BIBLE STUDY AUDIO
TEACHIINGS FOR YOUR EDIFICATION AND BRINGING YOU TO THE FULLNESS OF THE STATURE OF CHRIST
Our Bible Study audio messages can be accessed from here. These are teachings recorded in the course of our weekly serialised Bible Study meetings for your spiritual edification and development.
Besides the audio, the conclusion/summary of the message is also displayed. This notwithstanding, the full Bible Study outline can also be accessed from the link indicated at the end of the conclusion/summary.
We pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to you as you listen.
The Essence of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives (6.6): The Necessity of Works (3)
The bible tells us that we ought to work hard to ensure that our calling and election by God is secure. Not that we can earn our calling and election, which is purely by grace; but we must work hard to ensure that our calling and election is not lost through our own carelessness, recklessness, and lackadaisical attitude. We have seen how people who were called and chosen by God for His purpose, ended very badly, losing the eternal bliss promised them by the Lord. Yet, it was not because God was not able to keep them to the end; rather, it was because they did not work at making themselves acceptable in the Beloved (Jesus Christ).
The bible tells us that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, yet we find people who acted contrary to God’s word; defiled the gifts and calling of God, end up losing the eternal life that they ought to have enjoyed. For example, Lucifer was made perfect, but when pride entered into him, he was driven out of heaven; and even though his gifts were not taken away, he nonetheless perverted them and till today, uses them for evil purposes. We have also seen examples of Judas Iscariot, Gehazi, King Saul, and the tribe of Ephraim; all of whom lost their calling and election because they did not work hard to remain in their calling! They did not turn away from a life of sin, which manifested as covetousness, greed, disobedience, and, unrepentant and obstinate idolatry. We have seen how the church, or, believers in Christ in Ephesus were being warned to repent of their lack of fervent and unfeigned love for God, lest they lose their calling and election, and, by extension, eternity with God.
When God called and chose us, we were not perfect; however, He has made provision for our imperfections to be made perfect, not just by means of pronouncing us justified, but also, by the operation of the Holy Spirit Whom He gave to us. Our cooperation with the Holy Spirit, as He works in us the supplies of faith, after we have believed in Jesus, ensures the security of our calling and election. Unfortunately, when we refuse to apply the word of God in our day-to-day living, we make a mockery of our calling and election, and are in danger of losing same; just as we make ourselves of no use to God, if we are not growing in the things of God. Therefore, God continually encourages us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and to keep growing in the supplies of faith or graces, continually, as the way to making it very clear that God has indeed called and chosen us.
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The Essence of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives (6.7): The Joy of Works
We have, tonight, seen the joy and tremendous eternal value of allowing the Holy Spirit do His work of ‘dunging the ground’ of faith in which we have been planted by the Lord (Luke 13:6-9). Not only is there the guarantee of never falling away from the love of God, but also, there is the assurance of unimpeded access into the everlasting kingdom of our God and our Lord!
For this cause, we must yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him work the supplies of faith into our lives, to help us exhibit a living faith, as we act in a manner that shows that we are truly expectant of eternity; that is, by purifying ourselves daily, departing from iniquity, mortifying the flesh, permanently doing away with worldliness, and, living by the word of God, among others. Now, let us redouble our efforts and enthusiasm to abound in the supplies of faith, because of the eternal value—the guarantee of eternal life! Paul, a principal apostle, knew the very grave danger of being over-confident and ending up in hell—unfortunately, Demas did not learn well from Paul, and went back into the world. Peter, another principal apostle, also knew the danger of a dead faith, thus, he documented it for our benefit, so that we would not miss eternal life. As a reminder also, we need to know that willfully turning away from the path of righteousness after becoming partakers of the kingdom and of the goodness of God, has severe repercussions; but by the grace of God, we shall not be of them that turn back unto perdition, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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The Essence of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives (7.1): The Two-Fold Fruit-Bearing Believer
When we become born again, the first and primary thing God, the Father, desires of us, is that we be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Our conformity to the image of Christ is two-fold: we must be conformed to Christ in character and conduct; and we must be conformed to Christ in service and sacrifice unto our God. The former is exhibited through the fruit of the Spirit, and our intimate knowledge of the Lord, Jesus Christ; while the latter is demonstrated when we go and bring forth people into the kingdom of God, and make them remain in the kingdom. The believer in Christ is thus likened to the branch of a vine, the Lord Jesus Christ. On the branch, fruit appears, but within it, life must first be received; otherwise, it cannot be fruitful externally! Therefore, it is conformity to Christ in character and conduct that enables conformity to Christ in service and sacrifice.
