Christians today are living on substitutes, and by default are missing the joy and power of knowing God Himself.
The essence of Christianity is personal fellowship with Jesus Christ. It's just that simple. Yet today Christians so easily neglect this. They can become so active in things, so enamored of procedures, so enslaved to methodology, that they forget their Source and allow substitutes to crowd out communion with the living God Himself.
When this happens, they soon become critical of Christian institutions, critical of their methods, critical of Christians themselves, expecting from them what they cannot give.
In theological circles some are saying that "God is dead," He may stay alive in our theology and philosophy long after He has died in our experience.
Our priority, then, must be to know Jesus Christ Himself,. We find the basis of this in John 17:3 "...and this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Though hast sent." Eternal life is knowing God as revealed Jesus Christ.
The word here for "know" is greatly expanded upon by Paul in all of his epistles and becomes a word that means "knowledge" gained by experience." Paul says, "I know whom I have believed," - II Tim. 1:12. If we take the literal meaning, he is really saying, "I have come over a long period of time to know Him whom I have believed, and I have come to a complete persuasion concerning Him that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him."
This is no sudden thing, no single experience. This is an accumulative knowledge that comes out of one's own encounter and fellowship with Jesus Christ over a period of time.
How well do you know Him? Are you growing in the knowledge of Christ? Do you now Him better today than you did a year ago? The knowledge of God is inexhaustible. In Him are hid all the riches of wisdom and knowledge - Col. 2:3. But He chooses to reveal Himself to those who believe Him and who are taking time to bask in the light of His holy presence. He wants to be known, but the climate for this is quietness and reverence. God does not reveal Himself to those who are antagonistic and rebellious, not to those who spend no time with Him.
The late A.W. Tozer wrote a well known book called "The Pursuit of God". It's title implies that knowing God is not simply a one time encounter. God is so great, God is so wondrous, that He always has us pursuing Him. We are always followers (that is the root meaning of the word "disciple"). We are not in the lead; we have a Leader. We do not initiate; He initiates. We are not the cause; He is the Cause. He acts; we are to react. He moves first; we are to respond.
John 17 underscores our Lord's initiative in His relationship to man: "I have manifested Thy name unto the men Thou gavest Me... (vs. 6). "I have given unto them the words which Though gavest me..." (vs. 8). "I pray for them..." (vs. 9). "...I kept them in Thy name ..." (vs. 12).
The Holy Son, in communion with the Holy Father, is concerned about these men - that they know Him, and in knowing Him know the Father. The whole issue is centered in the personal knowledge of Jesus Christ Himself. He is the meeting place between God and man. God comes to men through the man Christ Jesus. Men come to God through the Man Christ Jesus. That makes of Him the Mediator, the only mediator. There is none other. Therefore, all of our doctrines must root themselves in Him. All roads to revelation of truth must eventually flow into His. And the realization of the Bible's message in heart and mind and life stems from consistent fellowship with Him.
We find this developed in Ephesians: "We have been chosen in Him before the foundation of the world" - 1:14. In this epistle, we are also told we are crucified together with Him, buried with Him, quickened with Him, raised with Him, seated with Him. We are fellow laborers with Him, fellow sufferers with Him, heirs together with Him, and we shall be glorified with Him!
If the language here teaches us anything, it grips us with the truth that everything God talks about is ours by virtue of a relationship with Him. What if He gives and we do not respond? Then there is no fellowship. What if He commands and we do not obey? There is no learning experience. What if He disciplines and we rebel? The we have aborted the fellowship.
Just when we think we've arrived on a plateau of Christian maturity, God is suddenly out there in front of us saying, "How we've got the next lesson." He keeps us coming. The Holy Spirit ever lures us on. There is more in Christ than we have yet seen, more in fellowship with Him than we have yet experienced, or have yet understood about His plans and His purposes.
Only as we resource ourselves in Jesus Christ Himself do we really have something to share with others. And only when we cultivate the art of fellowship with the living Lord can we turn to our Christian colleagues and to the non- Christian world with something to say. Only then can we move out to minister with love and authority and power.
