1st John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
This passage of scripture shows us the importance of having a saving knowledge of The Lord Jesus Christ, as an essential to salvation, and a meaningful relationship with Him who died to redeem us. But to have just a mere theoretical knowledge of Him does no one any good, hence the reason why many of us have a sort of distant relationship with God, where we pray and worship on the right day of the week, but where Christ remains largely unknown to us during the other six working days. The relationship with Jesus is developed through the everyday circumstances and experiences of life, where we invite Him into our every decision-making process, and where we seek His face for guidance and direction through all of the vicissitudes of life.
A typical day in the life of one who ardently desires a saving knowledge of Christ, will begin with prayer, and a study of the life and teachings of Christ, comparing scripture with scripture, and taking the necessary time to meditate and reflect on what Jesus would do in any given situation, based on what is written in the Bible. But it does not stop here, for God has promised to give us The Holy Spirit if we ask, so that we may be guided with wisdom and discretion in the unforeseen circumstances of life, which arise from time to time, in unexpected ways, and in places we did not cater for. In other words, both the teachings and the Person of Christ must be interfaced with all of our experiences, in order that a saving knowledge of him may be ours.
Abraham was called the friend of God, not because of his theoretical knowledge of the truth, but because of the communion with God he enjoyed, and ardently sought after from day to day. This is the reason why he responded in obedience to The Master's voice, when he was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac, for there was absolutely no doubt in his mind that the Person who spoke to him then, was none other than the God with whom all of his life experiences were wrapped up in, and whose voice he had come to recognize and trust over the years. But what is worthy of note in his saving knowledge of Christ, is that it led him to obey all that God required of him, for to know Christ is to obey His every word, His instructions, and His laws. Let's read:
Genesis 26:2 And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
In our day there is a pseudo faith and knowledge of Christ that has surfaced, by which many claim to know Him, whilst they do the very things He has commanded us not to do, and there also exists a kind of boastful attitude, in which the claim of having The Holy Ghost is paraded as a badge of distinction. Whenever we are involved in a saving knowledge of Christ, there is a tendency is not to make that claim publicly, but rather to walk humbly with God, by allowing the radiance of His love and character to shine forth naturally through us to others. No public claim of having The Holy Spirit is ever needed, for if that is really the case, then others will certainly know.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which captures the essence of our relationship with Christ, and it is the will of God that our communion with Him will continue to deepen, to the point where we become inseparably joined to Him. Let's read:
John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!