Our conformity to Christ in service and sacrifice unto God, is basically what we commonly refer to as evangelism and missions, and it is a euphemism for external fruit bearing, at which time, we bring in the “sheaves” with rejoicing. External fruit-bearing requires that the believer in Christ, who is bearing fruit internally, goes forth from his ‘incubator’ or the ‘shell’ where he has been nurtured to be fruitful internally, and begin to search for the lost; reach out to them with the gospel, through preaching and demonstrating the love of God, and so usher them into the kingdom of God; and, bring them up also to be conformed to the image of Christ, by teaching them the unadulterated word of God, which will make them fruitful internally and externally. And the cycle continues!
For the internally fruitful believer to be able to bear fruit externally, he needs the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are distributed to all internally fruitful believers, so that they can work in concert with each other to bring forth external fruit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are special endowments which the Holy Spirit bestows on whomsoever He wills, so that believers can engage in various services or ministrations unto the same Lord, as orchestrated or activated in various forms or operations or activities, by the One and same God, the Father. It was never expected that a believer would be selfish, but that he would work in tandem with other believers within the same local assembly, and in unison with the global Church of God.
All these are the works of the Holy Spirit, not just in men, but through men to bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to our God. We see the Holy Spirit, empowering and equipping yielded ‘vessels’ for use under the Hand of the Almighty. This external fruit is also called, good works; and is required of every child of God who will make it to heaven!
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The Essence of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives (7.2): The Basics of External Fruit-Bearing (1)
The basics of external fruit-bearing is that there must be a vital union of Christ and the believer in Christ—he in Christ; and Christ in him! This vital union is the friendship and fellowship shared by Christ and the believer, and it results in the fruit or bringing forth of new believers in Christ! The indwelling Holy Spirit is the bond of this vital union, as it is through Him that Christ dwells in, and relates with the believer, and vice versa. For the union of Christ and the believer to be truly vital, it must be ongoing or continuous; otherwise, the believer withers, and is cast off for burning in hell! Therefore the responsibility of keeping the union of Christ and the believer vital rests on the believer, otherwise he will not be fruitful—either internally or externally! Thus, if the believer in Christ will be fruitful in his service and sacrifice to God, his life must be marked by:
1. Total submission to Christ;
2. Unreserved acceptance of the nourishment and care of Christ;
3. Leaving everything to follow Christ;
4. An unpretentious love for Christ, evidenced by obedience to the teachings or doctrines of Christ;
5. A clear demonstration of love for other believers and non-believers alike;
6. The Lordship of Jesus Christ over his life and affairs; and,
7. The unimpeded involvement of the Holy Spirit in his life and affairs.
The vital union of Christ and the believer must never be allowed to be detached or uncoupled by anything whatsoever, and must be ever-increasing; otherwise, the believer will be in danger of being cast forth as ‘a dried branch’! Thus, those of us who say that we are Christians, or believers in Christ, must be constantly filled with the word of God, and we must make up our minds not to be separated from Christ by anything—whether good or evil! And it is only by yielding and cooperating with the Holy Spirit, Who has filled us abundantly with the love of God, that this can truly be accomplished!
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The Essence of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives (7.3): The Basics of External Fruit-Bearing (2)
What is clear from our study tonight, is that the Lord Jesus, while He was here on earth, was able to achieve so much (bear much fruit) because He did not detach Himself from the Father. And even though He was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power to do His work, He did not allow the pressure of ministry to overtake His fellowship with His Father, neither did He allow the persuasion of men to overwhelm His delight to do the will of His Father (even when that will was not pleasant to the flesh); nor did He allow the power of money to overshadow His primary purpose of glorifying the Father. Everything that the Lord Jesus did in His earthly ministry was indeed by the “Book”—it was to fulfill what was written of Him; regardless of whether or not it was pleasing to Him!
