Confusion instigated by Satan swirls around so many foundational Bible doctrines today it should not be a surprise that it does so over just what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as well. Surprised however, I am that a teaching so simple, so basic and so very clearly presented in the Bible could be so blatantly corrupted as it is by many professed Christians. Not a few folk I have talked with in recent years believe a personal relationship with the Lord is so private, nobody can comment on it. To others, personal means the relationship they have with Jesus is quite of their own making and supercedes even the instruction of the Bible.
Either of the two kinds of thinking about a personal relationship with the Lord cited above or any others that deviate from Scripture are absolutely wrong. The Bible is our judge and guidebook to everything God! Only from its pages like a compass can we tell whether we are traveling in the right direction of doing what pleases Him; the wrong direction in displeasing Him. Those that believe they have connected to God apart from the requirements found in His Word are deceiving themselves.
That the Lord created us to each have a personal, intimate relationship with Him is not disputed. It is the construction and nature of that relationship I address to the end of helping those that are willing to be delivered from a very deadly satanic deception. When Adam was created by God in the beginning, they enjoyed close Person to person communication (Genesis 1:27-29, 2:15-17). Indeed, they were clearly accustomed to a regular time of fellowship, which God was seeking on the day Adam fell in sin (Genesis 3:8-9).
For God, the whole rest of the salvation story through "The Revelation" focuses on how He has acted to reconcile man back to Himself and restore His intended relationship with us. During the course of His activity among men in history, God had some that He was very close to. Enoch walked so close with God, one day He took him (Genesis 5:24). Abraham, He called, "´My Friend,´" (Isaiah 41:8, NKJV). Moses He knew by name and showed him His glory (Exodus 33:17-23). King David, He considered "´a man after His own heart,´" (1 Samuel 13:14, 16:1, 11-13, NKJV).
What did all of those men have in common in their relationship with God? First, they each did have a personal relationship with Him. But very importantly second, their relationship with God was on His terms, not theirs. Each man had an individual, relational experience with God, but they were all required to walk by faith, respect His holiness and refrain from sin. God was consistent in His dealings with them.
Enoch was taken to Heaven by God not due to any perfection. His faith was so strong and love so deep for the Lord, he was completely sold out to pleasing Him (Hebrews 11:5-6). Abraham, Moses and David were men of faith and love too. They however, each willfully sinned and suffered the natural or divine imposed consequences. Abraham gave heed to his wife and went into her maid who bore him a son, Ishmael. To this day his descendants trouble Israel, the children of promise. Moses disobeyed and could not enter the Promised Land. David took a man´s wife and strife did not leave his house even after his death.
The standard construction materials of faith in, fear of, fidelity to and love for Him God requires in relationships with men carry over into the New Testament where Jesus Christ, the Word, God and the eternal Son of God is incarnated. He invites men into a relationship with Himself that is beyond friendship. He calls them into the very family of God as adopted sons. But up till now only a relative few accept His invitation (John 1:10-13, 3:16-21; Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians 1:3-6). He nonetheless, is very serious about His eternal family (Mark 3:31-35; Hebrews 2:10-18).
The Lord Jesus beckons men to follow Him but is very clear on the required conditions of repentance, faith (Mark 1:14-15), self-denial in all godly fear of Him (Mark 8:34-38), faithfulness (Matthew 24:45-51) and preeminent love (Luke 14:25-26). Love is the nature of the relationship God had with men of the Old Testament (Mark 12:29-30) and now has in Christ with men living in this New Testament era (1 Corinthians 8:3). Love motivates God´s gracious and merciful acts toward men; men in Christ learn to love Him and demonstrate it by obedience to all of His commandments (John 13:34-35, 14:15; 1 John 3:4-24, 4:7-5:3).
It is here that we are now able to see why Satan would seek to deceive folk about the construction and nature of a personal relationship with Jesus. If he can get people to believe they are able to have a relationship with Jesus on their own terms, he can keep them from enjoying the real deal. In the process, he takes them captive to do his will, maligns authentic Christianity through their corrupt practice of it and sets his deceived prisoners up for eternal destruction (Philippians 3:17-19).
As I have encountered them, such persons are adamant that "me and Jesus are okay." They do not want their private relationship with the Lord to be judged. Never mind that they practice willful sin, live loveless (of the divine kind), joyless, powerless and empty lives. Most also refuse to assemble with other believers in the local church as exemplified and expected by the Jesus they claim to know. Neither do they want to be under the pastoral authority Jesus ordained. God does not play favorites; unless you come to Him on His terms you will die in your sins (Romans 2:5-11)!