What is a personal relationship with Jesus? When you are evangelizing to others, you know what this means, BUT, the lost will not understand what this means. You must plant a seed, allow the Father to draw them to Jesus, Jesus will grow the branches, and they will bear much fruit – if they make the decision to Follow Him.
So many times we speak with unbelievers and we say, “Well, you know what you need? You need a personal relationship with Jesus.” or we say, “This happened because you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus.” “You should get a personal relationship with Jesus.”
If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ and you are hearing this from someone, you probably have no idea what this means. What does this mean to you? It probably means nothing. When I put myself in the shoes of an unbeliever, I think if someone came up and said that to me, I would think: “Okay. Great. What does that mean? Am I supposed to sit in church or something? Do I listen to preachers? Do I sing songs? Why do I need a savior? Why did Jesus die for me? What do you mean He died for my sins? What does that mean?” There would be a huge disconnect.
We have created a video on Why Jesus Saved Us. Here is a link to that video: Why Didn’t God Just Save Us? Why Did He Send Jesus?
When you realize why you need a savior, then your eyes are opened a little bit more. For those of you reading this that do not understand why Jesus came to save us, I encourage you to watch the video at the link above.
There is also the matter of PERSONAL experience. We can never be evangelists and say we brought a person to salvation or brought a person to Jesus or we renewed a person’s faith because NO, We didn’t. We are gardeners and we can only plant seeds.
Jesus said, No One Comes to Me Unless My Father Draws Him.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
And, Jesus said He is the Only Way to The Father. He is the mediator between us and our Father. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
We can plant seeds, but then the Father and the Holy Spirit do the rest. The Father draws him/her and the Holy Spirit leads to Jesus. What does this mean for an unbeliever? We have to plant the seed. We rely on The Holy Spirit to orchestrate the moment of testimony. The Holy Spirit will orchestrate the way (they possibly had something bad happen that day in their life), the timing (you are quickened to urgently talk to this person by the Holy Spirit when the time is perfect), the witness (you are chosen to testify to a particular person), and the testimony (the Holy Spirit guides you in what to say). The Who, What, When, Where, and How are all Holy Spirit led.
- Who needs to be witnessed to and who will be witnessing
- What happened that day to set up the witnessing and what will you say
- When did it happen to this person and when will you witness to this person
- Where did it happen to this person and where will you witness to this person
- How will you witness to this person – in person, telephone, video, letter, etc.
When we talk about having a personal relationship with Jesus to others, we can’t just tell someone they need that. They don’t know what that means. Followers of Jesus Christ know what that means, but the lost and dying world does not. They do not understand the significance of that statement.
We don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus because we worship the Living God or because we sings praise songs or because we believe in Jesus Christ. It’s much, much more than that. We have a personal, personal relationship with Jesus because of something that has happened in our lives. For instance:
- We feel the physical manifestation of the Holy Spirit
- We are Holy Spirit led into Truth by recurring signs or passages
- We have dreams and visions
- We have been healed from ailments, diseases, conditions, addictions
- We were saved from a dire situation
- Jesus stood before you
- An Angel stood before you
- You were given a spiritual gift such as healing hands, tongues, interpretation
There are so many different ways that we can have a personal relationship with Jesus in our lives. The lost and dying world is not going to understand what that means because they do not have that yet. They may be having a bad day and you plant a seed. Later, the Holy Spirit will lead them into Truth about what you said. It has to happened for them personally. We all have a personal testimony because the accuser is out there accusing. So, we have those witnessing and testifying against the accuser. Our testimony testifies to the supernatural way in which The Word interceded in our lives and personally SAVED US.
If you are reading this and you have been witnessed to regarding a personal relationship with Jesus or have been invited, in any way, to have a personal relationship with Jesus, I would ask that you pray. I would advise it and ask that the Holy Spirit lead you into all Truth. If you have not have asked the Holy Spirit to fill you up yet, I would advise repenting and asking for the Holy Spirit from The Father.
