~ Rising River Ministries Inc. ~ Living Waters ~ Water Of The Word Insights

Tom’s shoulders slumped under the weight of life. “You know,” he said, “I go to church and read my Bible, but where is God? God just doesn’t seem very real in my life. I just want God to be real to me.”

I can relate to Tom’s struggles for they have been my struggles as well. I want to experience God in a real, tangible way. I want Him to be real to me in the ups and downs of my life, don’t you?

Like Tom, for centuries God’s chosen people struggled under the weight of the law and all the religious requirements imposed upon them by the religious leaders of their day. They didn’t know God in a personal, intimate way. They would never dream of approaching God as one would a loving father.

John chapter one says that while the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth revealing God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. The REAL God is not found in religious rituals or man’s doctrines, but in the kind of personal, interactive living relationship Jesus had with His Father.

What does “real” mean? “Real” is defined as true and actual; not an illusion or fictitious; genuine and authentic, not artificial. “Real” pertains to that which is not imaginary, but is existent and identifiable.

People were drawn to Jesus because His relationship with God was real and genuine and identifiably different than anything they had ever seen before. Jesus made the invisible God visible. Jesus brought a full revelation of God the Father so we could have real knowledge of Him. He came to make God the Father known.

John 1:18 (AMP) reads, “No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known.”

The Bible holds the secrets to experiencing God in a real way. These secrets are not hidden, but openly revealed to those with seeking hearts. Jesus reveals the first secret in John 14:6-11 as He explains that He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. John 3:16 is the key to accessing the only way to God: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

It all begins with FAITH. Believing in Jesus and accepting Him as Savior is the first step to God becoming real to us.

The next secret to God becoming real to us is revealed in John 14:15, 21 (AMP): “If you really love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands. The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]

Jesus removes all the complexities of religion and gets right to the reality of what God is all about – relationships rooted and grounded in love. According to Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus’ commands are two, which are: 1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind. 2) Love your neighbor as yourself. (Also, check out John 13:34-35 and John 15:9-17.)

1 John 2:3, 5-6 says, “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands . . .. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him; whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” We know that Jesus followed the path of love. So must we.

The evidence of spiritual growth and maturing faith is seen as we progress from believing that God loves me to loving God back. We love God back by expressing our love through obedience. In this way, our relationship moves from receiving Jesus as Savior into embracing His Lordship because we love Him. This is the second secret to God becoming real to us. Progressively, Jesus makes Himself real to us as we obediently live out His commandments of love in our relationships with Him and with others.

The third secret opens to us as we allow the character and nature of Christ to be formed in us through the power of the living Word. Hebrews 4:12 (AMP): For the word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and
purposes of the heart.

The penetrating power of God’s Word renews our minds, transforming our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors. As we experience God through His activity in our lives we progressively come to know Him and His ways.

The Bible is neither a fairy tale nor a collection of literary works. However, the reality of God remains hidden, latent to those who read the Bible as a literary work or “do church” out of religious ritual or mandatory obligation. But to those who love Him - to those who keep His commands out of voluntary love - the dunamis, miracle working power of a very real Savior, Deliverer, Kinsman-Redeemer, Jealously-devoted Husband is revealed, fully active, operative, energizing, and effective.

It is in putting these secrets into action in our daily lives that God progressively becomes as real to us as someone we can tangibly touch and see.

These web pages contain copyrighted materials from various books and articles written by Kathie Eads. You may print, reproduce, or use the information and images contained on these home pages, housed within Rising River Ministries, Inc.’s server, for non-commercial, personal, or educational purposes only, provided that you (1) do not modify such information, and (2) include both this notice and any copyright notices originally intended and included with such information.You may not reproduce or use the information or images contained herein for commercial use or for personal or financial gain.©Copyrighted, 2003 - 2012 Rising River Ministries, Inc.

Finding the Real God