GUEST POST from Don – The Relationship

THE RELATIONSHIP

Christian salvation is a strange beast.  Some think it is a “search for God.”  For many religions, that is exactly the point.  But for Christianity it is entirely wrong.  Christianity is God’s search for us.  Genesis 1 & 2 clearly proclaims that God created the world, then (day 6) he created Adam (adam is also the word for man).  Then God created, from that man, woman.  (Interestingly to me, God did not create mates for other plants and animals that way.)  From the very beginning God initiated spending time with mankind (humankind if you can’t stand mankind) daily.

It is unlike any other religion.  It is not enlightenment primarily, nor mysticism primarily, nor a way to nothingness.  It is a relationship.  Therein is the problem.

Some think of salvation as “fire insurance.”  If they get their sins forgiven they won’t go to Hell.  Fine.  That’s YOUR search for God, but it isn’t mine.  Forgiveness of sins is necessary, but at the same time it is less than half the story.

Forgiveness returns you to Eden-like purity.  You are sinless for the first time in your life.  Then what?  You can’t go back to Eden in any other manner.  You can’t go back to that pure physical garden.  You can’t go back to a time BEFORE the fall, because you still know good and evil.  In other words you still are connected to that lying snake.

If forgiveness was the whole thing, you’d have to ask forgiveness every day, and sacrifice a lamb at the tent of meeting.  You’d need priests and rituals and law.  Isn’t that what Christ came to replace and fulfill?

He didn’t die on the cross in order to make us Adam again.  That wouldn’t be nearly enough and God has a much better plan in mind.  Like I said forgiveness is necessary but doesn’t get us to where Christianity is taking us.

The principle purpose of Christ’s work on the cross and his resurrection is to transform us FROM being part of the Adams family INTO being a member of God’s family.  From the physical world to the spiritual world.  How does God do that?

Key thought here is that Christ in us is the hope of joining God in heaven.  Another way to think of it is the Holy Spirit (the presence of God Himself) lives in believers.  That’s pretty close to home.  Unfortunately not all believers live like God is in them (they are still living as though their destination is this some idyllic physical Eden?).

OK.  So, probably the best (and worst) way to describe this is to call it a “Relationship” (instead of a religion).

But here’s why it is the worst way:  A marriage is a relationship, an employee has a relationship with his boss, a girl has a relationship with her pet guinea pig … see?  The word doesn’t do justice to the believer/God thing.

To better illustrate:  Let’s say I point to a nearby lady and comment to someone, “I have a ‘relationship’ with that woman.  She’s my friend, my business partner, and the mother of my children.“  Will that someone understand that she is my wife, or will he be confused?  Most people shorten it to “She’s my wife,” but a spouse has many relationships with her husband (financial, emotional, familial, co-owners of stuff, plus they share vacations and the flu).

Believers do the same thing when talking about that thing between themselves and God.  They just say, “It isn’t a religion, its a relationship.”  But what is the nature of that relationship?  Well…

God is my Redeemer and I’m the redeemed.
God is my friend and I’m a friend of God.
God is my teacher and I’m His student.
God loves me and I love Him back.
God is my master and I’m His servant.
God is my Father and I’m His son.
God is my Ruler and I’m His subject.
God is my general and I’m His soldier.
God is my comforter and I’m in need of comfort.
In some ways, with all other believers I am a member of His bride.
He knows everything about me, even my nasty thoughts, and He still loves me.
Those are only a sample of the “relationships” the Christian has with God.

In fact, God is never my equal.  He is always superior.  But He never holds that against me.

God sought me and found me, redeemed me, gave me His Holy Spirit, and lives in me to transform me.  He is training me to be more spiritual, that is, more like Himself.  Funny thing is, I don’t deserve any of His attention and could do nothing to earn His favor.  And I call it a “relationship.”

It is the best word to describe it (and the worst).  It is far better than “fire insurance” because I have a family resemblance to God, not just a “Get out of Hell Free” card.  Finally, it is far superior to having a “religion.”  Bah!  Anyone can seek God.  But only those who have a personal relationship with the God who seeks them can know who God is.

I wish I could explain it.

Copyright 2026 Donald Whelpley

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ALSO, Don is always open to offer his thoughts on various topics. If you have a specific request, you can let him know in a comment; he reads – and replies to – them all. ~ Sherry]

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