Expert: Dean Gade - 12/12/2009

Question
Dean - thankyou for taking my question. I would like to know the following: What is our relationship to Jesus; a friend, spouse, child,slave, bondservant,student etc. The reason I am asking YOU this question is because whatever our relationship is, I would like to know the Meaning of that word as it is in it's original greek. Basically I would like to know exactly what my relationship to him is. Thankyou

Answer
The Christian's relationship to Jesus Christ is one of a human being to a God, the only One who created all things and the only "god" who loves us.

YOUR relationship to God is unique because God created you as a unique person, different from all other human beings.   He knew you before you were created in your mother's womb and He has called you to be His, to belong to Him of your own free will.

Pimarily, He calls us "friends":

Lk 5:20
20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend , your sins are forgiven."


Lk 12:4
4 "I tell you, my friends , do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.


Jn 15:12-17
12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends . 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends , for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.


Jn 21:4-5
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5 He called out to them, "Friends , haven't you any fish?"

In several places He also calls us children as in the following:

Jn 13:33
33 "My children , I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.


To know completely your (or our) relatinship to God, you need to  know the whole Bible.  That is what it is all about.  Our relatinship includes His being: creator, savior, provider, counselor, lover of your soul.....and hundreds of other things:   AND then our response to all the things that God is.

We were created to "walk by the Spirit" of God and were not programed to robotically obey Him. We were justified by the blood of Jesus and are being sanctified by the Holy Spirit so that we can have a growing relationship with the Christ of God.  The relationship is NOT static.  We, who walk with Him, are always being changed by His power to change, as we seek it.