Personal relationship with jesus

[Lion_IRC]

I have a personal relationship with Jesus too. Whoever that person was who said he didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus was speaking for himself and not for all Catholics.

I see what you did there.

 

[fred_smurf]

Of course we all have a personal relationship with Christ. The problem with the phrase though is that it has a negative connotation because it is used by Evangelicals, and what they mean by “personal relationship” really means rejecting an Ecclesiastical structure and Liturgical worship.

You judged the Evangelicals and I defend them, I’ve grew up in the Catholic Church and now am a Pentecostal, what I found that maybe the priest have a deep relationship but I didn’t I don’t disrespect the Catholics or Orthodox Christian my mother is one beside there Christian

 

[Lasting_faith]

Christ is with us every day, every step we take, every time we fail and sin, how could we not have a personal releationship with Him?

 

[Skye_Ariel]

I see what you did there.

LOL What did I do?

 

[JRKH]

Lot’s of good responses…I highlight some here…

I’d ask your Facebook friend what he means. He might be associating the phrase “personal relationship” with a “buddy” mentality that equates intimacy with familiarity, or with the “personal Lord and savior” doctrine that equates salvation with an act of faith.

Very much agree. As another poster mentioned, the “personal relationship” phrase is very often equated with an evangelical strain that rejects the fundamental (and biblically supported) need for Ekklesia, structure, authority etc…

That said, he is mistaken at least in his terminology. The ecclesial and sacramental relationship we have with Christ is personal, even though He is present in different ways than our next-door neighbor. If Our Lord seems more remote because of the sacramental veil, He is also nearer by virtue of the same Sacrament, not to mention His divinity and the indwelling of the Blessed Trinity.

Here I would suggest that for the religious brother who made the comment, the viewpoint might be somewhat different since he lives (presumably) a very structured life in community. This can give him a somewhat different viewpoint.

Of course we all have a personal relationship with Christ. The problem with the phrase though is that it has a negative connotation because it is used by Evangelicals, and what they mean by “personal relationship” really means rejecting an Ecclesiastical structure and Liturgical worship.

That is exactly where he is coming from judging from the comments on his profile. He also mentioned his distaste for WWJD empty phrasing, I definitely agree with him on that on.

YES…And “empty phrasing” is a problem that exists in many quarters. How many go to mass, make the responses, sing the songs, and even receive the sacrament without really being engaged in what is happening?

At Mass on Sunday we read from Luke 9.

*"…‘Who do the crowds say I am?’’

“…who do you say I am?”*

The sermon which followed the reading then proceeded to use these lines to contrast the collective zeitgeist with the direct and individual challenge that has to be answered by us personally.

“…who do you say I am?”

It has to be our personal response to that question.
Offering someone else’s response isnt acceptable. When we face death, it is our own personal answer to that existential question by which we will be held personally accountable.

Atheists often spout popular slogan answers about God which they heard in the public square from prominent “New Athests” like Richard Dawkins or Lawrence Krauss. Agnostics put the question in the “too hard basket” and try to postpone deciding. And many of us believers reel off by heart, the doctrinally correct affirmation we memorized at Nicea.

But ultimately, we each have to decide our personal answer to God. And God treats us as the unique individuals He created us to be. Remember, that as per Luke 15:7, even if 99 righteous individuals all collectively are safely under His care, God still seeks to find even just 1 single lost sheep.

THIS…
As important as our ekklesial relationship is, that relationship must stem from a personal decision to believe in and to follow Christ to the best of our ability.
That Personal relationship and personal decision is what led the OP’s facebook friend to enter religious life…Not as a barrier to having a personal relationship with Christ, but rather to enhance it.

Peace
James

 

[cheese_sdc]

I spent lots of time being told I had to have “a personal relationship with Jesus”, but never really understood it either. I never read anything in the bible that said I needed one.

I suspect it’s a mantra with with some people that they use to mood alter. With other people, they’ve just been told it so many times that they just assume that it’s necessary.

 

[CradleJourney]

I spent lots of time being told I had to have “a personal relationship with Jesus”, but never really understood it either. I never read anything in the bible that said I needed one.

I suspect it’s a mantra with with some people that they use to mood alter. With other people, they’ve just been told it so many times that they just assume that it’s necessary.

So do you think they are worried about people having an impersonal relationship with Jesus (God) - like well I don’t have to acknowledge God, just don’t do anything too bad and it will all be okay? (I guess that’s what an impersonal relationship would look like? )

Not trying to be offensive or anything - just legitimately curious because I’ve been perplexed a bit about the topic since I’ve had limited experience with religions that use this term.

 

[ConstantineTG]

You judged the Evangelicals and I defend them, I’ve grew up in the Catholic Church and now am a Pentecostal, what I found that maybe the priest have a deep relationship but I didn’t I don’t disrespect the Catholics or Orthodox Christian my mother is one beside there Christian

I’ve known Pentecostals, even attended a talk of one Pentecostal pastor. He certainly believes that Catholics are not saved (nor will ever be).

 

[fred_smurf]

I’ve known Pentecostals, even attended a talk of one Pentecostal pastor. He certainly believes that Catholics are not saved (nor will ever be).

You are a priest? Am sorry let God be the judge who am I don’t know you, God bless you

 

[JMJ_coder]

This looks like a reaction against the ‘me and buddy Jesus’ attitude that is currently all the rage.

 

[JMJ_coder]

Of course we all have a personal relationship with Christ. The problem with the phrase though is that it has a negative connotation because it is used by Evangelicals, and what they mean by “personal relationship” really means rejecting an Ecclesiastical structure and Liturgical worship.

