As children of God, as the Bride of Christ, as His very own Body and as Friends of the King of kings, we are privileged to enjoy a special intimacy with God… unlike His enemies or mockers.

Jesus said that when we believe and obey, showing our love to Him, He and His Father will love us and come and make their home with us (John 14:23)…  Does this mean we were not loved before?  Does this mean He loves us, because we first loved Him?

No way!  For the Bible says that we are only able to love God, because He first loved us and revealed His great love to us through Jesus Christ (1 John 4:19). What Jesus was talking about, when speaking to His disciples, is that they will enjoy intimacy with God, if they respond in love and obedience, to the love He first gave them, by laying down His life for them.  Intimacy is conditional, God’s love is not.

I think we should all be able to understand the difference between intimacy and love. We are intimate to varying degrees with our close friends and family… but even more intimate with our spouse, through the act of love-making…

Read more at https://ufuomaee.blog/intimacy-with-god/