Relationship is the greatest measure of your progress as a Christian.
Galatians 5:6 Paul said, When you're joined to the anointed one, circumcision and religious obligations can benefit you. Nothing. All that matters now is living in the faith that works and expresses itself through love.
The five levels of relationship used to measure the maturity of believers by the early church fathers, those who were directly discipled by the apostles. 5 levels are level 1 believer level 2 disciple level 3 servant level 4 friend level 5 daughter or son of God. Scripture is clear we have these five relationships with God immediately when we're born again.
But many Christians stay at the lower levels. They don't grow into the experience of being servants, friends and sons and daughters of God. The door to those experiences was opened by Jesus for us. But many Christians don't enter into the intimacy Father God offers. My stepfather was legally my stepfather.
I had a real father. I could have kept my stepfather at arm's length and let him love me. But from afar I chose to get close to him. But it took time for our love relationship to grow. His love was there for me from day one, but I had to respond and spend time and effort to know the experience of him being my father.
Paul explains in Romans 8:14, 15 for all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. You have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out abba, Father, you are a son, a daughter of God, but you don't fully know Father God yet.
You need to spend time with God and do things together. As you invest time and energy, you will experience God's love again and again. Then what you believe, your faith will soar. Believers believe because we experience God's love, whether it's through words or through experiences with him. We know his love. Enjoy Being loved by Jesus today