Knowing not just knowing about. . . .

A few weeks ago, a woman sat with us during church brunch and asked me how I knew Jesus was real, and how I knew whether He had returned or not. For me, it was like she asked how I knew if my children are real, or my friends, or even her. She claimed to have visions of what God  is doing and asked questions about spiritual warfare. The next week, I loaned her a book on that topic, but haven’t seen her since. Interesting.

The philosophical questions about reality abound. How do we know what we know, and so on.  While some might dismiss this as silly speculation, the Bible makes it an important, even a key part of our existence, and about the way we live now and, and determines our destination. The OT says this:

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23–24)

God desires that my main passion in life is knowing Him and knowing what He is like and what He does. In His NT prayer, Jesus said this:

And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3)

How do I  know that I know Him? It is by faith, a faith that affects me to the point that I must tell it to others, say it with my mouth. Not faking it, and not pretending in any way. It is a knowing that is difficult to explain for it is not like saying “I know my husband” or any other visible person. It is a knowing based on what the Word of God says:

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:8–13)

This hints at more than head knowledge. For example, I know who Donald Trump is, would recognize him if he walked by, hear all sorts of things about him, but I don’t ‘know’ him like I know Jesus. The Bible says that knowledge means I know His voice, have His mind and hear Him tell me what to do or not do. Knowing Him means intimacy. He gives me His love, peace, joy, and a desire to be like Him. And that is more evidence of the depth of this relationship:

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. (1 John 2:3)

While many doubt, or scoff, or even deny such a thing is possible, a few could see how Jesus makes a difference: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)

PRAY: Jesus, today is one of those days where I feel totally unlike You, as if I’m more uneducated and common than bold. However, You are with me because You said so, not because I’m always aware or feel like it. Your word is far more reliable than my feelings. Because I know You and that You do what You say You will do, I walk into this day in confidence that knowing You is all that I need — and I can be all that You desire of me.

Knowing Jesus

  

At the end of a sermon with a gospel invitation, the speaker often says something about introducing a seeker to Jesus. While I know that Jesus welcomes those who seek Him, is this really how it works? Can I say to someone words that open his heart and mind to know the Savior? It seems to me that is not possible. If a person wants to know God, then isn’t God the one who introduces or opens their hearts to know Him?

Today’s devotional says knowing God is essential. Jesus did say that without this knowledge, we cannot have eternal life…

And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3)

However, a few verses later He also says…

“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. (John 17:6–8)

He gives the words and the seeker receives and believes them, yet it is God who both reveals and gives what is needed, including the words needed and the faith (that comes by hearing, Romans 10:17) to believe, and all we need to have that life and godliness. I can tell others this good news but it is God who makes Himself known.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, (2 Peter 1:3)

When I encounter someone that I’ve never met, I can ignore them, or I can make myself known to them in conversation. They are able to do the same. Revelation of self to someone else is not up to the someone else, or even to the person doing the introductions. That person can tell the other some things about me, but knowing information is not the same as really knowing.

Today’s reading say we get to know Jesus by studying His life and pondering His words, but I could do that with anyone who has a biography or talks about their thoughts and ideas, yet that is not the knowledge Jesus refers to that pertains to eternal life. It is far more intimate. 1 Corinthians says that He gives us even His mind. No person we meet can do that.

I’ve been married fifty-three years and do not have my husband’s mind. As much as I talk and reveal my thoughts, he does not have my mind either. But we do have the mind of Christ and that gives us a communication level, even a knowledge level, that rises above reading and studying. The only thing we can do to deepen our knowing is… “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3) yet even this depends on His desire to reveal Himself and obedience is the evidence rather than the means that I do know Him.

 For Christians, knowing Christ is a legitimate boast. The OT prophet declares:

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23–24)

And the NT writers also knew the wealth and wonder of knowing Jesus:

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:8)

PRAY: Jesus, knowing You is the delight of my life. Do I boast about it and about Your love, justice, and righteousness? I should — far more often than I do. Knowing You is the most important thing in my life just as You are the most important person ever to walk this planet. I’m so thankful that You revealed yourself to me and continue to keep showing me more about You. You are a wonderful Savior!

Pessimism and Boasting

An optimist tends to look on the more favorable side things and expect the most favorable outcome. I’m not an optimist. I tend to see, anticipate, even emphasize undesirable outcomes and look on the negative side of things. I identify with the Old Testament prophets who railed against sinners, including themselves, and focused only on the worst that was happening.

Yet God tells me to be thankful in all things and praise Him. While I easily see His wrath on sin, I also need to remember His love for sinners and His grace in our lives. For me, praise and thanksgiving is often a sacrifice and always an obedience — and obedience is an important benchmark of being a Christian . . .

“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3) . . . “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.” (1 John 2:3)

Not only does my pessimistic outlook interfere with praising God, but so also does my pride. I like to put myself on a pedestal, but the Bible says to stop doing that. He says things like the following as a command to those who boast in the wrong things . . .

“Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23–24)

Counting the “I” and other personal pronouns in this devotion shows me that my focus (negative or positive) is not in the right place.

Another theme comes through from these verses; saving faith means knowing Christ. This is not merely knowing about Him, but knowing Him personally. This happens by means of faith.

Faith knows and trusts Christ. Faith receives salvation from Christ. Faith does not in any way accomplish salvation; only the work of Jesus Christ does that. Faith simply receives what He has done as my Substitute. Faith also receives His righteousness, receives redemption and the forgiveness of sins He offers. Even though salvation is not earned by faith or by my obedience, believing what God says and does is obedience of a sort. Without faith, I certainly will not do what He says.

True faith is simply knowing Christ and resting in what He has promised. I have to watch out for the pessimist in me — because that attitude so easily “what-ifs” my way into doubt. If I look in the mirror and see failures rather than the grace of God, if I remember the bad stuff instead of the good, then I’m one step away from not trusting God, or there already.

Jesus, forgive my pride and my tendency to focus on my failures and folly instead of on Your blessings. I want to do well, to grow in faith, to be like Jesus, but how often I forget that even if I never made any mistakes, I cannot boast in that or any other thing — only in that I know You and the wonderful things You have done.