"Have a relationship with Christ" NOT, but...
Many churches and ministries propagate this idea of telling people to have a relationship with Christ, and moreover this for salvation itself. This statement and phase is quite presumptuous, denies the deity attributes of Christ, and is therefore in error. “Relationship” speaks of getting to know each other as in a marriage relationship or in the relationship between a child and his or her parent. The Lord Jesus does not get to know us or have to work in knowing us; He is omniscient knowing ALL already. The Bible does not ask us to “have a relationship with Christ” anywhere! But it does ask us, first and foremost, to believe on the Lord Jesus. “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31). “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1). “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Galatians 3:6). And I can keep going on and on… For without faith the other commands are not possible for the sinner to strive to do. Following belief He asks us:
To Fear Him - Luke 12:5, “But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him.” And countless other verses.
To Love Him - Matthew 22:37, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” And countless other verses.
To Honour Him - 1 Samuel 2:30, “Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before Me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from Me; for them that honour Me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.”
To Know Him - Jeremiah 9:24, “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
To Understand Him - Jeremiah 9:24, “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
To Obey Him - Psalms 18:44, “As soon as they hear of Me, they shall obey Me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto Me.”
To Follow Him - Matthew 8:22, “But Jesus said unto him, Follow Me; and let the dead bury their dead.”
The Triune God of the Bible does not ask to us to have a relationship with Him. But He does command us to fear Him, love Him, honour Him, know Him, understand Him, obey Him, and follow Him. So let us preach and teach what the Bible does say and let us cease and desist from proclaiming what it does not say! One super rich man, upon my inquiry, told me that he will go to heaven because he “has a relationship with Christ”. I then further inquired: “do you believe in Hell?” He promptly and confidently responded, “No!” So here is a man who does not believe Christ but thinks he will go to heaven because, as he claims and declares it, he has a relationship with Christ. Herein lies the dangers of preaching a gospel which is not the Gospel!