If we, those of us who say that we are believers in Christ, are to fulfill our own mandate of bearing fruit, we must likewise remain in the “Vine”, be in constant fellowship with our Master, know (not intellectually, but intimately) what is written in the word of God, and, take our instructions and directions from the Holy Spirit, even if it will land us in jail! We must understand that the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit is not for personal aggrandizement, but for the fulfillment of the purpose of God. We must, therefore, also not allow the pressure of ministry, the persuasion of men, and, the power (enticement) of money to overtake, overwhelm, and overshadow, our fellowship with the Lord; our delight to do His will; and, our primary purpose of bringing glory to the Father, and to His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ!
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The Essence of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives (7.4): The Progression in Fruit-Bearing (1)
As we begin to look at the progression in fruit-bearing for the believer in Christ, one thing is clear: if you truly are in Christ, you will, from the beginning, bear some fruit—they may not be much, but there will be some fruit in your life. Being in Christ means that you are a new creature—distinct from the people of the world—old things are passed away, and all things have become new! You cannot therefore, knowingly commit sin or continue to live in sin, and neither can you be conformed to this world, since you are being changed into the image of Christ, nor can you as a result, be unfruitful! If, therefore, we find people who claim to be in Christ being unfruitful, it must be that they have an unbroken spirit, they are deceptive or hypocrites, or, they are still very much carnal or worldly in their spirit. An unfruitful Christian, which really is a misnomer, is a person who has refused to yield to the Holy Spirit; and who insists on gratifying the desire of the old Adamic nature, which leads to sinful living.
No matter how little, you ought to be bearing some fruit if you truly are in Christ. For instance, you ought to show, by your character and conduct, the fruit of the Spirit to some extent; you should be receiving answers to your prayers, meaning that you should be praying constantly; you ought to be telling people about the Lord Jesus—the Messiah who died to save them from sin, sinful living, and its consequences; you ought to be reading the bible regularly, and should be able to memorize and recite scriptures; you should find attending bible study as well as worship services a joy to your spirit, even if your flesh does not agree with the new regimen; you should be receiving the doctrines of the word of God being taught you without debate, and you should be putting what you have been taught to practice immediately. The appearance of these few fruit will form the basis of your progression to the next level of fruit-bearing—bearing more fruit.
To deal with unfruitfulness in the life of a believer, what is feeding the Adamic nature must be destroyed and this is done by crucifying the flesh and its affections and desires. The Holy Spirit, our Paraclete (Helper, Comforter, Counselor, Guide, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), has been given to every ‘new creature’ (believer in Christ), to be with him, and in him, for the very purpose of ensuring that he is fruitful, by annihilating the flesh. It is only as the believer yields to the Holy Spirit totally, that this early beginnings of fruit-bearing can occur. Failure to yield to the Holy Spirit can have disastrous consequences, as Samson found out. Like every ‘new creature’, Samson was brought forth to fulfill a divine purpose, but he allowed his own will to over-ride God’s purpose for his life. It was a sad day for Samson, when the Holy Spirit left him; for he had become a “branch” that wouldn’t produce fruit, even though he was in the “Vine”. The good news though, is that Samson repented, albeit, somewhat late. We have the opportunity not to leave things until late tonight, so we ought to go to the Lord in genuine repentance, and make amends henceforth, to allow the Holy Spirit have His way in our lives.
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The Essence of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives (7.5): The Progression in Fruit-Bearing (2)
Purging or pruning is an activity which a vinedresser engages in to make an already fruitful branch become more fruitful. In pruning, the vinedresser takes away from the already fruitful branch, the things that hinder it from being more fruitful. The vine dresser also takes away the unfruitful branch, thus allowing the branches that are already fruitful to have more sap from the vine and thus be more fruitful.
