Where do Christians get off saying they have a "personal relationship" with Jesus?

Kids have personal relationships with their imaginary friends. It's in that vein, I think, except the kids really generally know there's no-one there.

Have you heard the word mental telepathy ? If you can communicate with others thru mind matters between living persons, animals, plants, etc. and the dead ones ... then spiritual communications can never be impossible. Why ? because spirits is just beside you communicating.

Have you never felt body hair tingling when something touches and communicating with you ?

If an ordinary human, animals or any spirits can do communications with anybody ... then, how much more the All Powerful & Almighty Creator (of Heaven, Earth & all living things within it and the human race ? )

Nothing is impossible with a God !

I think while this question is very well put, it will always be difficult for deeply religious people to transmit in any language what they mean by "relationship" with God or Jesus.

Attempting to contact the Lord is so very personal, and it could so easily be held up to ridicule.

It's like meditation. If you meditate you understand what it is, but try to describe it to someone else and they think you're trying to blank out your mind as if you'd had a lobotomy. That's not it.

Even one genuine instance of contact with God changes your heart forever. Now you don't just believe, you know.

But still, I am thankful for such a clear question as this. Perhaps calling it a "personal relationship" breeds misunderstanding of true religious experience.

The scriptures clearly teach that following Jesus is all about "knowing" Him; knowing His Word, knowing His way, knowing His voice. "My sheep 'know' my voice..." You cannot know Him unless you are close to Him, as is so with any friend or relationships of any kind. This is the nature of a "personal relationship." There are those that know Him by name or by deeds, and the Bible tells us in the day of judgment they will ask Jesus, "Lord, have we not done many wonderful works in your name," and he will answer, "Depart from me...I never knew you." It is one thing to say you are my friend. It is another entirely to demonstrate that friendship in daily living, especially when no one but the Lord sees what we do.

You have just identified the main reason that non-believers think Christians are arrogant. It is inconceivable for a non-believer to believe anyone can have a personal relationship with a spiritual being.

The reason for that is that a non-believer is not "born again". Being born again means to be born of the spirit and baptized in the spirit by Jesus Christ. Any true Christian knows exactly what I'm talking about, non-believers do not. A born again spirit is in touch with and understands the spiritual, and, yes there is a personal relationship and constant communication.

I have a very close, up front and personal relationship with the Lord God. He is with me 24/7.

I would not give up this relationship for my husband of 25 years, my six grown children or even my own life. For He blessed with with all this and more.

When we leave 'self' out of the equation and allow the Lord God within, we begin our relationship with Him. He will convey to us all we need to know and do. And, He has a wonderful sense of humor too! :D

And where do you get off saying that we don't have a personal relationship with Jesus or that we are arrogant in saying so? It is arrogant to assume that we don't know what we are talking about. The prayer that Jesus lifted up to the Father in John 17 says it all. We are His and He has sanctified us through Himself. v. 26. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. This constitutes a personal relationship. No one can take this away from us.

In my experience, Personal relationship with God is only established if you have faith and accept Jesus in your life. Faith is believing without seeing. I experienced a lot of problems in life but God was always there to help me. even though he's not present. He has done miracles in my life as well as in my family's life. God answers when i pray. I ask for a sign and he gives me a clue and I try it and it always work. God always saves me from danger.

What you dont seem to understand is that the conversations with Christ need not be oral at all. Its one spirit talking to another asking for guidance and receiving understanding. Thats how you have a personal relationship with Him.

When you love and trust Him unconditionally you are filled with the Holy spirit which is a part of Him too and through that medium you are connected in a very real way. A relationship need not be tangible in order for it to exist. Its how you feel about it that counts. People have relationships with (and even marry) walls. Why is it so hard to believe that conversations with Christ are impossible simply because you cannot understand the language being "spoken"?

I visited my grown daughter a few years ago. She was working in a different city on an internship. She and Betty shared an apartment. I took them both out to dinner.

After dinner Betty made the following remark, "I can see that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree". What she meant was that my character was reflected in my daughter. In a real sense, she knew me because she knew my daughter.

We meet God, in that sense, whenever we try to obey His command to love one another for where love is, there God is also. If you know how to love your neighbor as yourself, you take on the character of Jesus.

Ex. 33: 11

11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.