Whether you are aware of it or not, it is evident what the relationship with God you choose is like. And it makes all the difference between receiving eternal life from God and being annihilated by God.

In this post then we will explore what good and bad relationships with God look like in order to understand the difference.

Our Bible Quotation of Focus

Our Bible quotation of focus for this post is: “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship [companionship] with us: and truly our fellowship [companionship] is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3.

Note that “1 John 1:3” is an example of Bible notation, in that, it is a way of referencing the Bible which is a collection of books. As it is, each book in the Bible consists of one or more chapters, and each chapter has numbered sections called verses. For example, the Bible notation “1 John 1:3” refers to the book of 1 John, the 1^st chapter, and the 3^rd verse.

Who or What is God?

Let us, before continuing, consider who or what exactly is God? On reading the Bible, you will find that “God” (Genesis 1:1) and “the Godhead” (Acts 17:29) are interchangeable names in the Bible for a divine Family made up of three Persons.  So, God is a Person or, rather, Persons, and not a thing or things.

God describes Himself in the Bible by saying that He is “God, that cannot lie” (Titus 1:2) and “God is love.” 1 John 4:8. In other words, each of the three members of the Godhead has a character of love that is identical to the character of the others, and, in fact, this love is the only definition of true love in the universe.

And, No, there are not three Gods! Why? Because the members of the Godhead never contradict each other at any time, that is, we can say that they speak with one voice. For there has never been nor ever will be any disagreement or contention among them. Therefore, we can say, “there is one God.” Mark 12:32.

Furthermore, each Person in the Godhead, the divine Family, is “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life.” Hebrews 7:3.

And the names of these three Persons in the Godhead are “the Father” (Matthew 11:27), “the Son” (Psalm 2:12) also called Christ (Matthew 1:1), and “the Holy Spirit.” Psalm 51:11.

OK, with this understanding of who God is, a related question is, Who is Jesus? The name Jesus was given to Christ when He was born as a baby boy on earth over 2,000 years ago.

A Broken Relationship

God created the first human pair, a man named Adam and a woman named Eve, with a character of perfect love just like the character of God. And from the very beginning, Adam and Eve had daily, face-to-face contact in their relationship with God, which was a delight to Adam and Eve.

Now, Satan is the angel who started a rebellion against God in heaven and caused some of the other angels to join him in his rebellion. These angels were all cast out of heaven by God pending God’s Judgment Day because they refused to stop doing evil, that is, refused to stop sinning.

Satan then came to the garden of Eden which was the home of Adam and Eve on earth and, by his temptation, succeeded in causing both Adam and Eve to sin. Thus, Adam and Eve’s character became one of selfishness instead of a character of love.

Therefore, Adam and Eve no longer had a delight in God and so their close, intimate, loving relationship with God was broken up. Hence, God withdrew from His original daily, face-to-face contact with Adam and Eve.

Even more than that, all the descendants of Adam and Eve, that is, all humanity have inherited Adam and Eve’s disposition to sin, and thus every human being has also sinned. As a result, just like Adam and Eve, people do not naturally delight in God and so they do not seek to have a close, intimate, loving relationship with God.

So then, the relationship between God and the human race is broken and, thus, God does not have direct face-to-face contact with human beings any longer, except in rare instances.

Does this mean that God has given up on the human race? No, not at all! God says, “The wages of sin is [eternal] death [which is to be annihilated by God]; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

Here God has made a provision for the love that is in God’s heart to be supernaturally implanted in human hearts, so that they have a character of perfect love. And those people who allow God to cause them to undergo this transformation from selfishness to love will receive eternal life in a face-to-face, loving relationship with God.

But those people who refuse to allow God to transform them and, hence, reject a loving relationship with God, will be annihilated by God.

Our Relationship with God: Grace

Those people who choose a loving relationship with God are they who choose God’s ways of love by turning away from all their sins, that is, by repenting of their sins, and by exercising faith in all of God’s promises. Such people then God causes to “put on charity [to have love in their hearts], which is the bond of perfectness [of the good relationship between themselves and God].” Colossians 3:14.

