Salvation and Relationship

God has blessed us with many, many gifts as believers. Everything that we need to live as followers of Christ in the earth, He has provided for us. Two of the greatest, or maybe most important, are salvation and relationship. Relationship with Him. One might wonder which comes first. Wouldn’t there be a need for relationship before one can know about salvation or fully understand it? Someone else might think one must be saved before you can start a relationship with Jesus and our God. Truth is God will initiate a relationship with us before we have fully surrendered and accepted the gift of salvation. He orchestrates events and times to where He reveals Himself to the unbeliever, but the unbeliever cannot fully comprehend who He is. Because the very nature and character of God is so the opposite of the world and the ways of the world, it takes us being in real relationship with Him to gain a greater understanding of Him. Think about your own experience when you came to the Lord. Do you recall times where God had been dropping breadcrumbs guiding you to that very moment? You did not have a relationship with Him, yet, but He was pursuing you.

Salvation

Salvation is something that happens in the life of the believer over and over again. Let me explain what I mean. Salvation is the saving of souls from the judgement and wrath of God (1 Thess 5:9). This is the initial and ultimate gift of salvation that is offered to us by grace (Titus 2:11). God in His great love chose us to be members of His family (Psalm 25:5) through faith in Jesus Christ. But after this initial saving of the soul, salvation (or the fullness of salvation) is continually at work in the life of the believer as we become more like Christ. It shows up as deliverance and protection from evil, danger, sin, or trouble. When we cry out for God to take away or change an uncomfortable situation that we might find ourselves in, we are asking for deliverance, or to be saved from that trying circumstance. This, too, is salvation. When we have a mindset that continues to lead us to make wrong decisions that are not pleasing to God, we need deliverance from that wrong way of thinking (yes, this is found in the Word of God – Romans 8:6 NLT) as it does not lead to life. This deliverance happens over time and as we grow in relationship with God, we get to experience it more and more each day. So, the revealing work of salvation is continual.

Relationship

A relationship is when two people are connected to each other and interact with one another. There are commitments made between them. As believers we are in relationship with God. We have been reconciled (2 Cor 5:21; Col 1:19,20), or brought near, to Him by the blood of Jesus so that we can experience a relationship like no other. We have become His children (Romans 8:15-17). Our relationship with Him affords us access to Him and the opportunity for us to gain greater understanding of His plan for our lives. It is an intimate relationship that empowers us to fulfill the purpose He has created each of us for, and it is a display of the privilege He gives us as joint-heirs with Christ. More of the fullness of salvation is seen throughout our relationship with Him. Through our interactions with Him (by reading and studying His Word, praying, and even fellowshipping with other believers), we learn more about His ultimate plan of salvation for those who are His and for those who reject Him. We learn about the ways He has already provided for us and how much He thinks about us. We learn how from days of old, He has been the help of His people and has never failed them. We learn how He has not, and does not, change; He remains the same (Hebrews 13:8; Malachi 3:6; Psalm 103:17 NLT). And with the help of the Holy Spirit, God is with us every day guiding us in the way we should live and delivering us from the effects of sin.

So, when we think about salvation, we should understand that this is just one part of our story as believers. We must continue on to having a real relationship with God so that we can better know who He is and His plans for us. It is a privilege and honor to be chosen to be in relationship with the God and Creator of all things.

Lead me by Your truth and teach me, for You are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in You. (Psalm 25:5 NLT) 

Scripture References: John 1:12; Titus 2:11; Colossians 1:19,20; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:15-17; Psalms 25:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8; Romans 8″6; Psalms 103:17 NLT