Beyond Religion into Personal Fellowship with God

Living in the Spirit

**"There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." — 1 Timothy 2:5**

** God's Eternal Desire**

God's eternal desire has never been to establish a religion but to have a personal relationship with mankind. From Genesis to Revelation, His purpose has been to dwell with His people and reveal Himself to them. The coming of the Holy Spirit marked the fulfillment of that desire in a way never before experienced.

Throughout Scripture, God unfolded His plan through different dispensations. Under the Old Covenant, He primarily revealed Himself through patriarchs, priests, judges, and prophets. His presence was associated with the tabernacle and later the temple, while His Spirit came upon selected individuals for specific assignments. The people largely depended on God's servants to know His will.

** The Turning Point in Christ**

When Jesus Christ came, everything changed. "The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). Through His death and resurrection, Christ became the only Mediator between God and humanity, reconciling us to the Father. Yet His work did not end at the cross. He promised the Holy Spirit, who would not merely come upon believers but dwell within them forever.

We now live in the dispensation of the Holy Spirit.

** The Dispensation of Righteousness**

This is the dispensation of righteousness, where righteousness is no longer earned by works but received as God's gift through faith in Christ. Every believer is justified, adopted into God's family, and made a living temple of the Holy Spirit. God no longer dwells in buildings made with human hands but in His people. The Holy Spirit continually baptizes believers into one Body, making Christ's Church one spiritual family across every nation.

This glorious privilege carries a great responsibility. Every believer has been called into personal fellowship with God and entrusted with a unique purpose in His Kingdom. Sadly, many settle for church attendance without cultivating intimacy with the Lord. They know the routines of Christianity but not the reality of walking with the Holy Spirit.

God never intended us to depend entirely on pastors, teachers, or prophets for our knowledge of Him. These ministry gifts are given to equip the saints, not to replace the believer's personal relationship with God. The Holy Spirit was sent to reveal Christ to every believer individually.

** The Danger of Borrowed Revelation**

One of the greatest dangers in the Church today is borrowed revelation. Many know the voice of their favorite preacher but have never learned to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures. Others identify more strongly with a denomination or tradition than with Christ Himself. The Holy Spirit did not come to promote divisions but to glorify Christ and unite believers into one Body.

** The Widow of Zarephath**

The story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath illustrates this truth (1 Kings 17). God had commanded a widow there to sustain Elijah (1 Kings 17:9), and through her obedience she experienced the miracle of unending flour and oil. Every day she enjoyed God's supernatural provision, yet she related to the blessing mainly through the prophet, without a personal revelation of her own.

When her son died, Elijah prayed, and God restored the child's life. Only then did the widow confess, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth" (1 Kings 17:24). Her confession was appropriate for her time because God was revealing Himself through His prophet. Yet all along, didn't she know that the word of God from the prophet's mouth was true, even while she fed on the daily supply from that same word? Her confession signifies a personal revelation of God which she had never possessed before then. The miracle of provision sustained her body, but it was the miracle of resurrection that finally opened her eyes to a personal revelation.

** Our Dispensation Is Different**

Today, God reveals Himself through the indwelling Holy Spirit. We honor those whom God has called into ministry, but they are not substitutes for our own fellowship with Him. Every believer has direct access to the Father through Jesus Christ and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.

Some wonder how God can have a personal relationship with billions of people. The answer is found in His limitless nature. The God who calls every star by name and sustains the universe also knows every individual personally. Through the Holy Spirit, He makes Himself present in every believer's life at the same time.

** Sons Who Cry "Abba, Father"**

Scripture declares, "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the sons of God" (John 1:12). Because we are sons and daughters, "God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba, Father'" (Galatians 4:6). This is the heart of Christianity—not merely believing truths about God but sharing in His life through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

** God's Invitation to You**

The call of this dispensation is clear. Move beyond borrowed experiences and secondhand faith. Cultivate daily fellowship with the Holy Spirit through the Word, prayer, worship, and obedience. Allow Him to reveal Christ to you personally, guide your decisions, renew your mind, and transform your life.

Living in the Spirit is more than attending church or possessing biblical knowledge. It is walking daily with the indwelling Christ, hearing His voice, following His leading, and fulfilling His purpose. This is God's invitation to every believer. Do not settle for knowing God through someone else's experience, the risk is too high. Know Him for yourself, for the Holy Spirit has been given so that you may enjoy intimate fellowship with the Father and manifest the life of Christ to the world.

---

**Hassan Thomas Nenger** Author, *My Divine Identity as the Righteousness of God*