Do you have a Personal Relationship with Jesus?

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NotWorthy

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The other day, I heard someone claim, “Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?” Of all the times I’ve heard this questions, this was the first time I was able to laugh at this question: “Personal Relationship?!?!? Why, almost everyday day I experience Jesus: His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the most intimate way possible - Through The Eucharist!!!”

You can’t get more personal than that! So why do we cringe or draw back when people ask us that, as if our relationship with Jesus is inferior?

Take Care and God Bless!

NotWorthy
 
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NotWorthy:
The other day, I heard someone claim, “Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?” Of all the times I’ve heard this questions, this was the first time I was able to laugh at this question: “Personal Relationship?!?!? Why, almost everyday day I experience Jesus: His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the most intimate way possible - Through The Eucharist!!!”

You can’t get more personal than that! So why do we cringe or draw back when people ask us that, as if our relationship with Jesus is inferior?

Take Care and God Bless!

NotWorthy
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Hello NotWorthy,

It is because those who are asking you this believe that our Catholic relationship with Jesus is inferior.

It is the old faith alone not works vs. Catholic faith through works controversy. Jesus tells us that to obey Him is love for Him and those who love Him through feeding the least of His brothers are the ones to go to heaven through His blood. The Protestants throw out this teaching from Jesus and say that “faith alone” not works is what brings one close to Jesus and eternal life.

NIV JOH 14:15

"If you love me, you will obey what I command." **INT JOH 14:23 **

Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.” NAB JOH 15:9

“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Live on in my love. You will live in my love if you keep my commandments, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and live in his love. All this I tell you that my joy may be yours and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” **NAB JOH 15:22 **

“If I had not come to them and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; now, however, their sin cannot be excused. To hate me is to hate my Father. Had I not performed such works among them as no one has ever done before, they would not be guilty of sin; but as it is, they have seen, and they go on hating me and my Father.” NAB JOH 12:44

Jesus proclaimed aloud: “Whoever puts faith in me believes not so much in me as in him who sent me; and whoever looks on me is seeing him who sent me. I have come to the world as its light, to keep anyone who **believes **in me from remaining in the dark. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save it. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words already has his judge, namely, the word I have spoken it is that which will condemn him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own; no, the Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to speak. Since I know that his commandment means eternal life, whatever I say is spoken just as he instructed me.”
NAB MAR 10:17

"Good Teacher, what must I do to share in everlasting life?" Jesus answered, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments:

’You shall not kill;
You shall not commit adultery;
You shall not steal;
You shall not bear false witness;
You shall not defraud;
Honor your father and your mother.’"
 
I don’t know why people shy away from this either. My relationship with Jesus is very personal. I get to encounter Him nearly every day in the scriptures read at Mass and in personal prayer time. I encounter Him nearly every week in the healing sacrament of Reconciliation. Of course, the most wonderful and most intimate encounter with Him is in the Eucharist. Probably because if we say, “Of course I have a personal relationship with Jesus. I’m a Catholic,” we will probably be made the subject of attempts to evangelize. Our chaplain here is a convert from Protestantism, and he always emphasizes the relational aspect of Catholicism. Most of our other priests do this, too. I think, though, that the average Catholic might not have heard other Catholics emphasize a personal relationship with Jesus, and so they are unsure of how to answer because the terminology is so different from what they’re used to.
 
**Stephen, If you ask a OSAS doctrine follower, do they do works of charity, Church, communion, etc. etc. some say yes, but I then ask them if they stopped doing these things have they not walked away from their faith.

They claim no, they are still saved and guranteed heaven because they believe in Christ and his death paid for their sins past, present and future. Its a circular discussion. Its not only unbiblical, it lacks common sense.

They agree they should go to church and take communion, however if they dont they still have been "Grafted.“Saved” It seems they base their whole theology from one verse in the book of John and disregard Our Lords other request’s and or requirements for Salvation. **

Sara
 
Hi all,

We all know it is possible to receive the Eucharist unworthily. Does this mean we still have a personal relationship with Jesus? I think the answer is No.

