As humans, we esteem our relationships with other people, because we interact with others everyday in our lives. Consequently, we have to handle various interpersonal relationships. This allows us to deal with many matters and to breakthrough certain obstacles so things are smooth sailing.

Sometimes we overlook that the greatest obstacle we face is due to our relationship with God. Often when there’s a change in our ties with God, we don’t notice it. But when we do notice it, the change may be dramatic. Often this concerns important matters in our lives also.

1 Cor 8:5-6 (read)
We may feel that knowing this is also reasonable: since we believe in Jesus, we should know there’s only one God. But sometimes we may unknowingly allow other things or people to take God’s place in our hearts. As a result, the relationship between the Creator and created changes. If this relationship is not well maintained, problems arise.

What is sin? Sin is what arises when we have a broken relationship with God. Sin is not what’s created by God. It isn’t a concrete thing that exists. We can use our own relationship with God to explain what sin is. When the relationship deteriorates, sin arises.

3 areas for study:

1. Our relationship with God is that of love
   Why did God create us? Why do we even exist? If we don’t exist then there’s no relationship with God to consider! This relationship is maintained by love. God bases His relationship with us on love. We can’t imagine how vast the love of God is. From the history of mankind, we see how Man often rebels against God.

From the POV of the Creator, there is no necessity for our existence. If not for love, we wouldn’t exist. Parents would be able to understand how the Heavenly Father feels. No matter how bad the child may be, he’s still our child. It’s very difficult for parents to give up on their children. This is the relationship between us and God as well.

Sometimes we may think: if the Creator had just destroyed His creation due to sin, wouldn’t it be better for Him?

But the relationship between the created and Creator is one of love.

Many religions today talk about love. Christianity especially emphasises love. We often say, “Love is the sum of the law and the prophets. As long as there’s love, it’s enough. Even sinners talk about love.

But there’re problems that exist. If love is based on our definition, then there should be no problem in the world. But why are there more and more problems in the world? Because the relationship between us and God has been broken. So there’s a necessity to repair it.

1 John 5:3
What is the manifestation of one who loves God? It’s not based on our own definition of love. How we can rebuild this relationship is keeping the commandments of God. If we keep His commandments, we love Him. Our relationship becomes better, and we become better and better.

If we deviate from this standard, it’ll be a disaster for us. More problems will arise as a result. This was the case with our forefathers. They went against the command of God. Consequently, this relationship of love was broken. Therefore they were afraid to see God. After the relationship between Man and God was broken, the relationship between Man and Man turned for the worse. This is the crux of the matter.

Gen 2:23
At this point in time, the relationship between Adam and Eve was so good “of one flesh”.

Gen 3:12
Here, Adam labels Eve as “the woman You gave to be with me”. What a difference in description from 2:23. Why was there a deterioration in their relationship? Because their relationship with God had turned for the worse, because they didn’t keep the word of God. We hence see the relationship between Man and God is based on love and affects interpersonal relationships. Therefore if we don’t repair our relationship with God, it’ll be hard to deal with our interpersonal relationship with others too.

Let us go back to the root of the problem: deal with our relationship with God

1. The relationship between master and servant
   God is the master. We are the servant. This relationship of master and servant has gone through changes in history. Originally, our God in Heaven was our master. Then, we died because of sin.

Rom 5:12, 17; 8:15
Sin caused death to reign.
Formerly, death reigned. We were afraid of death and slaves to it. We were unable to fade the end of life without fear. It all starts from the deterioration of our relationship with God.

Today we must return to this fundamental relationship with God, so that we can return to the relationship of Master and servant with God. This is unconventional in modern society.

Today Man does not tend to follow authority. Man does not want to have a master to rule after him. We don’t want to be under bondage. This is also the reason why Christianity is less popular now, because we often say our Creator is also our Master. People don’t want to have a master to rule over them. They want to be who they are and rule over their own lives.

When we deny this relationship with our master, the problem becomes bigger, because we come under the rule of another master: the devil.

The devil is an angel who didn’t keep his proper domain. He wasn’t willing to remain as a servant.

Isa 14:13-14
How the Lucifer became the devil is shown in these verses. When we read these verses, doesn’t it seem to describe the mentality of Man today? Man doesn’t want to remain in his proper domain. Satan here wants to ascent into heaven, to exalt his throne above, to sit on the mount of the congregation, on the farthest sides of the north, to the position of the Creator - the Most High. Doesn’t this describe the hearts of men today?
Because of this, the relationship is broken with God. Man not being willing to remain in his proper domain will result in not having a bottom in his downfall.

Eph 2:10
We are the workmanship of God. Realise this. It is created IN Christ. For what? To do good works. To do good works, we must be His workmanship. If we aren’t His workmanship, it’s impossible for us to do good works. All the good things we do are just like filthy garments in the eyes of God. (?)

Jesus sets the example of being a servant today.
Phil 2:5
Jesus came in the form of a bond servant. This tells us that as long as we are on the form of Man - even if it’s Jesus - a man is the workmanship of God. That’s why He was obedient to the point of death on the cross. Because of this, the Master-servant relationship has been repaired. We have hope again. All of us should emulate Christ today. Then the relationship will be repaired, and we will have peace, having value in our lives like Jesus.

1. Relationship between friends
   God sees us as His friend even though we are just His workmanship. Therefore everyone of us should cherish this.

John 15:15
“No longer do I call you servants…but I have called you friends”

James 2:23
Abraham was called the friend of God. Those who are justified by faith can be called the friend of God. This is a status all of us should treasure.

Why does God call us His friend? Because we believe in Him. A simple reason that enables us to enjoy our relationship with God.

Jas 4:4
When will this friendship with God be broken? Friendship with the world is enmity with God. We might feel this is overly severe. We live in the world all the time, is being friends with the world really so bad that it makes us an enemy of God? This is the crux of the matter: do we esteem our friendship with the world above our friendship with God?

In Taiwan, they were debating over gay marriage. Some church members were questioned by their friends on their views regarding gay marriage. Not wanting to offend their friends, they answer, “I respect their decision.” If Jesus who hates homosexuality was standing next to you, would you still say, “I respect the decision of homosexuality.”?

So why is friendship with the world enmity with God? It goes against God and displeases Him.

The world is getting more and more corrupted. If we were to oppose homosexuality, we could be imprisoned.

When we displease God, our relationship with God gets strained. If we talk behind our friend’s back, they wouldn’t be happy. It spoils our friendship.

Friendship with the world is enmity with God because your relationship with God would be challenged. We hence ought to repair this relationship.

Why is David known as the man after the heart of God? Because in whatever he did except in the matter of Bathsheba and the census. Some people can’t accept David being known as that because he has broken 3 of the 10 commandments. “I haven’t broken as many as that! Why am I not called a man after the heart of God?” What has David’s relationship with God have to do with our relationship with God? We should just focus on ours.

David has such a good relationship with God because he esteemed it. If we esteemed our relationship with God, we’d make the effort to make the friendship even better.

Today, there’ll be many things from society that’ll challenge this relationship with God. May God guide us.