How does God’s presence in my life affect my relationships?

1 John 1:7If we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 4:16-21We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.

Living in the Lord’s presence gives us a better relationship with other Christians. But failure to address problems in our relationships with other believers calls into question the reality of God’s presence in our lives.

2 Corinthians 13:5Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.

When other people recognize Christ’s presence with us, this validates our walk with him. Spiritual self-examination is not an encouragement to doubt our standing with God but a practice of intentionally drawing near to God.

Matthew 18:20“Where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”

Galatians 3:26-29You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

Ephesians 4:4-6There is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.

1 John 1:7If we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

We have unity, fellowship, and the privilege of praying with other believers because of God’s presence in our lives.

Galatians 5:22-23The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

God’s presence in our lives fully equips us for healthy relationships with one another. It supernaturally supplies and produces traits in us that we know we could never have generated ourselves.

Psalm 34:18The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

When our earthly relationships injure us, God’s presence is able to provide comfort, healing, and restoration.

Exodus 34:29When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord.

Acts 4:13The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

2 Corinthians 2:14-17Thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.

When we are walking close to God, somehow people can sense that we have been with him. His presence may draw them or repel them from us.