More Than Knowing About God
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may know that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as we are one. I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me (John 17:20-23)."
Here in these verses, Jesus is praying for all who will believe; All of those who will call on the name of Jesus. This prayer is full of love and intimacy. It is not enough to just know about God. Many people know about Him. They go to church, sing the songs, do good works and read the Bible from time to time, but they don't have a relationship with the Father. Aside from doing all of the things previously mentioned, their life looks no different from the rest of the world. They may believe in God, but it is mere head knowledge. The truth has not penetrated their heart.
I know this to be true, because I was once that person. I knew all about God. Ever since I can remember, I believed that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for me. If you had asked me then, I would have most certainly told you, yes, I am going to heaven, But I was wrong. Dead wrong. I was deceived. I thought that because of my knowledge of God and by going to church, that I was a Christian. I put on a good front for many, many years, but inside, I had no peace. I was lost. It wasn't until the Lord opened my eyes that I saw myself from His perspective-a sinner, in desperate need of a Savior. The moment He opened my eyes, something changed. It was my heart. He took out my stony heart, gave me a heart of flesh and put His Spirit within me. From that moment, God began to change me from the inside out. It was nothing I had done. I had come to the end of myself. Tired of striving, tired of wearing a mask, tired of trying to do life on my own, and tired of the sin that had overtaken me. I cried out to God and He heard my plea for mercy. He gave me new life!
In the book of Matthew, Jesus said, "Depart from Me, I never knew you (7:23)." The word 'know' or gnosis in Greek is 'knowledge gleaned from first hand personal experience; it is knowledge gained by a direct relationship.' Jesus was in essence telling them He never had a personal relationship with them.
I know about the great basketball player Michael Jordan. I know what he looks like and I know many things he has done based on books I have read and things I have heard, but I don't know him in an intimate way. The same holds true with God. You may know a lot about Him based on things people say, sermons you have heard or books you have read, but do you have an intimate relationship with Him? Do you belong to Him? Does your spirit testify with His Spirit you belong to Him? Do you hear His voice? Is it well with your soul?
Jesus said, "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and the Father are one (John 10:27-30)." When you belong to God, you hear His voice. This voice is not usually audible, although it can be, but it is more often times a still small voice deep within. When God speaks, it always lines up with His word, it is truth, and it is in love. When you belong to God, there is a peace that He gives that goes beyond human comprehension. This peace is not based on people, circumstances or good works you have done, but based solely on Christ and His perfect sacrifice for you. "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27)."
When you know Jesus intimately, you can rest in Him. Your sin has been removed. He gives you His righteousness. There is nothing you have to do to earn His love or His favor because He already did it all at the cross. You simply must come to Him and believe that He is who He says He is. In Christ, you are free! It does not matter what you have done my friend, He will never turn anyone away who comes to Him. "All that My Father gives Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out~I will never never reject anyone who follows Me (John 6:37)."
satan has deceived many into thinking they will have to give up so much when they choose to follow Christ. This is a lie. When you choose to follow Christ, the things you once counted as gain, you will count as loss. When He gives you new life, He changes your desires to line up with His. He replaces selfish habits and desires with His goodness and mercy. He frees you completely. You no longer have to live in bondage of sin. You no longer have to live with guilt. You no longer have to live looking back over your shoulder for fear of someone finding out what you did. You know that no matter what someone thinks or says about you, that your identity is in Christ and in Him alone. You can be the person God made you to be! You are beautiful~a child of the one true King! "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10)."
So what are you waiting for? My friend, you are not promised tomorrow. Life passes quickly by. Choose life now before it is too late. In this moment, if you feel your heart beating faster, if you feel a restlessness, that is the Spirit lovingly drawing you. Come to Jesus now....and live!
"The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming. That if you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame. For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:8-13)."
Here in these verses, Jesus is praying for all who will believe; All of those who will call on the name of Jesus. This prayer is full of love and intimacy. It is not enough to just know about God. Many people know about Him. They go to church, sing the songs, do good works and read the Bible from time to time, but they don't have a relationship with the Father. Aside from doing all of the things previously mentioned, their life looks no different from the rest of the world. They may believe in God, but it is mere head knowledge. The truth has not penetrated their heart.
I know this to be true, because I was once that person. I knew all about God. Ever since I can remember, I believed that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for me. If you had asked me then, I would have most certainly told you, yes, I am going to heaven, But I was wrong. Dead wrong. I was deceived. I thought that because of my knowledge of God and by going to church, that I was a Christian. I put on a good front for many, many years, but inside, I had no peace. I was lost. It wasn't until the Lord opened my eyes that I saw myself from His perspective-a sinner, in desperate need of a Savior. The moment He opened my eyes, something changed. It was my heart. He took out my stony heart, gave me a heart of flesh and put His Spirit within me. From that moment, God began to change me from the inside out. It was nothing I had done. I had come to the end of myself. Tired of striving, tired of wearing a mask, tired of trying to do life on my own, and tired of the sin that had overtaken me. I cried out to God and He heard my plea for mercy. He gave me new life!
In the book of Matthew, Jesus said, "Depart from Me, I never knew you (7:23)." The word 'know' or gnosis in Greek is 'knowledge gleaned from first hand personal experience; it is knowledge gained by a direct relationship.' Jesus was in essence telling them He never had a personal relationship with them.
I know about the great basketball player Michael Jordan. I know what he looks like and I know many things he has done based on books I have read and things I have heard, but I don't know him in an intimate way. The same holds true with God. You may know a lot about Him based on things people say, sermons you have heard or books you have read, but do you have an intimate relationship with Him? Do you belong to Him? Does your spirit testify with His Spirit you belong to Him? Do you hear His voice? Is it well with your soul?
Jesus said, "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and the Father are one (John 10:27-30)." When you belong to God, you hear His voice. This voice is not usually audible, although it can be, but it is more often times a still small voice deep within. When God speaks, it always lines up with His word, it is truth, and it is in love. When you belong to God, there is a peace that He gives that goes beyond human comprehension. This peace is not based on people, circumstances or good works you have done, but based solely on Christ and His perfect sacrifice for you. "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27)."
When you know Jesus intimately, you can rest in Him. Your sin has been removed. He gives you His righteousness. There is nothing you have to do to earn His love or His favor because He already did it all at the cross. You simply must come to Him and believe that He is who He says He is. In Christ, you are free! It does not matter what you have done my friend, He will never turn anyone away who comes to Him. "All that My Father gives Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out~I will never never reject anyone who follows Me (John 6:37)."
satan has deceived many into thinking they will have to give up so much when they choose to follow Christ. This is a lie. When you choose to follow Christ, the things you once counted as gain, you will count as loss. When He gives you new life, He changes your desires to line up with His. He replaces selfish habits and desires with His goodness and mercy. He frees you completely. You no longer have to live in bondage of sin. You no longer have to live with guilt. You no longer have to live looking back over your shoulder for fear of someone finding out what you did. You know that no matter what someone thinks or says about you, that your identity is in Christ and in Him alone. You can be the person God made you to be! You are beautiful~a child of the one true King! "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10)."
So what are you waiting for? My friend, you are not promised tomorrow. Life passes quickly by. Choose life now before it is too late. In this moment, if you feel your heart beating faster, if you feel a restlessness, that is the Spirit lovingly drawing you. Come to Jesus now....and live!
"The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming. That if you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame. For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:8-13)."
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