What Does It Mean to Have a Relationship with Jesus?
It means being fully known, deeply loved, and forever changed by the living Savior.
Have you ever wondered if there’s more to life than what you see, more than what you’ve done? Maybe you’ve tried church, prayed a few times, even tried to be a “good person.” But inside, something still feels missing. Maybe you’ve walked away from religion entirely because it felt cold, empty, or full of rules you couldn’t keep.
Or maybe you believe in Jesus from a distance — like believing the sun exists but never stepping into its light. You’ve heard about Him, maybe even respect Him. But do you know Him?
That ache you feel — the emptiness, the guilt, the searching — isn’t just emotional. It’s spiritual. You were created for something far deeper than rules or rituals. You were made for a relationship with Jesus Christ.
This article is about one simple but life-altering truth:
Knowing Jesus personally changes everything.
Let’s uncover what it truly means to have a relationship with Jesus — and why it’s the one thing your soul has always needed.
✨ The One Central Truth: A Relationship with Jesus Is the Heart of the Gospel
The Bible isn’t a rulebook. It’s a love story. From Genesis to Revelation, its pages tell of a God who created us for relationship — but we walked away. And instead of abandoning us, He came for us.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in…” — Revelation 3:20
To have a relationship with Jesus means He is not distant, not silent, not watching from afar. He knocks. He pursues. He speaks. He enters.
It means that the God who made the universe wants to walk with you. Not because you’re good enough — but because He is.
This relationship is not metaphorical. It is real, transformative, daily. Through faith, you can know Jesus like you know a best friend — and trust Him like you trust your breath.
📖 Scripture as the Foundation of Relationship
The Bible is full of invitations into relationship — not religion. Here are just a few that show what this looks like:
1. He Calls Us His Friends
“I no longer call you servants… Instead, I have called you friends.” — John 15:15
Jesus isn’t inviting you to be a slave to rules — He’s inviting you into friendship. He wants you to know His heart. He shares His truth with those He loves.
2. He Is the Good Shepherd
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.” — John 10:14
A shepherd doesn’t just command from afar. He walks with his sheep. He protects, feeds, leads, and even lays down His life for them (John 10:11).
That’s Jesus. He doesn’t want fans or followers — He wants relationship, heart to heart.
3. He Lives in Us
“Christ lives in me.” — Galatians 2:20
“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” — John 14:23
Relationship with Jesus is not external. It’s internal — He comes to dwell within us by His Spirit. We become temples of the living God (1 Corinthians 6:19).
He’s not just beside you — He’s within you, if you believe.
🪞 What This Relationship Really Looks Like
Let’s make this plain. Having a relationship with Jesus isn’t abstract. It affects every part of your life. Here’s how:
🧎 1. You Talk With Him – Prayer Becomes Personal
Prayer isn’t a script. It’s a conversation.
You don’t need perfect words. You need an honest heart.
Like David said:
“I pour out my complaint before Him; I tell my trouble before Him.” — Psalm 142:2
Jesus listens. He hears your whisper. You can talk to Him in your car, your room, your tears.
And He talks back — through His Word, His Spirit, His peace.
📖 2. You Listen to Him – His Word Becomes Alive
Reading the Bible in relationship is not like reading a textbook. It’s like reading a love letter.
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” — John 10:27
When you read the Bible with an open heart, Jesus speaks. He convicts. He comforts. He guides.
💔 3. You Trust Him – Even in the Dark
When storms come — and they will — your relationship with Jesus becomes your anchor.
“Though I walk through the valley… You are with me.” — Psalm 23:4
Knowing Jesus means you are never alone. He walks with you through grief, fear, cancer, failure, depression. He doesn’t promise easy. He promises presence.
🤍 4. You Love Him – and You Start to Love Others
When Jesus captures your heart, you begin to change.
You begin to love what He loves — people, truth, holiness.
“We love because He first loved us.” — 1 John 4:19
Relationship with Jesus transforms you from the inside out. He rewrites your story. Your identity becomes rooted in Him — not your shame, not your past, not your performance.
🌍 Why It Matters for Real Life
Maybe you’re a single mom drowning in exhaustion.
Maybe you’re a man who’s succeeded in business but feels empty.
Maybe you’re a teenager hiding behind screens, drowning in shame.
Maybe you’re someone who’s “tried church” but never truly met Jesus.
No matter who you are — this is for you.
A relationship with Jesus is not a crutch. It’s rescue.
Not a hobby — a home.
Not religion — redemption.
It means:
- Your guilt has a place to go: the cross.
- Your future has a foundation: the resurrection.
- Your life has a purpose: to know and glorify the One who made you.
This relationship is what you were created for.
🛑 What It’s NOT
Let’s be clear about some common misconceptions.
❌ It’s not “being good enough”
You don’t earn a relationship with Jesus by cleaning yourself up.
“It is by grace you have been saved, through faith… not by works.” — Ephesians 2:8–9
You come broken. You come real. He does the saving.
❌ It’s not about emotions
While joy and peace come, it’s not about chasing feelings. It’s about trusting a Person — Jesus — no matter how you feel.
❌ It’s not a one-time prayer
Yes, you begin this relationship through faith — but like any relationship, it grows. It deepens. It changes you. You walk with Him daily.
📣 Will You Follow Him?
Here’s the truth:
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23
“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 6:23
We were cut off from God by sin — but Jesus came to restore what we broke. He lived the life we couldn’t. He died the death we deserved. He rose again to offer new life.
And He doesn’t just offer religion — He offers relationship.
“To all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” — John 1:12
You don’t have to perform.
You don’t have to pretend.
You just have to come.
✝️ Come to Jesus
Are you ready to start this relationship?
Here’s how:
- Acknowledge your sin and need for forgiveness.
You can’t save yourself. - Believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again.
Trust in what He did, not what you can do. - Call on Him. Speak to Him. Ask Him to save you.
It doesn’t need to be perfect — just real.
Here’s a simple prayer you can say from your heart:
“Jesus, I need You. I’ve sinned and walked away from You.
But I believe You died for me. I believe You rose again.
I ask You to forgive me, come into my life, and make me Yours.
I want to know You, follow You, and walk with You from this day forward.
Amen.”
🙌 What’s Next?
If you’ve prayed this and meant it, you’ve begun the most important relationship of your life. Here’s what to do next:
- Talk to God every day. Like a friend.
- Read the Bible daily. Start with the Gospel of John.
- Find a local church that teaches the Bible and follows Jesus.
- Tell someone. Don’t walk alone.
- Visit truejesusway.com to learn more.
Jesus is not a concept. He’s alive. He’s waiting.
And He wants you — not your mask, not your perfection, but your heart.
🕊️ Final Words
To have a relationship with Jesus means this:
You are fully known. Fully loved. Fully redeemed.
He didn’t die for a religion.
He died for you.
Come to Him — and live.