The essence of Christianity is personal fellowship with Jesus Christ. It's just that simple. Yet today Christians so easily neglect this. They can become so active in things, so enamored of procedures, so enslaved to methodology, that they forget their Source and allow substitutes to crowd out communion with the living God Himself.
When this happens, they soon become critical of Christian institutions, critical of their methods, critical of Christians themselves, expecting from them what they cannot give.
In theological circles some are saying that "God is dead," He may stay alive in our theology and philosophy long after He has died in our experience.
Our priority, then, must be to know Jesus Christ Himself,. We find the basis of this in John 17:3 "...and this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Though hast sent." Eternal life is knowing God as revealed Jesus Christ.
The word here for "know" is greatly expanded upon by Paul in all of his epistles and becomes a word that means "knowledge" gained by experience." Paul says, "I know whom I have believed," - II Tim. 1:12. If we take the literal meaning, he is really saying, "I have come over a long period of time to know Him whom I have believed, and I have come to a complete persuasion concerning Him that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him."
This is no sudden thing, no single experience. This is an accumulative knowledge that comes out of one's own encounter and fellowship with Jesus Christ over a period of time.
How well do you know Him? Are you growing in the knowledge of Christ? Do you now Him better today than you did a year ago? The knowledge of God is inexhaustible. In Him are hid all the riches of wisdom and knowledge - Col. 2:3. But He chooses to reveal Himself to those who believe Him and who are taking time to bask in the light of His holy presence. He wants to be known, but the climate for this is quietness and reverence. God does not reveal Himself to those who are antagonistic and rebellious, not to those who spend no time with Him.
The late A.W. Tozer wrote a well known book called "The Pursuit of God". It's title implies that knowing God is not simply a one time encounter. God is so great, God is so wondrous, that He always has us pursuing Him. We are always followers (that is the root meaning of the word "disciple"). We are not in the lead; we have a Leader. We do not initiate; He initiates. We are not the cause; He is the Cause. He acts; we are to react. He moves first; we are to respond.
John 17 underscores our Lord's initiative in His relationship to man: "I have manifested Thy name unto the men Thou gavest Me... (vs. 6). "I have given unto them the words which Though gavest me..." (vs. 8). "I pray for them..." (vs. 9). "...I kept them in Thy name ..." (vs. 12).
The Holy Son, in communion with the Holy Father, is concerned about these men - that they know Him, and in knowing Him know the Father. The whole issue is centered in the personal knowledge of Jesus Christ Himself. He is the meeting place between God and man. God comes to men through the man Christ Jesus. Men come to God through the Man Christ Jesus. That makes of Him the Mediator, the only mediator. There is none other. Therefore, all of our doctrines must root themselves in Him. All roads to revelation of truth must eventually flow into His. And the realization of the Bible's message in heart and mind and life stems from consistent fellowship with Him.
We find this developed in Ephesians: "We have been chosen in Him before the foundation of the world" - 1:14. In this epistle, we are also told we are crucified together with Him, buried with Him, quickened with Him, raised with Him, seated with Him. We are fellow laborers with Him, fellow sufferers with Him, heirs together with Him, and we shall be glorified with Him!
If the language here teaches us anything, it grips us with the truth that everything God talks about is ours by virtue of a relationship with Him. What if He gives and we do not respond? Then there is no fellowship. What if He commands and we do not obey? There is no learning experience. What if He disciplines and we rebel? The we have aborted the fellowship.
Just when we think we've arrived on a plateau of Christian maturity, God is suddenly out there in front of us saying, "How we've got the next lesson." He keeps us coming. The Holy Spirit ever lures us on. There is more in Christ than we have yet seen, more in fellowship with Him than we have yet experienced, or have yet understood about His plans and His purposes.
Only as we resource ourselves in Jesus Christ Himself do we really have something to share with others. And only when we cultivate the art of fellowship with the living Lord can we turn to our Christian colleagues and to the non- Christian world with something to say. Only then can we move out to minister with love and authority and power.
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