Absolutely. In addition to this, that train of thought tends to make one turn inwardly. Since its all about me and Jesus, the drive to be a light to the world is quashed way too easily by the ‘keep it to yourself’ opposition.

 

[SAVINGRACE]

And this requires a deep relationship with Jesus, am not going into the gifts of the Holy Spirit ( Ruach HaKodesh) because I don’t see it in the Catholic Church so why bring it

I will respectfully disagree with you. I see many unique spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit within the Catholic Church.

 

[ltwin]

I’ve known Pentecostals, even attended a talk of one Pentecostal pastor. He certainly believes that Catholics are not saved (nor will ever be).

Well, that Pentecostal pastor doesn’t speak for all Pentecostals . . . Catholics have as much chance of being saved as a Pentecostal or evangelical Christian does . It’s about the inner work of the Spirit, not what denomination you are a part of.

But back to the topic of this thread, I’ve always understood a personal relationship with Jesus to mean that a person is a Christian because:

1. They actually believe that Jesus is a real person and a real God.
2. Given this fact, Jesus can know us and be known by us. We can enter into relationship, communion, and fellowship with him.
3. This requires us to commune with him ourselves. “God has no grandchildren,” as the saying goes. In other words, we cannot know God indirectly through the experience of others, like our parents or biblical figures. We cannot bum off of the spiritual inheritance of our ancestors. God wants to reveal himself to us, personally. He wants to speak to us. He wants to use us to accomplish his purposes. This requires intimacy with God, knowing his voice when he calls us.

 

[Lion_IRC]

Lion IRC;10903406:

I see what you did there.

LOL What did I do?

You amplified the point about “who do you say I am”, that when a person expresses something about their relationship with God, (or lack thereof,)
it is THEIR PERSONAL view, and they can’t speak for others.

You are dead right.

When random dude said he didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus was speaking for himself and not for all Catholics.

He is answering the direct, personal question Jesus asks in Luke 9.

“…who do you say I am?”

 

[ltwin]

Absolutely. In addition to this, that train of thought tends to make one turn inwardly. Since its all about me and Jesus, the drive to be a light to the world is quashed way too easily by the ‘keep it to yourself’ opposition.

I don’t know how much this comment can be justified by real world experience. The people who most commonly use the term “personal relationship with Jesus” (i.e. evangelical and “born again” Christians) are not “keeping it to themselves” judging by the worldwide growth of this type of Christianity.

 

[cheese_sdc]

So do you think they are worried about people having an impersonal relationship with Jesus (God) - like well I don’t have to acknowledge God, just don’t do anything too bad and it will all be okay? (I guess that’s what an impersonal relationship would look like? )

This is the mental conversation I always had when people told me I had to have a personal relationship with Jesus:

“Huh. How am I supposed to have a relationship with someone I’ve never met? I mean, I’ve read about the guy, but I’ve also read about Atticus Finch and Winston Churchill and I don’t have a relationship with them.”

It seems to me that people are mistaking the emotions that they experience while hearing about Jesus as a “personal relationship”. To be sure, one of the great strengths of Christianity is the power of their stories.

But, hearing stories doesn’t a relationship make. Just my .02, and remember, I have a much different perspective on the matter than a Christian would.

 

[Isaiah45_9]

I don’t know how much this comment can be justified by real world experience. The people who most commonly use the term “personal relationship with Jesus” (i.e. evangelical and “born again” Christians) are not “keeping it to themselves” judging by the worldwide growth of this type of Christianity.

This is true. And they love to throw it to poorly catechized Catholics

 

[zz912]

This looks like a reaction against the ‘me and buddy Jesus’ attitude that is currently all the rage.

Completely agree. In today’s Christianity, Jesus is just our pal, a bigger version of ourselves. So we can yuck it up with Him, and like our bestest buddy, we are chummy with Him. But the big problem is we get to decide what that relationship looks like, and the requirements of it, because He is only a bigger version of ourselves, we get to have some say in the relationship. If some teachings are too hard, we can ignore them. Your pal doesn’t have authority over you.

 

[JRKH]

Completely agree. In today’s Christianity, Jesus is just our pal, a bigger version of ourselves. So we can yuck it up with Him, and like our bestest buddy, we are chummy with Him. But the big problem is we get to decide what that relationship looks like, and the requirements of it, because He is only a bigger version of ourselves, we get to have some say in the relationship. If some teachings are too hard, we can ignore them. Your pal doesn’t have authority over you.

I know many “personal relationship” type Christians who would disagree with your statement here…but I agree that this is a definite danger.

It’s not unlike some Catholics who think that doing certain minimal things (mass on Sunday etc) are sufficient to get them into heaven…No real conversion of heart…Just “follow the rules”.

 

[Skye_Ariel]

Having a personal relationship with Jesus means you have to find Him for yourself, not just who He is for the Church or for all Christians or for all the world but who He is for you in your personal life. No one can get that but you. It’s like an overweight person reaching the place where they decide to make a change for theirself, not because someone told them or what others say but they have to find that place inside themselves to where they want to make a change, no one can give you that you have to find it in yourself. A personal relationship with Jesus means you have to find that place for yourself where it’s not just going through the motions because that’s what Catholics are supposed to do, but doing it because you have a personal relationship with Jesus for yourself. Each person has to find that for theirself. Like with anyone who makes a change in their life, it’s different for everyone but you know it when you’ve reached that place. It’s hard to explain or describe a personal relationship with Jesus but you know it when you’ve got it.