What Does the Bible Say About a Relationship With God?

He wasn't remote before anything went wrong, and he didn't become distant to teach anyone a lesson. He walked, in the same garden, in the cool part of the day, like it was a habit.

By SimpleBible Editorial 2 min read
A weathered garden gate standing ajar with warm light beyond it

The short answer

Scripture describes relationship with God as something he initiates, not a reward for good behavior. He walked with Adam in the garden before anything went wrong (Genesis 3:8), called his followers friends rather than servants (John 15:15), and is pictured knocking and waiting to be let in (Revelation 3:20).

He wasn't remote before anything went wrong, and he didn't become distant to teach anyone a lesson. He walked, in the same garden, in the cool part of the day, like it was a habit.

Footsteps in a garden, in the cool of the day

"They heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day." (Genesis 3:8)

Walking, the way a person walks somewhere familiar, at a time of day chosen for comfort, not urgency. This is the picture Scripture opens with, before any of the trouble. Not a distant ruler issuing instructions. Someone who came by.

What God actually wanted from people

"I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6)

Sacrifice was never the point of the sacrifices. Knowing him was. That's the whole complaint packed into one verse, aimed at people who'd gotten very good at the rituals and had quietly stopped showing up for the relationship underneath them.

A curtain, torn from the top down

A thick curtain has hung in the temple for centuries, marking off the space nobody casual gets to walk into.

"The veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom." (Matthew 27:51)

Top to bottom. Not pulled aside by a priest, not worn thin over time. Torn, from a direction no human hand could reach, at the exact moment Jesus died.

"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:13)

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

Boldly. Not sneaking in, not waiting for an invitation that might not come. The door was actually opened.

Not servants, but told to his face

"Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends." (John 15:15)

A servant gets instructions. A friend gets let in on what's actually happening. Jesus draws that line himself, out loud, to the people standing in front of him.

Someone knocking, and waiting

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him." (Revelation 3:20)

He's not breaking it down. He's standing there, knocking, waiting on the other side for the door to open from the inside.

A short prayer about knowing God

God, I've treated you like someone to manage instead of someone to know. Thank you for walking toward people before they had anything figured out. I don't want the version of this that's just rules and distance. I want to actually know you. Come in. Amen.

Common questions

Does the Bible say God wants a relationship with me, or just obedience?

Hosea 6:6 has God saying plainly he desired mercy and the knowledge of himself over sacrifice, meaning the rituals were never the point on their own. John 15:15 has Jesus calling his followers friends rather than servants, which describes a relationship of being let in, not just given instructions.

Why does the Bible say the temple curtain tore when Jesus died?

The curtain (Matthew 27:51) marked off the space in the temple that only a priest could enter, and only once a year. It tearing from top to bottom at Jesus's death is described as removing that barrier entirely, which Ephesians 2:13 and Hebrews 4:16 connect to direct, open access to God for anyone.

What does it mean that God walked in the garden with Adam?

Genesis 3:8 pictures God walking in the garden "in the cool of the day," language suggesting a regular, familiar presence rather than an occasional visit. It's often read as showing what relationship with God looked like before anything had gone wrong between them.

How do I actually get to know God, not just know facts about him?

Scripture frames it as something God initiates and invites, not a test to pass. Revelation 3:20 pictures Jesus knocking and waiting for the door to be opened, and James 4:8 promises that drawing near to God is met with him drawing near in return.

Sources

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