The way we cultivate a personal relationship with Jesus is, number one, through prayer. And especially through prayer and reading and meditating on the Scriptures. If we do this faithfully we will become convicted of our sins, repent and confess and receive Reconciliation through the Sacrament. Then we receive Jesus worthily in the Eucharist and the personal relationship we have developed and are developing gets even deeper! Then we can go out and serve Him, witness to others of Him, and perform the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, and our relationship gets even deeper.

What do you think?

Gene
 
sara888 said:
**Stephen, If you ask a OSAS doctrine follower, do they do works of charity, Church, communion, etc. etc. some say yes, but I then ask them if they stopped doing these things have they not walked away from their faith. **

They claim no, they are still saved and guranteed heaven because they believe in Christ and his death paid for their sins past, present and future. Its a circular discussion. Its not only unbiblical, it lacks common sense.

**They agree they should go to church and take communion, however if they dont they still have been "Grafted.“Saved” It seems they base their whole theology from one verse in the book of John and disregard Our Lords other request’s and or requirements for Salvation. **

Sara
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Hello Sara,

Some Protestants are happy to have thier name written in the book of life. Then again Jesus tells us that it is the victor who will not have his name erased from the book of life. St. Paul also talks about being graphed in then to be cut off again. If you get your name written in to the book of life at baptism but have it erased upon judgement day, have you gained anything?

**NAB REV 3:5 **

"The victor will thus be dressed in white, and** I will never erase his name from the book of life** but will acknowledge his name in the presence of my Father and of his angels. **EXO 32 **

The LORD answered, "Him only who has sinned against me will I strike out of my book. Now, go and lead the people whither I have told you. My angel will go before you. When it is time for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin."

You are right. The Protestants base the foundation of their whole religion on a verse that they are misdefining. They must fully realize that their eroneous definition goes against the other teachings of Jesus.

The bible defines faith as doing what God wills you to do. The Protestants say that all one has to do is believe and then go and make up their own false definition to the word believe. Their false definition is the opposite of Jesus definition to the word believe and faith which means to obey God.

Believe

NAB JOH 3:36****Whoever believes in the Son has life eternal. Whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure the wrath of God.NAB LUK 8:13

Those on the rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. They have no root; **they believe for a while, but fall away in time of temptation.
NAB JOH 8:31"If you live according to my teaching, you are truly my disciples; then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."**NAB MAT 7:21

"None of those who cry out, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

NAB LUK 6:43

Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not put into practice what I teach you?" NAB JAM 2:14

My brothers, what good is it to profess faith without practicing it? Such faith has no power to save one, has it? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and no food for the day, and you say to them, “Good-bye and good luck! Keep warm and well fed,” but do not meet their bodily needs, what good is that? so it is with the faith that does nothing in practice. It is thoroughly lifeless.

To such a person one might say, You have faith and I have works is that it? Show me your faith without works, and I will show you the faith that underlies my works! Do you believe that God is one? you are quite right. The demons believe that, and shudder.

NAB LUK 4:33

(Demons believe Jesus is Lord.)
In the synagogue there was a man with an unclean spirit, who shrieked in a loud voice: Leave us alone! What do you want of us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.​
 
****If one catholic was left in the world, he still would be the Universal Church.

Catholic and proud of it.
Sara**

BTW, I dont see much of OSAS followers on this forum, am I missing a thread somewhere. ?

I see a lot of LDS/Mormons, which I find fascinating. **
 
sara888 said:
If one catholic was left in the world, he still would be the Universal Church.

Catholic and proud of it.
Sara

BTW, I dont see much of OSAS followers on this forum, am I missing a thread somewhere. ?

I see a lot of LDS/Mormons, which I find fascinating.
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Hello Sara,

Personally I do not think they can take the heat. They have to go back to their own forums where their moderators ban Catholics who get to close to the truth.
 
