A Relationship with God – The Real Spiritual Dream

I have asked this question hundreds of times in various parts of the world: “What is your spiritual dream?”

How would you answer it? Take a moment to stop reading and think about the question. Get a sheet of a paper and take three or four minutes to jot down some ideas.

There is something powerful about this question because many people think of their spiritual state as a yes-or-no kind of question: Either I am religious or irreligious. Either I am trying to pursue God or I don’t really believe in him. Either I am in the kingdom of God or in the kingdom of this world. To be able to name a spiritual dream means that you have purpose and direction, something to strive for and something to live for.

“What do you mean by spiritual?” most people ask, and I tell them to define it however they want. What are the hopes, ambi­tions, goals, and dreams you have for your life that are going to fulfill you on a deeper level?

By now most people have an idea of what I’m after, but are stumped by how to answer. We are not often taught to dream in a spiritual sense. What’s more, if we define for ourselves a dream, then we have a certain obligation to fulfill it. Sometimes people are wary about speaking a dream out loud because often they know they have done nothing really to pursue it.

How about you? Have you come up with a dream yet? Was it something you’d ever considered before? Does it sound daunting to put it down on paper?

“Anything at all,” I reassure those who need further direction. “If you could have anything in the world.” Once people get talking, I find it amazing how people give such very similar answers to this question. Most every answer falls into two categories:

Some will give an answer concerning their understanding of God. I have heard of answers like, “I want to be close to God,” or “I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit even more.” Some will say things like, “I want to be one with the whales.” Although this is not strictly a God answer, a person who answers this way still has an inner prompting toward worshiping something beyond himself or herself.

Some will give answers concerning their relationships with people. I have heard of answers like, “I just want my kids to know God,” or “I want to fight for my cause.” One person told me he wanted to give down-and-out children boat rides paid for by the government. These answers are almost always about benefiting a specific person or a broad group of people.

Most spiritual dreams are in some way connected to worshiping a higher being and showing love to other people. It is interesting because the way most people actually live out their lives is to benefit themselves and enrich their own standing, but the moment they are asked to pay attention to their spiritual side, they gravitate toward looking outside of themselves. I like to start out with this question about spiritual dreams because it places on the table two important desires that the average person has not fulfilled: connection with God and connection with people. I do not need to convince a person that he or she needs to have a spiritual life, because the person has just told me so in his or her own words. Suddenly the nice car and nice house aren’t quite as adequate a safeguard from needing something more.

Jesus of Nazareth taught that true fulfillment comes through a relationship with God your creator and through loving the people of this world. That’s what the Christian life is all about—living out our spiritual dreams of worshiping the God of the universe and giving of ourselves to our friends and neighbors:

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31 NIV)

God instilled in us our spiritual dreams, and he taught us how to pursue them by revealing himself as the one true God who deserves our worship and by revealing that every person we meet is a neighbor who deserves our love and attention. Many have rejected this call because it is too difficult. It can be easier to pop in a CD of whale calls or to throw money at a social program and pretend you are fulfilling a deeper connection. It feels like you have more control. What God asks of us is to give up control, to submit ourselves to the law of love—and through pursuing our dreams by his means rather than our own, we will find real fulfillment.

The Problem

Just because we each have a desire to worship and to love does not mean we are able to actually love God and our neighbor. The problem is that you and I were conceived in rebellion and sin (Psalm 51:5). We want to do things our own way, to be in control. This problem has plagued the human race since our first parents fell into sin (Genesis 3), and you and I are no different in our nature. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 3:9-12:

"What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.

All have turned away, they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good, not even one.” (NIV)

Complicating matters is that our fight is not just an internal struggle against our own rebellion and sin. Satan, or the devil, still has some power to deceive and blind humans. Paul wrote:

The god of this age [Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4 NIV).

Left to ourselves, you and I are lost! Yes, you have a spiritual dream. But sin has poisoned your nature against God and others, and Satan has blinded your eyes so that you do not see God. Even though you and I may “dream” of wanting God, left to our own power, you and I cannot lovingly relate to God.

The great news, the gospel of Christ, is that God seeks to have a relationship of peace despite our wicked nature. God reverses what Satan has done.

Here is what is so amazing: God brings real forgiveness! The only thing that can free us from our selfish desires, our controlling ways, and our lack of love is forgiveness. We cannot pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and do better; we need to have this wickedness absolved in our lives, to experience the radiance of God’s love and let ourselves be a vessel for carrying this love into the world. It is not we ourselves who learn to love, but we submit ourselves to experiencing and passing on the overflowing love of God.

