How to Have Relationship with Jesus Christ

Your relationship with Jesus Christ cannot be just a matter of profession, but also of practice. Following Jesus involves taking up your cross. Although the cross is not convenient, the aftermath of it is the crown.

In this Article:

1. Introduction
2. The True Relationship with Jesus – Him and His Sheep
3. The End of the Relationship – Eternal Life
4. Are You One of Them?

Introduction

Are you a follower of Jesus Christ or just His fan? If you know Him, how would you describe your relationship with Him? In what way do you hear from Him? How often do you hear from Him? How do you follow Him?

Your relationship with Jesus Christ is the most important thing in this life. It is one thing that you don’t want to get wrong because your eternity depends on it. If that relationship is not right, or does not exist, nothing else matters. Everything we do here amounts to nothing if done apart from Christ.

This life is very temporal. We are all passersby. Eternity must be the goal of all that we do. But our life here is the preparation for that eternity. By making the right decision in this current life, we have the opportunity to get into a good and lasting relationship with Christ. It is crucial we take advantage of it. This lessons shows you how it works.

Today’s Text:

John 10:27-30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and my Father are one.

The True Relationship with Jesus – Him and His Sheep

Today’s text, (John 10:27-30), gives us a clear picture of the relationship between Jesus Christ and His followers. The passage presents many important truths. I want to encourage you my reader, especially if you’re one of the followers of Christ, to think about your own relationship with Him. Does it look anything like what is described here?

Take a look at what it’s like to be in relationship with Jesus.

His Sheep Hear Him

The first thing we see here in the passage is hearing Jesus. His followers hear Him. How do you hear Jesus, or hear from Him? How often does that happen?

This points to the Word of God, the Bible. Despite how many people who claim to hear audible voices from God today, the Bible is the only way by which God talks to us today, and it is the only source of truth.

God has spoken to us “in these last days” by “His Son,” and that is Jesus Christ. Do you hear from Him regularly? How often do you read your Bible?

Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.

The above passage clearly states that God had spoken in different ways “in time past.” But in “these last days,” that is the days in which we live, God has spoken to us through “His Son.”

We find the voice of Christ in the Word of God, the Bible. That is where we find the knowledge of salvation, the expectations of the Christian life, and all that we need for faith, life, and godliness (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The Bible Gives us Christ’s Expectations

It is in the Bible that we find the will of God for our lives, and the commandments of Jesus Christ. Remember, Jesus gives us a clue about how we are to express our love for Him (see John 14:15). So if you are not reading your Bible, you are not hearing from God. Despite the voices you think or claim to hear.

And if you aren’t hearing from God, how then do you know you’re in relationship with Him?

He Knows Them

Jesus says “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them.” Many may put on a show today or pretend to be followers of Jesus Christ. But Jesus is not confused about who is His follower or who is not. The Bible presents Jesus as God who has the ability to know the thoughts of man (Matthew 9:4; 12:25; 22:18; Luke 5:22). So nothing is hidden from Him.

Jesus knows His true followers, and He knows the pretenders. We cannot deceive Him. So if we are one of His true followers, we too ought to know with assurance.

So as you read this article now, do you have that assurance of being one of Christ’s sheep?. If death, or the end would have come today, do you have the assurance of being with Christ?

I hope so, I think so, I pray so, is not enough. The Bible wants you to know and be sure about it.

His Sheep Follow Him

Jesus’ sheep follow Him. You either deceive yourself with your claims, or you are His true follower. So where do you belong? Are you all in, still on the fence, or are you still rejecting Him?

Many claim to know or believe in Him. But the life you live now, and your priorities will determine whether or not you are among His sheep, His followers.

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Profession Accompanied by Practice

Relationship with Christ begins with trusting in Him for your salvation. After which you will be raised from being dead in sin to being alive in Christ in His kingdom. This relationship cannot be a matter of mere profession, but also of practice.

It cannot be all about believing in or agreeing with Him. But must be demonstrated by how we follow Him. It must not be all about liking the way He teaches. It must also be shown by how you act on His teachings.

Called Unto Good Works

We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Not saved to live for our own desires, but to follow and serve Christ.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

In this relationship, there are expectations for the life which God called us to live. Listen to these words of Jesus from the Gospel of Mark:

Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Following Jesus requires taking up your cross. The cross is not about convenience or pleasure. And definitely not about the affairs of this life. It is not about trying to possess your possessions or winning in this life.