**Agreed, not only Catholics are banned, but your Orthodox Protestants also. I have been to some hard-core sites.

Sara**
 
Of course I have a personal relationship with Jesus! He’s my Brother, after all. I receive the Eucharist every Sunday, which is pretty much good enough, and we’re on a first-name basis.

Aside from the consumption of the Eucharist, I can say that, if judged through the eyes of a Protestant, I do have a personal relationship with Christ. I pray to Him all the time. We talk, he helps me out, and, just like siblings do (or are supposed to, at least), we got each other’s backs. After all, a verse in the Bible says that the Glory of the Lord is our rear guard (translation: God’s got your back, kid).
 
My friends, you can talk to Jesus, you can pray with Jesus, you can do anything you want to improve your relationship with Jesus - but nothing, NOTHING compares to experiencing him in the Eucharist!!! Although Adoration comes close!

Notworthy
 
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AsStAnselmPrays:
. After all, a verse in the Bible says that the Glory of the Lord is our rear guard (translation: God’s got your back, kid).
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Where is this verse?
 
I’d like to step in here and give my own personal opinion on the whole “personal relationship with Jesus” thing.

In defense of some Protestants out there, many see Catholics that don’t walk the walk (and may not even talk the talk). Simply receiving Jesus in the Eucharist does not mean that you have a personal, saving relationship.

I liken it to marriage. The marital act is the highest form of communion between spouses. However, if that is the only means of communication, the act itself becomes empty and meaningless. If there is no daily acts of love there, then the marital act does not consummate a balanced relationship. If that’s all there is, then the two spouses can actually become quite distant and the marital act simply very mechanical. Ask any married person and they will confirm this. The marital act cements the relationship, but that bond naturally manifests itself in lesser ways that reflect the oneness that is there.

Hmmmmmm. That’s what can happen with Holy Communion if we never pray, talk to Jesus throughout our day, make little sacrifices for Him, go to Adoration, participate in devotions, lean on him when times are tough.

Sometimes I think we can learn from our separated brethren.
 
Yes, sadly, Windmill is right. Just because you receive communion doesn’t mean you receive all the Grace that it offers. It’s like the Beatles said (Goodness, am I quoting Paul McCartney?), “And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make”.

NotWorthy
 
When I was a waitress while going to college the thing I dreaded must was Sunday nights. We got Bible Baptists in after their night service and every table you went to asked the same question, “Child, have you been saved.” I used to invite my other customers to help me come up with a line that would shut them up but save my tip. If I said “yes” they wanted to discuss it, if I said “No” they wanted to save me on the spot! My customers came up with answers like, “yup, twice, but it didn’t take” or “no, I decided to wait till I’m old enough to understand what that means.” Neither answer worked…they still wanted to save me. I got into a heated arguement with one because he banged his knee and it was swollen twice the normal size and when I suggested that he see a doctor, he said he was going to let God heal him…it reminded me of that man on the roof during a flood joke. So I told him I thought God gave man the knowledge to learn how to heal his fellow man. Boy we got into it after that. I was 20 at the time. That night…a night I will never forget…I walked over to the cigarette machine with tears rolling down my face and bought my first pack of cigarettes. After that I asked my manager to put me on Sunday mornings instead of nights.

I think we all hate that question because there is no good way to answer and come out unscathed. If we say yes, they do want to discuss it now, no matter what we are doing. If they don’t like our answers to their questions, they will hound us and we know it. Since they don’t think Catholics are saved, it doesn’t matter what we say, they won’t like it. If we say no…we are lying to ourselves and we know it but it is what they believe about us.

