Thank you for the question on the recommendation of a Bible book for a deeper walk with the Lord, “What is the best book of the Bible to help me to become closer to God, and why?”
I recommend the Epistle of I John, followed by the Gospel of John.
For one’s consideration, here are the reasons why:
A. The purpose of I John provides assurance of salvation to the believer.
John writes in a simple terms of what a person must believe in order to become a child of God. Salvation must precede sanctification
I John 5:9–12 says this, “9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life”(NIV). Quotations are from the NIV Bible.
B. The invitation of fellowship with God is open to all believers. Fellowship with God is not restricted to “elite” Christians, but to every Christian. The Apostle John invites others to join in the fellowship with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
I John 1 says this, “3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”
C. The bases of fellowship with God is the atoning work of Jesus Christ. John gives the reason why a person can have fellowship with God. The barrier of sin has been removed between God and believers. Thus the believer has access to fellowship with God.
I John 1 says this, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
D. The fundamentals for fellowship with God is walking in the light. God is light and the believer who desires fellowship with God must enter into that light. One can’t have fellowship with God when one walks away or disobey God’s command.
I John 1 says this, “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.”
E. The restoration to fellowship with God is confession of sin(s). There are no believers who do not sin against God, but God has provided the means to restore that fellowship. The means is confession of sin.
I John 1says this, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”
F. The discernment of being in fellowship of God is love for God and not loving the world and its things. The believers who is in fellowship with God finds that one walks as Jesus walks. The world seeks to distract the believer from following God. The eyes of believers may shift from focus on Jesus Christ the Author and Finisher of their faith to focus on the material things of this world.
I John 2 says this, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[d] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”
G. The expression of love for others reflects the love of God in the believer. It is not enough just to talk about love for God and for others, but there is the demonstration of the love of God through that person.
I John 3 says this, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
To be honest, fellowship with God is not easy. It requires honesty with oneself and with God. It’s realizing that personal transformation from selfishness to godliness comes only through the work of the Holy Spirit in one’s life. To be transformed more into Christ-likeness attributes and Christ like actions is contrary to our own selfish nature.
God has give us a new birth with a new nature with a new power of the Holy Spirit with us. Believers must be willing to submit one’s will to God even as Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” It is being like Jesus.
SUMMARY: I John is a manual for fellowship with God. Having the manual and applying the manual in one’s life are two different things. Do we just want to know about fellowship with God or experience fellowship with God? The choice is ours and I hope that you will chose experiencing fellowship with God.