. There is NO biblical basis for this assumption. Professing a personal relationship and belief in Christ does not “save” you. To be saved, you must be TRANSFORMED through Christ. Your heart and behavior has to be changed. One may “accept” Jesus but still fall short. But those who have a genuine faith will never totally fall away from Christ. Borrowing from John F. McCarthy:
...the mark of a true disciple is not that he never sins, but rather that when he does sin he inevitably returns to the Lord to receive cleansing and forgiveness. A true disiciple, when confronted by Christ, will return to a life of service for the Savior.
I recommend you check out McCarthy’s “The Gosple According to Jesus”, as it addresses this very topic head on. Modern evangelism tends to water down the gospel so as not to scare away faith seekers. The notion of a personal relationship gives new believers warm fuzzies, but neglects to inform them of the need to change their ways. But the fact remains, you are not faithful unless you have been transformed through Christ. You won’t remain sinless… it is impossible… but as long as you center your life around Christ, you are on the right path.
April 6, 2006 at 10:58
Well, I guess we need to understand why there’s a need to have a personal relationship with God in order to have salvation. Firstly, God is the one who decides who will be with him in eternity. He’ll definitely want those who believes & follows his Will to be with Him. But in order for us to believe & follow God willingly, we need to know who is He, & vice versa. In other words, we need to relate to Him, from one being to another. That’s why there’s so many analogies of relationships in the Bible to describe how we are to relate to God; as Father & children, as Master & servants, as friend to Friend (John 15:15). My point is, the idea of having a personal relationship with God is biblical as far as I’m concern, but it is also mulit-faceted.
April 6, 2006 at 12:18
It’s John F. MacArthur, Jr.
“The Gospel According to Jesus”
Great book by the way.
April 6, 2006 at 15:12
I think Mr. Suk is onto something. I have often cringed at the phrase “Ask Jesus into your heart”
because it is unscriptural and portrays a ‘cheap grace’as Bonhoeffer put it.
April 6, 2006 at 18:12
Being born again is instantaneous. We wake up, we see the light, we are a new creature, we are inhabited by the Holy Spirit who speaks to us, and we are sealed.
So where do we get this “receive Jesus today, get saved today, Invite Jesus in, Have you received Jesus” language? Where do we get these personal relationship with Jesus concepts? Here’s where:
Have you received Jesus?
And whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me. Luke 9:47-49
Is Jesus in you?
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 2nd cor 13:5
Is Jesus dwelling in you? Is Jesus abiding in you?
And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. 1 John 3:23-25
Do you know Him?
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Do we know His voice? Are you following His voice?
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. John 10:3-5
Have you let Him in the door? Are you dining with Him as a friend?
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:19-21
Are you an abode for Jesus?
If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Is the Holy Spirit dwelling in you?
Or don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?
Is the Holy Spirit speaking to you?
“This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt.”
“They kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.”
“The Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.”
“They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;”
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
“for the Holy Spirit will teach you what needs to be said even as you are standing there.” Luke 12:12”
Sounds pretty personal to me.
April 6, 2006 at 18:36
Man, I totally messed up John F MacArthur Jr.’s name… thanks for the correction Apollos. And you are right, it is a GREAT book.
April 7, 2006 at 12:44
I have found that to say “Ask Jesus into your heart”, and “You will have a personal relationship with Jesus” to be both too simplistic and sometimes disappointing. The first statement is something that might properly be said to a child or a child-like proselyte, but it is a “dumbed-down” statement. Conversion and discipleship are much more complicated than that. I think that an intellectually normal, adult proselyte should be asked, “Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Lord, the Son of God?”, or something like that. If they do believe, that is the sign of the work of the Holy Spirit. Discipleship teaching should immediately include the doctrine that God the Holy Spirit dwells in those who believe, but that road ahead will not be smooth. The Holy Spirit will be there to lead, explain the Sacred Scriptures, and give the believer peace and assurance, depending on his/her continued devotion to discipleship; but it won’t be anything like having coffee and cake with Jesus in the fellowship hall.
April 7, 2006 at 15:03
I agree that todays language is insufficient to explain the way we feel about God most of the time and that the words we use can be misleading or confusing to those who don’t know Jesus. My main problem with this is that the Demons believe and have faith in Jesus. It is our personal relationship with him that sets us apart from them.
April 7, 2006 at 16:52
Just to read the rest of that section Tab because the text seems to go in a different way than saying its our personal relationship.
James 2:18-20 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
At least within this text, where even the demon’s believe what saves us or at least distinguishes us from the demons isn’t our personal relationship with Jesus… but its works that accompany our faith.
I both like and dislike the “personal salvation” language, its true there are all those great personal and intimate relationship language but at the same time I feel like often we sacrifice everything for our personal relationship. Jesus, at least in the gospels, spends more time talking about doing things than believing things… something I feel like we often overlook.
April 12, 2006 at 14:44
Rick Dalbey lays out a pretty good case for language in Scripture that is very personal. I have to say that is a great job of presentation.
My only illuminating comment here is that in addition to Christ, we must also have a personal relationship with the rest of the triune God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.