As Catholics we all are taught that our relationship with Jesus is a very personal thing. We don’t discuss with everyone when we need to go to reconcilliation to repair that personal relationship, we just go and discuss it with our priest. We also expect that certain standards will be upheld and we don’t parade around telling people …Yup, I didn’t have sex last night with the boyfriend because I knew Jesus wouldn’t be happy about it. We are just expected to follow what we have been taught.
Now, here is my thought on the subject for what it is worth…
I have a very personal relationship with Jesus. But like many things in my life I base my faith on that relationship and I am secure with it. I don’t need affirmation from a stranger about it. If I am a living example of what Christ wants of his people, I don’t need to tell anyone about it, They will see it in my actions if there is any question in their mind. Membership (in the body of Christ) should be based on attraction rather than promotion. I don’t need to promote my beliefs I need to live them. This is not to say that I don’t believe in evangalization…I just don’t like the brand of evangelization that reminds me of television commercials. You know…advertising to get converts to join your church. Basically, alot of these people that come and ask about your personal relationship with Jesus are using it as a form of advertising for their churches , and I just don’t think thats right!
 
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BlestOne:
When I was a waitress while going to college the thing I dreaded must was Sunday nights. We got Bible Baptists in after their night service and every table you went to asked the same question, “Child, have you been saved.” I used to invite my other customers to help me come up with a line that would shut them up but save my tip. If I said “yes” they wanted to discuss it, if I said “No” they wanted to save me on the spot! My customers came up with answers like, “yup, twice, but it didn’t take” or “no, I decided to wait till I’m old enough to understand what that means.” Neither answer worked…they still wanted to save me. I got into a heated arguement with one because he banged his knee and it was swollen twice the normal size and when I suggested that he see a doctor, he said he was going to let God heal him…it reminded me of that man on the roof during a flood joke. So I told him I thought God gave man the knowledge to learn how to heal his fellow man. Boy we got into it after that. I was 20 at the time. That night…a night I will never forget…I walked over to the cigarette machine with tears rolling down my face and bought my first pack of cigarettes. After that I asked my manager to put me on Sunday mornings instead of nights.

I think we all hate that question because there is no good way to answer and come out unscathed. If we say yes, they do want to discuss it now, no matter what we are doing. If they don’t like our answers to their questions, they will hound us and we know it. Since they don’t think Catholics are saved, it doesn’t matter what we say, they won’t like it. If we say no…we are lying to ourselves and we know it but it is what they believe about us.

As Catholics we all are taught that our relationship with Jesus is a very personal thing. We don’t discuss with everyone when we need to go to reconcilliation to repair that personal relationship, we just go and discuss it with our priest. We also expect that certain standards will be upheld and we don’t parade around telling people …Yup, I didn’t have sex last night with the boyfriend because I knew Jesus wouldn’t be happy about it. We are just expected to follow what we have been taught.
Now, here is my thought on the subject for what it is worth…
I have a very personal relationship with Jesus. But like many things in my life I base my faith on that relationship and I am secure with it. I don’t need affirmation from a stranger about it. If I am a living example of what Christ wants of his people, I don’t need to tell anyone about it, They will see it in my actions if there is any question in their mind. Membership (in the body of Christ) should be based on attraction rather than promotion. I don’t need to promote my beliefs I need to live them. This is not to say that I don’t believe in evangalization…I just don’t like the brand of evangelization that reminds me of television commercials. You know…advertising to get converts to join your church. Basically, alot of these people that come and ask about your personal relationship with Jesus are using it as a form of advertising for their churches , and I just don’t think thats right!
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Exellent post! What feeling and insite. A perfect example of reality and life in the real world. God bless you Best One.
 
sara888 said:
**Stephen, If you ask a OSAS doctrine follower, do they do works of charity, Church, communion, etc. etc. some say yes, but I then ask them if they stopped doing these things have they not walked away from their faith. **
They claim no, they are still saved and guranteed heaven because they believe in Christ and his death paid for their sins past, present and future. Its a circular discussion. Its not only unbiblical, it lacks common sense.

Sara
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If their thesis is correct(that Christ paid for our sins and no actions are required on our part to affect salvation) then there would be no need for them believe in Christ and accept that he died for their sins. I pointed this out to an Evangeleical Friend who got quite huffy about it.
 
Hi Bob,

Yes,there is irony. Christ did die for our sins and our salvation comes though Him. Yet we must do something…repent! Yet most evangelical Protestants will not consider repentance a work.

Gene
 
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