Monday, 3 April 2017

East Ridge Pres

John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. Eternal life is knowing Jesus. Do you know Jesus Christ? Do you want to know him better? Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. “ We see God the Father in Jesus. When Paul prayed for other Christians he prayed “that you may know HIM better.” (Eph 1:17) Paul revealed his personal desire when he wrote “I want to know Christ.” (Phil 3:10) and said everything was garbage and dung compared to knowing Jesus Christ. At another time he prayed that Christians “may have power… to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:18-19) Imagine praying that and having that prayer answered? Christians want to be saved, we want eternal life, we want to go to heaven when they die, but how many of us want to know Jesus? I am a sinner in the area of not giving enough loving attention to my wife and children. How much more a sinner am I that I give little loving attention to my Lord and Christ? We will see Jesus fully when he returns. Eternal life does begin now. Knowing Jesus in our lives in this age and this world. Let us seek to know HIM. We may seek Him in the gathering of the Church. We sing his praises and know him better, we hear the word preached and we know him better, we discern him in the bread and wine and know him better. We may seek him DAILY in private prayer and meditation on the word of God and fasting. Knowing Jesus Christ is knowing him as he is revealed to us in the Scriptures. We must hear Scripture to see Jesus. Knowing Jesus Christ is the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart. The Holy Spirit illuminates Jesus for us, brings his face out of the shadows so we can see him. 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.