Please, listen to those testifying and witnessing around you because there are pivotal times in your life where the Lord will come into your life because He knows you have the best chance to come to Him. Maybe He has even intervened in your life in the past, and you remember. Don’t wait any longer. You have a choice now. The gospel has been brought to you. You have the choice to either accept it or reject it. You can accept the stone the builders refused or you can reject it.
Referring to Jesus:
Psalm 118:22The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
The stone is Jesus in this passage. He is the Rock. You can either accept this stone and build upon that foundation or you can reject the stone and it will become a stumbling block, a rock of offense to you. Things are going to happen either way. If you choose to reject Jesus, you will stand before the Father one day and be held accountable for that choice.
I know many people do not like the thought of people saying that you need to worship God or else, but I’m sorry. I will say it and I am not going to sugar coat it for you. There is no other way to say it. That’s what it is. You will stand before the Father and be held accountable. The Lake of Fire was built for the devil and his angels. It was not built for us. He wishes for none to perish, not one.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
That’s why He’s intervening now. That’s why He may have intervened in the past. That’s why He’ll intervene in the future… maybe. I don’t how many times. I don’t know how many chances you are going to get. I don’t know if you’ll get another chance. I don’t know if He’ll intervene, again. This may be the last time He intervenes with you. I don’t know. I don’t know if you’ll get another chance. I don’t know what’s going to happen to you. Will you even be here tomorrow? We’re not promised tomorrow. We’re not promised a single second.
Please, when we are out evangelizing remember that the lost do not have a personal relationship with Jesus yet and do not understand what exactly that means. I believe this is why we are called to be witnesses and to give our testimony. Give your testimony. It’s more personal and relatable. If something extraordinary can happen to you, it is easy for another to realize it can happen to them. Tell the world of His wonderful works to the children of men!
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony;
Psalm 107:8 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psalm 107:1-2
O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
People don’t like being preached to. It’s like nails on the chalkboard to them. When you testify and tell your story of what happened to you, it’s a true story, personal experience, and relatable. This is why testimonies are sooo important, especially for other people. The person you are testifying to may be going through the same thing you overcame in your testimony. Scripture tells us we go through trials to help those suffering in the same ways.
2 Corinthians 1:4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
And, a favorite of mine:
Matthew 7
Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
So many people take this verse out of context, saying, “Don”t Judge” and “Don’t Judge Me!” That’s NOT what this verse is saying. It is saying to judge righteously. You cannot help a brother or sister in Christ when you have the same thing going in your own life. You cannot have a hidden gambling addiction and sit in front of others and the person with the addiction praying for them and instructing them and judging them when you are slamming $200 a night in the slots every weekend. You hypocrite!!! First, get the beam out of your own eye.
You notice the person being unrighteously judged has a “mote” in their eye? That is a tiny piece of substance, like the teeniest, tiniest piece of dust. The person doing the unrighteous judging has a “beam” in their eye. A beam is long piece of timber used to carry heavy loads/weight. One has a sliver and one has a log! You cannot have a log in your eye and judge your brother or sister who has a sliver. How dare you lecture them on buying a lottery ticket when you are throwing $200 in the slots each night on the weekend! Get that log out of your eye. Overcome it, then you can judge righteously and quote “see clearly to cast out the mote out of they brother’s eye”.
This passage ends with actually casting the mote out of your brother’s eye. Yes, you can judge and, yes, you can cast it out, BUT ONLY IF you have already overcame and are pure in heart, not as a sinner and hypocrite. You go through the trial, overcome, and then can assist a brother or sister going through the same thing. Now you know how to remove the thing, cast it out, and can help your brothers and sisters to do the same, too! Amen!
Friends, Give your testimony. Witness. Let the Holy Spirit lead The Way. The Holy Spirit will orchestrate. You will plant a seed. The Father will draw the person, like drawing water from a well… Draw Him Up to Jesus.
If you’ve been witnessed to, please consider what you have been told. I don’t know if you are promised tomorrow. Jesus could return tomorrow and then there are no more chances. There are no more chances for Faith at that time because faith is now fruition. That’s why faith is so important. Those chances are gone. So, please, listen to your witnesses because there is one who is accusing you and there are consequences for sins.
We are all accountable… every single one of us.
Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Romans 12:14 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.