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Salvation Is More than a Personal Relationship with Jesus

Salvation Is More than a Personal Relationship with Jesus

There is no doubt that all the saved will have a personal relationship with Jesus. They will know Him and be known by Him (John 17:3). And as happens in all healthy loving relationships, the saved will absolutely want to please Jesus—no question about it.

So, do not read the title of this blog to suggest that the saved do not or will not have a relationship with Jesus—they have the most incredible relationship with Jesus!

But what I am pointing out is that a person can have a relationship with Jesus, a personal, one-on-one, intimate experience with Jesus and still not be saved—because the relationship must cause something in the sinner that opens the door for that person to be saved by Jesus.

To ask it another way: Is salvation merely having a relationship with Jesus, or is salvation something that we experience from and through our personal relationship with Jesus?  

I am asking whether it is possible to have a personal relationship with Jesus and still not be saved because the core saving result that our personal relationship with Jesus is supposed to cause to happen in us didn’t happen.

Consider Lucifer in heaven—did he have a real, individual, personal relationship with Jesus? Did that relationship cause Lucifer to remain loyal? Did it cause Lucifer after his rebellion to repent and be saved?

What about Judas on Earth—did he have his own, individual, personal relationship with Jesus? Did the personal relationship Judas had with Jesus result in his salvation? Why not?

What did Lucifer and Judas lack despite their personal relationship with Jesus? They didn’t trust Jesus and didn’t love Him more than themselves!

What is the core element that is the actual factor of what it means to be saved? It is what Jesus described to Nicodemus—it is being reborn; it is receiving, through our relationship with Jesus, a new heart and right spirit; it is dying to fear and selfishness and living to love and trust; it is being recreated in the inner man; it is being recreated in righteousness by the Holy Spirit—all of which is achieved through our personal relationship with Jesus, through our trust in Him. For a personal relationship with Jesus to result in salvation, it must cause our sinful, distrusting heart to be changed to love and trust—in other words, we must come to actually trust Jesus and love Him and His methods, design law, and principles. We must choose to open the door to our hearts to Him and let Him in. Jesus stands at the door and knocks, but we experience salvation only when we open the door to our hearts and trust Him.

In heaven, Lucifer broke trust with God and never restored it. While Judas had a discipleship relationship with Jesus, he never truly trusted Jesus. Judas had a personal experience with Jesus, but never died to self and was never reborn to love God and others through genuine trust in Jesus.

Is there a danger in thinking salvation is in the relationship with Jesus rather than being transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit through our relationship with Jesus?

What if someone prefers the false Christ, the imposter, the imposer of law and the inflictor of punishments, believing that he is god, that the “enforcer-of-law Jesus” is the true Jesus—could they form a relationship with that Jesus, and in that relationship, could they trust that Jesus to pay their legal penalty, erase their sin crimes from the records, and to one day punish all their enemies for their unrepentant sin crimes and then go out in the name of that Jesus to do “justice,” to advance on others with law and punishment to put down rebellion and sin—just like Saul of Tarsus did before the Damascus Road?

And what will Jesus say to such worshipers when they claim they were doing all of this in His name? Jesus foretold:

Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:22, 23 NIV84).

He will tell them to go away and that He never knew them—they actually didn’t have a trust relationship with Him but preferred the “Jesus” who is like Satan in character.

Yes—all the saved will have a personal, deep, loving, and intimate relationship with Jesus, and it is through that relationship that trust is restored and they receive the indwelling Holy Spirit, who transforms and heals them to be like Jesus. Salvation means healing; it means saving from sin; it means restoring God’s law in us and cleansing our hearts, minds, and characters from fear, selfishness, and distrust—and that requires we know God and Jesus Christ and die to self and actually come to trust Jesus and be reborn to love God and others more than self.

This is how the apostle Peter was saved. Through his relationship with Jesus, he experienced a transformation of heart that overcame his inherent fear and selfishness, which were obstacles to his salvation. At the Last Supper, Jesus said to Peter,

Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren (Luke 22:31, 32 KJV, emphasis mine).

Peter replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death” (v. 33 NIV84).

But we know the story. Peter denied Jesus with cursing, and as the cock crowed and Peter just denied his Lord,

The Lord turned round and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered that the Lord had said to him, “Before the cock crows tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me.” Peter went out and wept bitterly (Luke 22:61, 62 GNT).

