Just A Closer Walk

         “But the foundation that God has laid is solid. On it is written, "The Lord knows who his people are. So everyone who worships the Lord must turn away from evil.”          2 Timothy 2:19 CEV

        Having come to Christ as Savior, we enter into a personal relationship with Him.  It is expected that this relationship will grow beyond mere acquaintance.  It must!  Otherwise, our hope is in religion not relationship with the one who saved us and sustains us.

Read:  2 Timothy 4:1-8 

I.  Religion    

*  Religion is habit-  Relationship is fellowship

*  with just religion, it is difficult to weather adversity and storms in life

*  with religion it’s too easy to become lax and indifferent

*  with just religion, it’s easy to become weak to satan’s attacks

            1 Peter 5:7,8  he seeks constantly to destroy us

II.  Relationship 

*  to have a relationship with God, is to know Him and know His

     Word-  this intimates an ongoing closeness or intimacy with Him

            Psalms 1:1-6  take joy in learning God’s fellowship

            Psalms 9:1,2 sing of His omnipotent mercy

            Psalms 18:1-3  delight in His salvation and protection

            Psalms 25:1-5  be unashamed of your relationship with Him

            Psalms 31:1-5  He alone is our defense and strength

*  we must be willing to maintain a meaningful, productive, and

     fruitful relationship with Him on a daily basis

*  a relationship helps us endure difficult hard times, heartache,

      making wrong decisions & choices, and persecution

*  perhaps, most importantly a relationship causes us to belong to

       and be a part of something spiritually deeper and greater!

            2 Corinthians 4:16-18  eternal hope of glory

“But we live by faith, not by what we see.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 CEV