Intimacy Part 1: Nothing Compares to Knowing You

Intimacy: The Language of God

Part 1: Nothing Compares to Knowing You!
Philippians 3
Pastor Ray-Ann Dela Fuente
January 25, 2026

Memory Verse:
“Come 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.”
James 4:8 NLT

Introduction:
Welcome to the River of Faith! Today we are starting a new series called "Intimacy: the Language of God." The word "intimacy" is not explicitly used in the Bible but it is clearly expressed through a description of what our relationship with God should be like. "Intimacy" is defined as "closeness" with God which brings us to this very important question of "are you close with God?" This is a very loaded question that can be answered in a simple way or a very complex way depending on your understanding of who God is.

Main Pointers:
“Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!”
Philippians 3:1-4 NLT

1. Religion is focused on human tradition, relationship with God is focused on intimacy.

A. The apostle Paul in the early church had to deal with people called "Judaizers." These are Jewish Christians who insist that circumcision is still necessary for salvation.
B. The problem with this teaching is that it mixes tradition with Biblical teaching that salvation is by grace alone and by faith alone. It still emphasizes the human effort is needed to earn God's forgiveness.
C. “Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?”
Galatians 3:1-3 NLT

2. There is only a right relationship with God not a right religion.

“I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ”
Philippians 3:5-8 NLT

A. If the requirements to becoming closer to God is about being religious and practicing the strictest traditions then Paul would be a champion of it. Many people today still think that by practicing "religion" even without intimacy and faith will make them closer to God. That would be their biggest failure.
B. There was a time in Paul's life that he thought having those things have value but now he considered all of it "garbage" compared to having an "intimate" relationship with Christ.
C. “The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”
Isaiah 29:13 NIV

3. The goal of intimacy is to become one in Christ.

“and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”
Philippians 3:9-11 NLT

A. When Paul was a practicing religious jew everything that mattered to him was based on his own works and righteousness but the moment that he became born again he relied on the righteousness of Christ through his faith in Him.
B. This is why "intimacy" with God is so important because you can have all the right things "on paper" but without the relationship or the knowledge to "know" Christ and experience His power, then everything else does not matter.
C. “Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you?”
John 14:9 NLT

Conclusion:
Closeness to God will never be attained by relying on our own actions based on our own works. Many religions today is solely based on human efforts. This is why many people do practice some type of religion but do not have the right relationship with God. Do not be deceived. You can worship with your lips while your heart is very far from God. That is not closeness with God. That is man made traditions.