Peter’s relationship with Jesus brought into conflict his inherent fear and selfishness and his love and trust in Jesus. He had to choose, and in that moment, he chose fear and selfishness. He wept bitterly because he realized his heart was still infected with sin, but that is also when he was converted, when he finally surrendered his old life to Jesus and was reborn with a new heart and right spirit, when he experienced the transforming power to live a new life of love. Jesus confirms this on the beach after His resurrection:

Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:15–17 NIV84).

Salvation is more than having a relationship with Jesus—it is becoming like Jesus through that relationship with Him!

 

 

 

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Testimony 10

I personally download and listen to each of Come And Reason Ministries Bible study class lessons and PDF study notes to use when teaching my class. Really appreciate the class especially when Dr. Jennings is teaching. Thank God there are persons like him doing His work and traveling to share His beliefs.

B. L.M., North Plains, OR, USA

 

Testimony 24

I wanted to thank you very much for presenting your understanding of God. I’ve always been troubled by this question: Why did Jesus have to die? Since my conversion I understood that The Father & Jesus are one, I did not have issues with that. But was there not any other way to save us than for Jesus to die? I guess I actually had a question about God – if He is so wise, how come He did not find another way? I did not see the real ‘beauty’  in the cross. Only when you explained the picture in the medical context, Jesus providing medicine for my selfishness, have I started to finally ‘see the light’. Thank you so much. Your seminar, “Healing the Mind,” are absolutely marvelous & have shared them with my family and many other people, including colleagues at work. Thanks, thanks, thanks. May God bless you abundantly in your ministry.

M. W., Australia

 

Testimony 19

I truly believe that to know who God really is the first step to understand ourselves in a balanced and kind way, so the healing can take place. Your approach really makes sense – Thank you for your ministry!

A.M., Pittsburg, PA, USA

Testimony 17

The blessings of clarity and understanding you and your class inspire me to take from the word of God have impressed upon me so greatly the true, loving character of our Creator. I have found amazing freedom and joy through building a stronger, more intentional relationship with Him. What is new is that this is now a relationship built on love, reverence and respect rather than fear and obligation, and as such my eyes have been slammed OPEN as I am continually impressed by the manifestations of God’s true character in His provisions for fallen man.

T.E.H., Salt Lake City, UT, USA

 

Testimony 40

I was brought up in a different faith and have been petrified my whole life of God. I believed that I would burn in hell for eternity. When I was 12 I started pursuing the things of this world, but for the next 45 years the Spirit was always calling me, as I knew there was a God through nature. I could see the vast sea of stars in the universe and knew there was something bigger out there. Five years ago, through a Revelation seminar, I was blessed to learn about God’s character and government.

Then I found Come and Reason Ministries and have come under some extreme pressure when I speak about the ministry. One time a member sent me an internet article titled “Whats wrong with Tim Jennings?” I asked her what she thought of it and she said “I don’t know, I didn’t read it.”

I have always wanted to find out for myself the truth about God, so I stayed with the Design Law construct and have been liberated to understand the big picture. Once we consider Design Law, all other Bible stories and prophecies seem to fit perfectly. It is truly beautiful to see people grasping how God operates this Universe of Love and the liberation it has provided in their lives. It blows my mind to see how consistent Design law is with what our founders believed. I hear statements like “This makes so much sense.”

Tom W., Mt. Pleasant, MI, USA

 

Testimony 9

I really enjoy with you the view of a gracious God. Thank you for sharing the work you are allowing the Lord to do in you.

L., Queensland, Australia

 

Testimony 69

After reading your book, ‘Could It Be This Simple,’ someone was explaining Christianity in a way that made sense to me for the first time in my life. One morning, I simply prayed “I’m sorry and I love you.” As soon as I silently said that, I could literally feel God’s presence and light flood down on me from above and fill me up with love and joy. I sat there crying my eyes out, because I was so overpowered with this feeling of love and joy. It was just so incredible. I hope that more people can read this book and get a blessing from it. It’s really amazing.

Rachael H.

Testimony 48

I just want to tell you how blessed I have been reading “The Remedy!” It has become a daily part of my devotional relationship with God. In it I have found a God of love and a God that loves me! The bible has come alive for me! It is the first time that I can say that I have felt hope fill my heart as I have read God’s word. This is good news I can share! Thank you, Dr Jennings! Thank you for your heart for others. I can’t put into words how this has set me free! It has strengthened my trust and love for God.

Jason H.