In like manner, our Father, God Almighty, is the One Who ensures that those believers who are already manifesting some fruit are pruned for more fruitfulness, by using the word of God as the pruning tool in concert with the Holy Spirit. This divine pruning takes the form of teachings from the word of God, that seek to deepen our relationship and devotion to the Father and to the Son, removal of excesses or superfluities from our lives, and, chastening or discipline through the word of God. For instance, we are constantly being pruned by the Father, as He removes our imperfections, our wrong motives, and, those unnecessary qualities (knowledge, wealth, earthly wisdom, etc.) that do not allow us to do good works. Our Father uses His word to teach us to leave superficiality and deepen our knowledge of Him. He uses His word to cut away our love, affection, and desire for wealth, worldliness, and pleasures. He also corrects and disciplines or trains us to live like His very own children, and ensures that excesses like zeal without knowledge is corrected, and knowledge that puffs up is dealt with. Divine pruning is what happens when we are made to be sober, moderate, and temperate in every area of our lives. This is when we can truly portray the nature and essence of Christ, and not leave the world wondering whether we are of Christ, or one of them!
In essence, pruning is about removal, revival, and renewal; all with the aim of making those who are already bearing some fruit, to bear more fruit, and it is done by the agency of the word of God, and the Holy Spirit, all orchestrated by the Father!
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The Essence of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives (7.6): The Progression in Fruit-Bearing (3)
Much fruitfulness is the result of the believer abiding in Christ, and Christ in turn, abiding in him. The pruning or purging which makes a believer more fruitful is also what makes him conducive for the Lord to abide in him; and it is the reciprocity of the believer abiding in Christ, and Christ in turn, abiding in the believer, that is the requirement for much fruitfulness, which brings glory to the Husbandman, the Father.
If you say that you are a believer in Christ who wants to bear much fruit, your abiding in Christ must go beyond attending Sunday service and bible study regularly, being a worker or a part of the ministry team in church, and, giving to the work of God or even to the ‘man of God’. Your abiding requires that you remain in Christ; not just paying Him a visit when you like. Your abiding must be such that nothing will be able to take you away from Christ. Your abiding should be one of total commitment to the Lord and to His work. Your abiding will require that you be totally separated from the world and anything that can defile you. Your abiding should be evidenced by your ‘forsaking’ all to follow Jesus (that is, leaving behind things that are significant, but which, in the light of following Jesus, are insignificant and detrimental). Your abiding must be based on a love relationship between you and the Lord. This kind of abiding is always evidenced by your complete obedience to Christ and by the overwhelming presence of the Holy Spirit in you—where anything that is contrary to God is revolting to you. It is this kind of abiding that attracts Christ and the Father to come and make their abode in you. It is this kind of abiding that makes you the temple of God, and that results in all your prayers being answered.
The fruit or outflow that issues from the mutual abiding of the believer and Christ can be the believer’s character under pressure or persecution; just as it can be the believer’s joyful ministry as directed by the Lord, even in unpleasant conditions. Such fruit or outflow gladdens the heart of God and brings glory to His name. This is what makes us true disciples of Christ! May we be found worthy to produce such fruit in abundance, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
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The Essence of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives (7): The Progression in Fruit-Bearing (4)
When we talk of abiding fruit, we are talking about the fruit which remains in the vine growing to maturity, until it is time for the harvest. Abiding fruit is not just the ‘pregnancy’ or the ‘delivery’, but the ‘full maturity of the child conceived’ into becoming a useful member of society. For us—who are believers in Christ—abiding fruit is who we are in Christ, in sunshine and in rain, in poverty and in prosperity, in sickness and in health, in fair weather and in the storms, and, presently and till the end of our stay on earth. Abiding fruit is the result of the testing of our faith by fire—will your faith shine forth as purified gold or silver? Abiding fruit are the godly legacies that we leave behind after we have departed this world, and, that generations yet unborn will continue to be edified by—books, messages, testimonies, etc. Abiding fruit is also that person that you bring to Christ, whom you disciple, and who finally makes it into heaven!
All our works which we had done while here on earth (that is, our fruit—both internal and external) will be tested by the fire of God. If it endures or remains, it is abiding fruit and we shall be rewarded; but if it is consumed, we shall have no reward, but we shall nonetheless be saved. These works will include our words, our actions, our thoughts, our motives, and, whether or not we completed the things that we began to do—for example, did we follow up and disciple the souls that were saved through our ministry, and are they in heaven? Also, all the things that we did to dissuade and hinder people from following God, either by our words, actions, lifestyle, etc., will speak against us on the day of judgment; and if by such, people go to hell, then it is unlikely that you will go to heaven.