Maybe you have a hard time believing that God could forgive you for what you have thought and done. Maybe your transgressions go deeper than just a selfish nature or a self-righteous attitude. You have thought very wicked thoughts against God and others. You have even acted wickedly. But God will forgive you and change your life. He has promised that no one is beyond the reach of his redemptive power.

Here is what is so amazing: God brings real goodness! Maybe you are from a Christian home, but you are not following God as your parents did. You consider yourself a “good” person; you were raised to be good. But deep down you know that you have not transferred the control of your life to God. You live according to the law but not according to the standard of love. But God will give you love; then the law will make sense.

God will take you where you are at now, and change you and restore or renew your spiritual dream. You will be vital in your walk with God. People in your life will see the change, and you will be involved in an eternal relationship. You have authority in Christ over Satan to be part of the building of the kingdom of God! You are saved from sin by the unbounded grace of God.

How is Grace Possible?

God is an absolutely perfect being. He cannot tolerate sin. When we hurt each other, when we turn our backs on what is decent and right and loving, he cannot possibly invite us into his presence. There is a wall that separates us. But even though you and I do not deserve it, God brought down the barrier out of sheer undeserved grace. When God’s Son, Jesus, died on the cross, he took on himself all our sin. Jesus lived a perfect life yet was suffering the punishment for crimes he did not commit. He broke Satan’s power over us. Because Jesus was fully God and fully human, the shedding of his blood meant complete forgiveness of believers’ sins and restoration into new relationship. No more guilt, no more blindness. You and I are reconciled with God. Take note of these Scriptures:

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! (Romans 5:8-9 NIV)

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. (1 Timothy 1:15 NIV)

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:3-5 NIV)

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
(James 4:7 NIV)

Will you still struggle with sin and temptation? Yes. Will you desire to run your own life rather than submit to God’s plan for you? Yes. Sin is not absent, but more and more the changing power of God will make sin less desirable. Instead, we grow in attraction to love and worship of our God and love of our neighbor. This lifelong process is called sanctification. Our old self passes away and God grants to us a new spirit, the Holy Spirit, which works ­in us to accomplish this process. Sin does not stand between God and us; rather he dwells in us and perfects us with his love.

Your Spiritual Dream Realized

Just because God has made possible this grace and offers it to us freely does not mean that we all have this grace in our lives. We must choose to receive his grace; we must accept his invitation into a relationship with him and accept the gift of a renewed heart that loves people. There is no magic formula to make these things happen, no words that unlock the secret door. There is only the surrender of the heart. There is the turning from our self-seeking ways to the will of God. There is the repentance of our sinful ways and the acceptance of forgiveness made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We die to ourselves.

We are Reborn through the Holy Spirit of God

Even though God looks at the heart and not at the words we recite, it can be helpful to walk through the process of salvation step by step and look at suggestions for what one might pray to God to receive his grace. This might be very basic if you have been a Christian for a long time, but read the next sections in the spirit of a revival of your life. Read also with the goal of helping a friend or neighbor come to know Christ. This process will not be so simple to a newcomer to the faith. Do not rush things by insisting right away on a commitment. Often a person will need to actually walk with God a while before deciding to commit his or her life to God. Simply share the steps and encourage the person to pray them whenever his or her heart is truly believes the words. Christian families have children who walk the walk for many years before they make their profession of faith, and connection evangelism takes the same approach: Explain the process of salvation, practice walking with God, and then give oneself up to God when God calls.

So much of this course will deal with the nuts and bolts of a daily reproducible walk with God. But know this: A daily walk comes out of a relationship that Jesus won for us. This relationship is a gift from God that we do not deserve. We might have a spiritual dream, but the dream would not make any sense without acknowledging God as the one who establishes a relationship with you and me, and who makes all connection possible. Home discipleship, the seven connections, Bible reading, prayer, Sunday worship, the kingdom of God—all mean nothing without the foundational work of God saving us from the wages of sin and giving us new life in his Spirit.

Step One: Repent

Repenting is a turning to God and confessing that you are a sinner and that you need God in your life. Repenting is not something you do lightly. This is something that you will continue to do throughout your Christian walk. Even when you come to the Lord’s Supper, you are to go with a repentant attitude. The Bible says:

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord . . .  (Acts 3:19 NIV)

A prayer of repentance: “Dear God in Heaven, I confess my willful rebellion against you. I have been in control of my own life. I freely desire to surrender my will. I pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Step Two: Confess your Faith

In the Bible, the word faith is a relational word. When you become a believer, confessing your faith is like a groom saying his vows to his bride. Expressing your faith is a bold act of promise in your new relationship with God. The Bible says:

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Everyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13)

This confession is not to be made lightly. You are now vowing to trust completely in God. You are entering into an eternal relationship. There is no turning back!

