Salvation is a relationship

 BY Argie Simonis

The word "know" has ended up having the simple  meaning of "I have some knowledge, albeit limited, about something." But the biblical meaning of this word is different:

"And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bore Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD." Gen. 4:1

Here we see that the word "know" has a much deeper meaning. It is not just intellectual knowledge, but a personal, intimate understanding. See how Jesus himself interprets eternal life:

"And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." John 17:3

Eternal life is having an intimate, personal relationship with the Father and the Son. This intimate relationship with God is the real salvation. Of course we receive the forgiveness of our sins, but this is a by-product of our salvation package. Sin was an obstacle between God and us, so it had to be removed. This is what Jesus did on the Cross. But whoever sees salvation only as the forgiveness of sins and stops there, loses the true meaning of eternal life.

Instead of salvation being presented as the way to restore our broken relationship with God and our return to harmony with Him, the majority of the Church today presents salvation as the way to escape from the problems of this life and later from the judgement of hell. This I believe is the reason for the ineffectiveness of the Body of Christ today. There is more emphasis placed on evangelism, but not on discipleship. The Lord left a command to His disciples:

"Go you therefore, and teach all nations..." Μatt. 28:19

Jesus told them to make disciples, not just converts. A disciple is one who will multiply himself and make other disciples. Many people today people who have been born again, passively spend their lives waiting to die and go to the presence of the Lord. People who are saved with this kind of mentality, see the Lord simply as someone who helps them in times of crisis. They do not have this intimacy with Him that we have previously described. 

Jesus died for us out of love (John 3:16). A love with which he longed to have a deep relationship and fellowship with man.

Christianity is not just another religion. It is a deep, personal relationship with the Father and the Son.

Most people in the world that are far away from God, are so preoccupied with the hell they live every day that they do not think at all about their eternal future. They are fed up of religion. They are looking for something that will fill the void inside them. Only a deep and intimate relationship (eternal life) with the Father and the Son can do that. We have to tell them!