This is the third article in a series of discussions that explore why people choose to leave the Christian faith in the living God.

These discussions started when someone asked me, “Why do you think people disconnect or unhook from knowing God?”  We know that God’s Word says that He never leaves us nor forsakes us.  But why do we choose to pull away from God?

The trial of your faith is this:  Will you continued to stay hooked and love Jesus, and believe in Him when you don’t know why and you don’t understand what’s going on?

I’m exploring some ideas, and this is the third idea in a series that discusses this issue.  In Part 1, the Lord explained to me that people pull away because they’re offended with God because the thing they were expecting to happen did not happen the way they thought it would or should.  In Part 2, the Lord also explained another reason why people disconnect from God is that they consider, think about, ponder upon, mull over and generally consume their mind thinking about their problem or problems instead of seeking God.

The third idea, as the Lord revealed to me, is that His children don’t spend time with Him by praying, praising Him and reading His Word (the Bible), or they’re in sin and have separated themselves from God.  There are all kinds of religions.  But there is only one true God.  And God wants a relationship with you.

God wants a relationship with everyone.  But, He’s also given us a free will.  In other words, He will reach out to you, but if you keep ignoring Him, he will wait for you.  More importantly, and because of our free will, He wants you to reach out and seek Him.  After all, Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”  And, in Deuteronomy 4:29 it says, “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Why do people separate themselves from God?  They don’t spend time with Him, or reading His Word.  His Word – the Bible – is like a letter that He’s written to you.  Reading His Word is getting to know God.

If you stop seeking God, you’re sending a message that you don’t want Him in your life.  Instead, why not seek a relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit by spending time with Him in prayer, praise and reading His Word?  In James 4:8 we are reminded to seek after God.  “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”  What does “double-minded” mean in this verse?  When you look up the original Greek word, it means “wavering, uncertain, doubting”.  In other words, if you are double-minded, that means you doubt God.

In this same James 4:8 passage, the word “cleanse” means to “to free from defilement of sin”, while the word “purify” means “to make pure, purify, cleanse”.  But here’s a startling fact – another reason people do not have a relationship with God is because they’re in sin and their sin has separated themselves from God.

Have your sins have separated you from God?  Yes, there’s no doubt that God will forgive you if you come to Him and ask – in fact, ask Him to not only reveal if you’ve done something that needs to be forgiven but ask Him to show you what you need to do differently in order to improve your relationship with Him.  Let’s take a look at a few verses that discuss this subject of separating yourself from God.

Isaiah 59:1-2 (The Message version) – “Look! Listen! God’s arm is not amputated—he can still save.  God’s ears are not stopped up—he can still hear.  There’s nothing wrong with God; the wrong is in you.  Your wrongheaded lives caused the split between you and God.  Your sins got between you so that he doesn’t hear.”  Here are the same verses in the New Living Translation – “Listen! The LORD’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.”

Jeremiah 25:5  “Your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have withheld good from you.”

Jeremiah 2:17 – “Have you not done this to yourself by your forsaking the LORD your God when He led you in the way?”

Jeremiah 4:18 – “Your ways and your deeds have brought these things to you.  This is your evil.  How bitter!  How it has touched your heart!”

Psalm 107:17 – “Fools, because of their rebellious way, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted.”

Jeremiah 2:19 – “Your own wickedness will correct you, and your apostasies will reprove you;  Know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the LORD your God, and the dread of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord GOD of hosts.”

But here’s the good news!  In Ephesians 1:7 we learn that God forgives us, as “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”.

How do you get back on track with your relationship with God?  First, Seek God and ask Him to show you where you’ve sinned.  Second, ask God to forgive you, in Jesus’ Name.  Third, repeat of your sins.  Our God is benevolent and kind.  He will forgive you your sins.  Second, spend time with Him.  Pray, praise Him and read His Word!

Let’s get one thing straight.  There is only one living God – our creator.  There is only one way to get to God – through Jesus Christ.  In Romans 10:9, it says that “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Here’s the good news!  Jeremiah 29:13 – “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”

Prayer:  God, I ask in Jesus’ Name that you forgive me of my sins.  I also ask in Jesus’ Name that you reveal to me anything I have done to block my relationship with You, and to remove these blocks.  I want to confess my sins to you and ask you to forgive me.  I repent of my sins.  I love you, Lord, and I ask that you fill my heart with your love and forgiveness, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

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