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Jesus commanded the intensely personal relationship required, in John 3:3:
"In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

And again, in Luke 9:23:

"Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." "

Jesus discounted ancestry, inheritance, allegiance, religion, etc., as bases for righteousness before God, in Matthew 3:9 (and Luke 3:8):

"And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham." "

Thomas exemplified the necessary personal faith, in John 20:28:

"Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" "

God described the personal grace He would bestow, in Hebrews 8:10:

"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people."

It is unnecessary for a concept to be named specifically in order to be true. For example, the word "Trinity" appears nowhere in the Bible, yet it is clearly taught in many places. So, with the need for personal salvation, and thus a personal Savior.

**For example, the word “Trinity” appears nowhere in the Bible, yet it is clearly taught in many places.**

Really?......You do realize that neither Jesus Christ, nor the apostles and writers of the NT...EVER...used the phrase ‘God the Son’, or ‘God the Holy Ghost’ (Spirit). They knew, as Christ so taught, that the Son and the Holy Ghost both proceed from the same source: the omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, God the Father. Every single divine attribute is traced back to the Father.

Jesus Christ (the image that dwells in the Father, and the Father in him) makes that very clear in John chapter 14, and in many other places as well. Man-made tradition has muddied the water.

Jesus Christ EXPECTS people to hear his, and his apostles words, and be born again. This rebirth is clearly taught in Acts 2:38. But, many are not taught those words. Instead, just as I was never instructed in that teaching until the age of 28, many are not shown that truth, and follow a man-made conversion plan (don’t lift a finger, just believe!)that claims faith in Christ, but ignores being faithful to his conversion instructions.

Many point to Abraham’s faith. How that Abraham believed God, and it was counted as righteousness to him. That declaration by God was made looooonnnng after Abraham had obeyed God, and left Haran, traveled hundreds of miles the hard way, with a big company of people and possessions. Even after moving around in the promised land, building three altars, and chasing bad guys almost to Damascus to retrieve Lot and the spoil, returning (an over 400 mile round trip) to be blessed by Mechizedek.

THEN God’s testimony of Abraham is spoken (Gen. 15:6)