TO KNOW GOD AND CHRIST AS LORD

FRIDAY 27 AUGUST 2021

Eternal life is the revelation of our Father in heaven, the only true God, and accepting and knowing Jesus Christ as Lord.

Reference: John 17:3 New Century Version (NCV) "Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent."

Jesus prayed to be glorified and in His prayer, He had us in mind. As a result, He prayed that all those who would come to Him might receive and experience eternal life. Then He explained the true meaning of eternal life.

After giving our lives to Christ, we can get to know more about God by deepening our knowledge and faith in Him. Experiencing His intimacy and love is central to living a successful Christian life. And this is not about head knowledge, but experiential knowledge, being alive to God in our spirit and walking in step with the Holy Spirit to be all God wants us to be.

In the world we live, Satan always tries to convince people that they can live without God. He fights hard to keep men from knowing God and receiving Christ's sacrificial love on the cross. This is why so many people are still living in darkness and hence, separated from God. The shame, fear, guilt, and selfishness that emanate from their sinful nature control them and keep them from knowing God. All of their own striving and trying to do things in their own strength keep them from knowing the true God and receiving the Son's love.

Without the knowledge of the true God and accepting His Son's love, men become eternally condemned, wallowing in the sins of the flesh because they live according to their own will and for this reason, they are on their own. Its only when the realization of the truth that Christ died for their sins dawns on them and they denounce their sinful nature, and receive Jesus as Lord, that satanic strongholds are destroyed in their lives. Then they are able to fully receive the Father's love and experience intimacy with Him. This is why salvation is the starting point of knowing God and acknowledging His Son's love.

If you are born again, you have eternal life and all the Father's love in you but you can experience more by getting to know Him better. Many Christians have never experienced the depth of God and greater level of His unconditional love because they don't desire more. Although there is nothing you can do to make God love you more than He does right now, however, there is room for anyone to go deeper in His knowledge and experience His love in a higher dimension. This is the reason Paul wanted everyone to know the love of Christ and experience the true power of God that is already in us as Christians (see Ephesians 3:19 NIV).

Paul also prayed for the Christians in Ephesus saying, "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better" (Ephesians 1:17 NIV). Don't just get saved, spend your whole life serving in the church, do many good things, read your Bible and still not know God on a deep, personal level. Desire for something more and cry out for His intimacy. If you have a difficult time understanding the intimate aspect of God, then it's time to fellowship more with the Holy Spirit and submit to His leading consistently. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Romans 12:2; Colossians 1:9; 2 Peter 3:18; 1 John 3:6.

Guided Prayer: Heaven Father, thank you for my salvation and the gift of eternal life in Christ. As Jesus reveals Himself daily in my life as Lord, He consistently points to you as the everlasting Father; hence, my heart longs to know, experience or encounter more of you. Accordingly, by strengthening my fellowship with the Holy Spirit, I enter into deeper revelation of your love and my identity in Christ, thereby growing in grace and walking in sync with your perfect will for my life, in Jesus' Name, Amen!