For these people, their relationship with God is such that “the LORD God is a sun [giving light to understand God’s ways of love] and shield [from the malice of the wicked Satan and his evil angels]. Psalm 84:11.

That is, their relationship with God is such that “the LORD [God] will give [them] grace [God’s blessings according to God’s unmerited favour] and glory [that is, a character of love like God’s]: no good thing will he [God] withhold from them that walk uprightly [that live in accordance with God’s ways of love].” Psalm 84:11.

Here we see then that a good relationship with God depends entirely on the choices we make in life. For we must give God our permission to put His love in our hearts or otherwise, by our refusal or neglect, we choose to remain selfish, that is, to remain in our sins and, therefore, have a bad relationship with God.

Those who are living in sin, God says, By their bad relationship with Him, they “are blind [to God’s ways of love]: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark [to warn people to repent of their sins]; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber [and so do nothing to help others to be saved to eternal life].” Isaiah 56:10.

“Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough [of what the world has to offer], and they are shepherds [leaders] that cannot understand [God’s ways of love]: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter [from his dwelling place].” Isaiah 56:11.

A Relationship with the Invisible God

Now, the members of the Godhead are each an “invisible God.” Colossians 1:15. That is, “No man [No human being] hath seen God at any time; the only begotten [only born] Son [Jesus Christ], which is in the bosom of the Father, he [Jesus Christ] hath declared him [the Father].” John 1:18.

Yes, people have seen Jesus Christ, who is God, but Christ did not appear on earth with all His divine majesty and glory. For Christ hid His divinity under a human form while He was on earth.

The only exception to this was when Christ was briefly transfigured (transformed) into His divine form before three of His disciples. One of these disciples, Peter, who says, “We…were eyewitnesses of his [Christ’s] majesty.” 2 Peter 2:16.

So, the question then is, How do you have a relationship with a God who is invisible? This is where many people fail in having a loving relationship with God. For they do not relate to God as if He is real, just as they relate to human beings whom they can see, hear, and touch.

Thus, the whole issue of a good or bad relationship with God revolves around whether we are among those people who “by faith…endured, as seeing him [God] who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:27.

Abraham’s Relationship with God

Our first example of a good relationship with God is a man named Abraham whom God gives as a shining example to humanity all throughout the Bible.

Abraham’s Trust in God

God says, “By faith Abraham, when he was called [by God] to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither [where] he went.” Hebrews 11:8.

“By faith he sojourned [dwelt] in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city [the holy city, new Jerusalem] which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Hebrews 11:9, 10.

Here we see Abraham’s good relationship with God, in that, he trusted God completely. For God could tell him to go, he knew not where, and Abraham would go as God had commanded him.

This is the kind of relationship that humanity is called to have with God. That is, to trust in God so that they will go wherever God sends them.

But with many people, their relationship with God is such that they have “asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD [God]” (Judges 9:14) to hear from God where God would have them go. They have taken this decision upon themselves and left God out of the question.

Abraham’s Obedience to God

God said of Abraham, “For I [God] know him [Abraham], that he will command his children and his household after him [after his own example], and they shall keep the way of the LORD [God], to do justice and judgment; that the LORD [God] may bring upon Abraham that which he [God] hath spoken of him [Abraham].” Genesis 18:19.

This is the essence of a good relationship with God because Abraham was not only obedient to God’s will himself, but he also taught his children and his large household to do likewise.

Abraham’s success in having godly children and household was due to his setting a holy example himself of a good relationship with God.

How many people though, in seeking to be holy themselves and in having godly children and households, say holy things but they do not set a godly example? They do not have a good relationship with God for they contradict their own words by their actual lives.

Abraham’s Love for God

God says, “Was not Abraham…justified [declared righteous by God] by [his] works, when he [Abraham] had offered Isaac his son upon the altar [to God]?” James 2:21.

