How can we have a close, intimate, personal relationship with Jesus? It is based on love in order to be close and intimate and personal. And to love someone means putting them before yourself by your action, not your words alone, denying yourself to attend to their need such as you would for your husband or wife or your friend. And then their love for you grows and you become loved by them.
Jesus said in Mark 8:34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself (love is not self seeking in 1 Corinthians 13) and take up his cross and follow me."
It is not enough to just know his word, we must also do his word. It requires action, not of our own power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. For it is not possible until we have become "born again", new spiritual beings, to be capable of obeying and doing what he asks us to do.
Jesus said in John 14:15-21 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
How does this happen? After we have been born again as we continue to seek him, to pray to him (talk to him), to read his word, to listen to him, he transforms us, he changes us to be more like him because he is now in us, and we always have the Holy Spirit with us as our counselor.
2 Corinthians 3:14-18 says; But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord— who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
The proof that he loves us and by his actions shows us that love is entirely another subject.
Jesus said in Mark 8:34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself (love is not self seeking in 1 Corinthians 13) and take up his cross and follow me."
It is not enough to just know his word, we must also do his word. It requires action, not of our own power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. For it is not possible until we have become "born again", new spiritual beings, to be capable of obeying and doing what he asks us to do.
Jesus said in John 14:15-21 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
How does this happen? After we have been born again as we continue to seek him, to pray to him (talk to him), to read his word, to listen to him, he transforms us, he changes us to be more like him because he is now in us, and we always have the Holy Spirit with us as our counselor.
2 Corinthians 3:14-18 says; But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord— who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
The proof that he loves us and by his actions shows us that love is entirely another subject.
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