How do I grow in my relationship with Christ?

August 25, 2025

I’m not very good at this and not sure if I’m properly following Him. I feel like Im being lukewarm. Does anybody have any tips to have a meaningful relationship with God?

The faith of the flesh—which seeks only one’s own happiness, one’s own blessing, one’s own success, and one’s own prosperity—has deified one’s own assertion; it has made one’s self-centeredness into the Word, one’s own standard into “faith,” and one’s own judgment into “Christ.” Most such faiths, without even realizing it, deify the self and put forward only the head and intellect that teach, insist, and judge. Because they serve God while clinging to the world and to material things, they are ruled by all kinds of corruption, heresy, and falsehood; and through theoretical thinking, emotional judgments, and an intellectualized belief, they utterly deny the power of God that follows the love of the cross. In short, they reject God’s power and the truth itself, replacing them with their own assertions and judgments—a faith fashioned to their own taste. Christianity is a religion made by man; therefore it is only natural that it cannot escape human limits. Thus all Christians, even while repenting, turn back and sin again, unable to escape the members and limits of the flesh, and so they can only keep repeating sin until the day they die.

Christians are not true Christians. While not living the life of a Christian, they act as if they were: their conduct inside and outside the church differs; their outward appearance and inner reality differ; their words and deeds differ. Outwardly they pretend to be holy, kind, compassionate, gentle, and humble, yet most Christians rationalize a crafty way of conducting themselves and a detestable duplicity. In this miserable reality, where vain prayers that seek material things and wealth of the world are taken for granted, they do not even understand the intent of the word, “Ask for anything.” It means: ask for anything in the love of Christ—not to ask for the things of the world and of the flesh.

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.(Exodus 20 : 7)

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.(2 Corinthians 7 : 10)

Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.(John 8 : 34)

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.(1 John 3 : 18~24)

In vain prayers that seek only the lust of this life and the lust of the eyes—things of the world and of the flesh—such faith can only become an adversary before God and an enemy before Christ. The miserable reality of Christians who can do nothing but repeat “sin and repent, sin and repent” until the day they die is that, for the most part, their faith grows shameless: they become dull toward their sins or take them lightly; they grow increasingly bold about their sins; and they become ever more brazen and unashamed of them. This is the product of all manner of corruption, heresy, and falsehood, born of serving God while clinging to the world and to material things. God is love. Only those who abide in love do not commit sin.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.(1 John 2 : 15~17)

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.(1 John 3 : 6~10)

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.(Romans 6 : 17~23)

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.(1 John 4 : 16~21)

Many people do not know that God’s power is at work within His love; teachers and learners are much the same. Thus it is like the saying, “the blind lead the blind.” The sermons of pastors who, all their lives, put forward only words and theories that merely awaken, urge resolutions, and stir determinations are an abuse of the truth—human teaching and inspiration in which the power of God cannot appear. They are leaven that only puffs up hearts as though all that believers desire will be granted, only to collapse again. In other words, it is like leaven put into an oven, inflating a vain heart that vanishes like a water drop the moment one turns away (Hos 7:1–4; Prov 12:17–20).

Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.(Matthew 15 : 14)

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.(2 Timothy 3 : 5~8)

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.(Titus 2 : 11~14)

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:…(Colossians 1 : 10~14)

If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.(1 Timothy 4 : 6)

God’s truth leads us to receive the power of God that is revealed in love. In other words, it brings us to obtain God’s power that surpasses the human limits of the flesh—which, despite awakenings, resolutions, and determinations, can only keep repeating sin. Moreover, truth is not human wisdom taught and learned by the mind or by knowledge; it is to gain the power of God within the wisdom of God, pursued in the love of God.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.(Romans 6 : 16~18)

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.(Ephesians 4 : 15~16)

Look upon your repeated sins with a humble heart. In a life lived according to the flesh, everything is nothing but sin. The seven sins of emotion—envy, jealousy, strife, lust, pride, falsehood, and hatred—are sins worthy of death.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.(Romans 1 : 28~32)

These are the “gods of emotion” borne by all humanity—the seven demons. Whether you practice a religion or not, the god of envy, the god of jealousy, the god of strife, the god of lust, the god of pride, the god of falsehood, and the god of hatred—these seven demons are at work in you. Therefore, Christians are not true Christians. It is a fleshly faith that cannot be an example of light and salt, seeking only one’s own happiness, blessing, and success—a faith that, as in the past, can only keep repeating sin until the day one dies. Do not follow a fleshly faith that believes not for love, but that, chasing the lust to eat well and live well, can only repeat sin.

Look upon the Scriptures with eyes of humility. Remember to whom the command “Repent” is addressed. This may be your last opportunity to be born again, to be changed and transformed. If you consult the website and the e-book titled Moses’ Burning Bush(Author : Yo Han Lee), you will find many astonishing and wondrous things. Please be sure to refer to them.