A prayer of belief: “Dear God, I trust in you as my Lord and my Savior. I receive from you your gracious gift of an eternal salvation, a relationship of peace from you, won for me by Jesus Christ, when he suffered hell for me on the cross and when he rose again from the dead. I have been spiritually reborn as your child now. I desire to serve you. I belong to you body and soul! In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

When you pray this prayer for the first time, you have just done something very bold. You have crossed over from death to life. You may not even feel like you did something that bold. If these prayers were truly from your heart, your spiritual center, you can be sure that you have been saved. Welcome to the body of believers!

One more thing about step two: Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth . . . .” On one level, you did that today. You confessed your vow to God, between you and God. Now you need to confess your faith publicly. Just as marriage vows are made publicly, so it is with a confession of faith in Jesus. Maybe you have been nurtured in a Christian home. You do not remember a time when you did not trust in the Lord. For you maybe it is time to publicly declare your faith at your church. 2 Corinthians 4:13-15 puts it this way:

It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. (NIV)

Talk to the pastor at your church about being baptized or confirmed before the entire congregation. Baptism is the public acknowledgement that you accept God’s gift of salvation and will live a new life in him.

Step Three: Walking in a Vital Relationship

When polls are conducted in America, over 80% of Americans say that they believe in God. A large percentage of people even say that the Bible is God’s Word. Many have confessed the sinner's prayer, a variation on what you may have just done in steps one and two. Yet the sad truth is that many who have professed their faith in Jesus do not walk daily with God in an ongoing transforming relationship. Many will attend church but fail to understand the relational nature of faith in Christ. They conclude that religion/church is a social event, a moral compass, a parenting and marriage guide, or social activism. While these things are natural by-products of a vital relationship, they are not the essence of walking with, serving, and loving God.

In realizing your spiritual dream to love God, you need to know basically who he is. He has revealed himself in history, and we can get to know him through his primary communication tool, the Bible. We call the Bible God’s Word. You also need to know that you are relating to a spiritual being in trinity. The Bible points to one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In some ways, relating to a spiritual God is different from relating to other humans. In human history, small numbers of people have physically seen members of the Trinity, that is, God. For example, Adam and Eve walked with God the Father in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2-3). Moses saw a glimpse of God the Father at Mount Sinai:

And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.” (Exodus 33:19-23 NIV)

The coming of Jesus, God’s own son, put God in plain view. Jesus was fully God and fully human. By believing in Jesus, you are relating to God. Through the eyes of faith, you now “see” God. Hebrews 1:3 says:

"The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." (NIV)

When Jesus was on this earth, he often spoke of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was preparing to die on the cross, He promised his disciples that the Father would send the Holy Spirit to them:

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)

The book of Acts in the Bible should be called the "Acts of the Holy Spirit." The book of Acts shows how the Holy Spirit has been poured out to believers. This book shows that the Holy Spirit indwells believers. The person of the Holy Spirit empowers people to preach, to heal, to discern, to have authority over evil, and to receive special gifts to advance the Kingdom of God.

A very important creed in the early church was the Nicene Creed. This creed calls the Holy Spirit “the Lord and Giver of life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spake by the prophets.” The Holy Spirit helps you “see” God!

When you have professed your faith in Christ, you have come to God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You have learned something very important now about the one you are relating to. You are not becoming one with the whales. You are not becoming one with the force. You connect directly to God. You do not need a human mediator. Jesus is your mediator:

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus . . . . (1 Timothy 2:5 NIV)

You are connecting to the God of the universe revealed in the Bible. This is very different from relating to another human. This spiritual being, God, is distinct from his creation and creatures, yet we commune with God in an eternal love relationship. At the same time, relating to God is similar in many ways to relating to other humans. A relationship with God includes trust, love, service, loyalty, knowledge, etc. Just as human relationships have a key effect on our lives, a relationship with God has a major effect on our lives. Think of someone who married well; we may say that a wife really brings out the best in her husband or that he brings out the best in her. That same dynamic happens when you and I relate to God. Relating to God transforms us, changing the way we are in our marriages, our families, our friendship circles, our work, our communities, and our world. The fact is that God is good for us. He brings out the best in you and me. If you are teachable and open in this relationship, you will be changed. God will change you through his communication tool, the Bible, and through his Holy Spirit, who now dwells in you as a believer.

 

Last modified: Sunday, October 11, 2020, 5:24 PM