“Seest thou how faith [in God] wrought with his [Abraham’s] works, and by works was faith [in God] made perfect?” James 2:22.

“And the scripture [the written word of God, the Bible,] was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed [reckoned, ascribed] unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” James 2:23.

Here God had called upon Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac, to God in order to put to the test Abraham’s relationship with God.

And Abraham demonstrated his love for God, which was an indication of his good relationship with God. For Abraham, as much as his heart was pained by God’s command, was willing to kill his son in obedience to God. Note that in the end God did not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.

How many people though have a good relationship with God such that they are willing to carry out any command that God may give them? In other words, how many people can be called the Friend of God?

Abraham Endures to the End

Again, God says, “For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he [God] sware by himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying [your descendants] I [God] will multiply thee.” Hebrews 6:13, 14.

“And so, after he [Abraham] had patiently endured, he obtained the promise [of eternal life from God].” Hebrews 6:15.

Here we see that Abraham’s good relationship with God was such that Abraham loved God and remained committed to God until the end of his life.

So, God is showing us that it is not only necessary to have a good relationship with God, but also to maintain this relationship until the end of our lives. Only then will we receive the reward of eternal life in face-to-face contact with God.

Paul’s Relationship with God

Here are three instances in the apostle Paul’s life that show what kind of relationship he had with God.

First: “And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.” Acts 14:19.

Second: “And when they had laid many stripes [blows] upon them [upon Paul and Silas], they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely.” Acts 16:23.

Third: “And as they went about to kill him [Paul], tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left [stopped] beating of Paul.” Acts 21:31, 32.

But what was Paul’s testimony about his relationship with God? “But none of these things move me, neither count I [Paul] my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace [the unmerited favour] of God.” Acts 20:24.

We see then that Paul had such a good relationship with God that not even physical violence nor the threat of death could turn away his love for God. And this is the kind of relationship that God has called every human being to have with Him.

Our Relationship with God: A Deep Love

The essence of a good relationship with God is when the individual can say understandingly, “All my springs [of loving actions] are in thee [from God].” Psalm 87:7.

Such people speak of their relationship with God in words like these, “My beloved [God] is mine, and I am his.” Song of Solomon 2:16. “I am my beloved’s [God’s], and his desire is toward me.” Song of Solomon 7:10.

And God says to them, “Set me [God] as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.” Song of Solomon 8:6, 7.

Here we see that so intense and deep is God’s love or humanity that God describes it as fire, in other words, God has a heart that is on fire with love for humanity.

So, as a reflection of their good relationship with God, God says of those people whom He has transformed, “Behold, thou art fair [beautiful in character], my love; behold, thou art fair [beautiful in character].” Song of Solomon 1:15. “How fair [beautiful in character] and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!” Song of Solomon 7:6.

But of those with a bad relationship with God it can be said, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance [of his own self], will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” Psalm 10:4. Such people do not know God.

Our Relationship with God: Music and Song

Those who have a good relationship with God will say among themselves, “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD [God], all ye lands. Serve the LORD [God] with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” Psalm 100:1, 2. “Sing unto him [God] a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.” Psalm 33:3.

They will be seen in heaven standing on “a sea of glass mingled with fire [as a symbol of God’s deep love for them]: and they are them that had gotten the victory over…[all their sins] having the harps of God.” Revelation 15:2.

As a response to their good relationship with Him, God will say of these people in heaven, “The LORD thy God…he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17.

But those in a bad relationship with God are they with “the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness” (Jeremiah 25:10), “that chant to the sound of the viol [a stringed musical instrument like a violin], and invent to themselves instruments of musick [music]…but they are not grieved for the affliction [the ruinous state] of…[humanity].” Amos 6:5, 6:6.

To such, God says, “Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols [stringed musical instruments like violins].” Amos 5:23.

TO BE CONTINUED…