Question 1

What does intimacy with God mean?

Accepted Answer

Hosea 2:16, 19-20“When that day comes,” says the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’ instead of ‘my master.’ . . . I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the Lord.”God is the source of love, the only one who could create us with the ability to love; thus, he is the ultimate authority on love and intimacy. Intimacy with God means experiencing his love to the fullest and returning that love to him. The love he communicates is completely loyal, trusting, serving, and honest. God created marriage to illustrate what an intimate relationship with him should look like.1 John 3:1See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children.God offers an intimate relationship with us—as intimate as husband and wife or parent and child, a forever love relationship without comparison.Zephaniah 3:17“The Lord your God is living among you. . . . He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”The Lord God, creator of the universe, sings songs about us! What a portrait of a loving, intimate God.Genesis 28:15“What’s more, I [the Lord] am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”Exodus 33:14The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you.”Psalm 23:1-6The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.Matthew 28:20“Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”God is with us, as close as we want him to be and as long as we let him, until the end of this life. This is his promise of permanent intimacy with us.

Question 2

What must I do to experience an intimate relationship with God?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 103:11His [the Lord’s] unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.This psalm describes how we can have an intimate relationship with God.Genesis 5:23-24Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.To experience an intimate relationship with God, we need to spend time with him, daily and consistently.Genesis 6:9This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.Ephesians 5:8-10, 15Once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. . . . So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.To experience an intimate relationship with God, we must seek his wisdom and obey him, pursuing only the paths he wants us to follow—daily and consistently.Psalm 27:8My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”Psalm 145:18The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.To experience an intimate relationship with God, we need to talk with him—daily and consistently.James 4:8Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.To experience an intimate relationship with God, we need to stay close to him and purify our hearts before him through confession and repentance—daily and consistently.Exodus 34:14“You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.”To experience an intimate relationship with God, we need to worship him alone—daily and consistently.Matthew 22:37Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’”To experience an intimate relationship with God, we need to love God completely, making our relationship with him our highest priority—daily and consistently.Romans 5:11So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.To experience an intimate relationship with God, we need to put our trust in Christ—daily and consistently.Matthew 5:8“God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.”Intimacy with God involves coming to him with a clean heart and pure motives.Psalm 1:2They delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.Spending time with God leads to intimacy with him.

Question 3

What is the basis for true and lasting intimacy in marriage?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 5:15, 19Drink water from your own well—share your love only with your wife. . . . She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love.Proverbs 18:22The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.Proverbs 31:10-11Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.1 Corinthians 7:3-5The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.Ephesians 5:24-25As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for herTrue and lasting intimacy in marriage is based upon the following: (1) being faithful; (2) rejoicing in one another; (3) satisfying each other in love and sexuality; (4) accepting one’s mate as a blessing from the Lord; (5) recognizing the great value of one’s mate; (6) recognizing how much one’s mate can truly bring delight and satisfaction; (7) living happily with each other; (8) talking together about the Lord and spiritual things; (9) giving thanks to the Lord together; (10) submitting to each other; (11) loving each other as passionately as Christ loved the church and died for her.

Question 4

What is my responsibility regarding sexual intimacy?

Accepted Answer

1 Corinthians 7:3-5The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.Sexual intimacy is reserved for marriage and should be a mutual responsibility and pleasure for both partners. One should not deprive the other of this privilege except by mutual agreement and only for a short time.