 

Testimony 32

The message [of Come And Reason Ministries is] for all Christians (and those who may become Christians) and not just Adventists or any other group. It is difficult to imagine why any [anyone] with intellectual and spiritual honesty could find fault with the way you explained the healing substitution concepts and the truth about God’s character, though I know some will reject and criticize. On behalf of those in our group near Tacoma, WA, thank you and your staff for all of the hard work and for sharing the Gospel in this manner. God’s message of healing love will be carried to the whole world and then Jesus will come – He promised it.

Terry U., Tacoma, WA, USA

 

Testimony 29

Thank you for all of your work to correct misconceptions about God’s character. So many people that my husband and I have talked to seem to be against the natural law construct and view it as “errant” and “dangerous.” Having learned more about it through your blogs and lessons, I don’t really understand why they view it that way, except that it means they have to relearn theology they have known for their entire lives. But I’m so excited to relearn this. For the past few years I have been questioning how I could trust a God who punishes arbitrarily and is full of wrath for those who don’t obey His commands. That view made me afraid to “mess up” or “not be good enough,” even within my relationship with God. I really appreciated the point you bring out about God not wanting us to serve Him because we are afraid, but because we love Him.

Melissa H., IN, USA

 

Testimony 57

You have helped make sense of thirty two years of confusion. The material you freely provide reorganized so much of my life into such a beautiful pattern that has always been hinted at from within, but misguided with my training and what I was experiencing externally. My filipno parents, who were converted from Catholicism to SDA, were sincere and did their best to raise me the right way and I have deep respect for them. However, being immigrants and not understanding the language made for a difficult transition as I was growing up, which also applied to my spiritual growth as I learned the patterns of religion. I have been listening to as many bible study classes and reading blog posts as my time in a work truck will allow, searching for the practical applications of where spirituality and reality meet, and I thank you for helping me find that. You have helped me reach a point in which I can truly say that I love God, that I believe He loves me, and, like David, I delight in His law. God bless.

Emmanuel V., Calgary, AB Canada

Testimony 37

Hearing Dr. Jennings’ presentations in person came at a pivotal moment in my spiritual journey that began about nine months ago, when the fault lines inherent in my belief system began to crack under questions that most reasonable people end up asking about God and His nature. These were questions I couldn’t find answers to, and they shook my faith. I was unable let it go any longer and be satisfied. My Christian experience became distant. I was afraid; the fear in me rose like thorns, pushing me away from Jesus. And then someone heard my questions and introduced me to this ministry, and my life has totally changed.

I can tell you that this new, “present truth” message is far grander and life-changing than when I shifted from being an agnostic and then a nominal Christian. It has radically altered my worldview, because it reveals a God that makes sense. It is a revolution. I believe that Dr. Jennings’ message is the final message that must go to the world. If any message could be called “righteousness by faith,” as abused as that term is by the right and the left, this is that message, because Jennings’ biblical message identifies a God who is different, whose character isn’t an impossible contradiction.

I walk this path now without fear. I see people differently, and the Holy Spirit burns in my heart. Many call Dr. Jennings’ message false and compromising, but it isn’t false, because I’ve seen the fruits within my mind and body. It is not compromising, because in this message is the only road to holiness that makes any sense. No longer do I behold a pagan god who is always angry and suspicious. Instead, I behold a God who is freeing and loving, always working for our good, and giving me every reason to love my enemy even to my own death, just as Jesus pleads with us. God is good.

Anthony L., CA, USA

 

Testimony 35

I am so pleased with the response your message is receiving at my church from the middle-aged to the young adults. I have given out 100 copies of the first two seminars and there are more request every week. One of my [class members] came to me after viewing the series, grateful and impressed with how easy the message was retained. He had been a Seventh-day Adventist in fear all his life, and felt like the scales were removed from his eyes after viewing the seminars. I am so impressed by the change I see in members who have received this message, we are in one accord. However, I am sadden by the negative response of the older people. I am verbally attacked anytime I talk about imposed laws, but I believe my mission is to enlightened everyone I can. I watch your Bible Study Class on YouTube every Friday night and I feel like I am apart of the class. All of you are in one accord and I am so blessed to have found you. I pray that all of you continue to spread this message and I am committed to doing my part.

Clara S., Westfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 16

Your seminars are still inspiring and changing our lives and we continue to share the principles we have learned from you. Your ministry has changed our lives!

E.W.

 

Testimony 12

I have been really blessed reading your response to the various questions on your site.

K.C., OH, USA