The cross is about service, self-denial, sacrifice, and suffering. How much of this you’re willing to go through for Christ is what determines if or how you follow Him.

There are many who profess faith in Christ, but all they have is their claims of being Christians. There is no desire to serve Him, or to sacrifice anything for Him. Many so-called Christians are not willing to suffer for Christ or even deny themselves of their convenience to do something in His name.

The call of Christianity is not that of just going to God to have Him fulfill your worldly desires. It is actually about giving up those desires to serve Him. In that service, convenience is not guaranteed. But we have the promise of His presence, comfort, strength, and future hope of our redemption.

Remember, the end of the cross is crown. This remains me of that good old hymn:

“So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.”

George Bennard (1873-1958)

The End of the Relationship – Eternal Life

The end of the services for Christ is the day of reckoning. A day in which we will all stand before Jesus to be rewarded for our services. It may be hard and sometimes costly for us now, but the end is eternal joy.

This is a clear statement by Christ in verse 28 of our text:

John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Jesus says “I give unto them eternal life.” Eternal life is what it sounds like, the life that never ends. It is sometimes referred to in Scripture as everlasting life. This is the new life that begins at salvation.

Eternal is part of the gift of salvation. It is not something you get after you’ve done enough good works. It is given to you when you received Christ.

Also, it is not a future, but a fulfilled promise to those who believe. Listen to what Jesus says in other parts of the Gospels:

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

The point is clear: you got eternal life when you believed. This is part of being saved.

Salvation is not about believing today while you spend the rest of your life trying to merit heaven or eternal life. For more on the identity of the believers, please see What It Mean to be Saved.

Christ is Holding on to You

In this relationship, we are not the one holding on to Christ. He is the One holding on to us. The security of our salvation is not determined by our performance or obedience to commandments. Christ had secured us by His completed works.

Part of the guarantee of that security is the Holy Spirit whom we received at salvation. The Bible tells us about this in the Epistle to the Ephesians.

Ephesians 1:13-14 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

The Spirit that indwells us is the “earnest,” or the down payment, “of our inheritance.”

His presence in us and with us is to be until the redemption of our bodies. In other words, part of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to ensure that we end up in heaven when the time comes. For more on this, please see The Purpose and Functions of the Holy Spirit.

The above is part of the works of our redemption. Which Christ did complete. We cannot contribute anything to the completed work of Christ. The work is finished.

Notice also in the last two verses of our text that Christ and God the Father are both involved in this. This is the greatest thing about being a follower of Christ!

John 10:29-30 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and my Father are one.

Not a License to Sin but freedom to Serve

The truth here does not suggest that believers are no longer accountable to God. It just means that our obedience is a response to His completed works. And not to complete His works. Our services to God in this life are the way we worship Him with our lives.

In order words, we do not obey to make heaven. We obey because we have already been passed from death unto life.

The Bible Wants You to Know

The above is so true that the Bible wants the believers to know and be sure of it. If you’re truly saved, you are not only to be sure of your salvation, but also of your eternal life.

The Bible says those who have received Him have the witness in themselves. They have no doubt about it whatsoever! In the first Epistle of the Apostle John, the Bible has this to say:

1 John 5:10-13 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

It cannot be clearer than that. The followers of Jesus Christ have eternal life now because of Him. Not after they have completed a to-do list. You either believe the Bible or not. You either trust in Christ alone, or partially on your own works. But the true followers of Christ get this right. For more on the life of the believers, please see Standing in the Gospel.

Are You One of Them?

Are you one of those who follow Jesus? Is any of the above true of you? Are you even saved? If not, you can believe today, even now. This life is vanity apart from Christ. It is only Him who can give your life a meaning now, and give your eternity with God in the afterlife.

You can establish that lasting relationship with Christ without delay. It does not require any work or payment on your part. You only need to repent from your sins and trust Christ for your salvation.

Admit that you’re a sinner who cannot save him/herself. Believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose again for your justification. Your sins will be forgiven and you will be granted the gift of eternal life.

Don’t just read this and put it off. Make a deliberate move of trusting in Christ today. And all the promises of salvation and eternal life will be yours.

If you are already saved, does your relationship with Jesus look anything like the above? Are you hearing His voice on a daily basis? Are you following Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?

If not, then it is not too late to renew relationship with Him. Remember, the end of the cross is crown.

Thank you for reading!