Henceforth, let us be careful what we say and do; for we are sowing seeds, and whatsoever a man sows that shall he reap—whether good or bad! That is why we have an opportunity tonight to talk to the Lord about our mistakes and return to Him; while at the same time, make restitution by seeking out those people we have led astray, as much as is possible, and bring them back to Christ. Let us also realize that even though we have led someone to Christ, it is incumbent on us to also make him a disciple of Christ who is standing in the Lord and who will be in heaven!
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Everything You Need Has Been Provided
If you are ever to amount to anything in your walk with God, and in your work for God, you must necessarily have the Holy Spirit in your life! The Holy Spirit provided the early disciples with everything that they needed to live and do as God wanted; and He will provide you with all that you need to live for God, and do the will of God!
It is by the Holy Spirit that the life of Christ is lived in us, and it is by the Holy Spirit that the will and work of God can be satisfactorily done. Indeed, when the Lord Jesus sent His disciples out in the course of His earthly ministry, He specifically told them not to go with anything, because all that they needed was already provided. The same instruction is applicable to you, because He has given you the Holy Spirit, if indeed you are born again!
Indeed, the Scriptures tell us that the Holy Spirit was involved in the birth of the Lord Jesus, His baptism, His commissioning, and His ministry, including the miracles He wrought, the casting out of demons, preaching and teaching, and soul winning. More than these, the Scriptures also tell us that the Lord needed the Holy Spirit so that He could die on the cross at Calvary, so that He could be resurrected from death, and to give His post-resurrection instructions. Clearly, without the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, would never have succeeded in His divine assignment! The same is applicable to you!
And for this reason, the Lord told the early disciples to wait and experience the manifestation of the Holy Spirit before they set out to do anything. The same is applicable to you today! Indeed, every aspect of your life, including living for God, and doing His will, is only attainable through the Holy Spirit. You must recognize that all that you need to live successfully as a believer in Christ has been provided in the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to you from the instant you got born again, and as you submit to Him, you will experience His manifestation, and then, you also can begin to work for God.
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What We Are Talking About (1): A Head Knowledge?
There is a knowledge that puffs up, which also produces a zeal that is destructive. Such knowledge is head knowledge, and it is one form of “Knowing Jesus” that we are not talking about!
Having a head knowledge may make us important to the ignorant, yet our own ignorance is betrayed when we meet with those who truly have a practical knowledge of the subject matter. A head knowledge of Jesus, is like someone who reads a Chemistry textbook without ever entering into a Chemistry laboratory, and yet claims to be a guru in Chemistry! It is one thing to claim to know Jesus, but a completely different thing to truly know Him in practical terms. A head knowledge of Jesus is bland, plastic, and rigid; it is heartless and destructive; and, it is loveless, cold, and selfish. It makes people who think that they know Him, force their knowledge on others; and it makes them arrogate to themselves a repository of knowledge, and so judge others by their unfounded knowledge (Matthew 7:1-5). So, even though the Pharisees had read so much about the Law of Moses, to the extent that they broke down the Law into rules and regulations (what they called ‘the traditions of the elders’), which they micro-managed and monitored strictly among the ordinary people, they themselves completely missed the Lord Who gave Moses the Law (John 1:17; 6:31-42). As a result of their head knowledge, really of the Law of God, they pursued after their own righteousness, or standard of holiness, rather than the righteousness or standard of holiness of God, which can only be attained in Christ Jesus!
If we are to truly know the Lord Jesus Christ, it will take more than a head knowledge of the bible or of the Lord Himself. Let us ask God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, by His Spirit to give us the appropriate knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:17).
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What We Are Talking About (2): A Knowing of Jesus?
When we talk of “Knowing Jesus”, we are not talking about ‘knowing of’ Him. When you know of a person, you have a mental ascent as to the existence of the person, without a reaction or action which corresponds to who that person really is. Such a knowing of the Lord Jesus, has given rise to ‘theologians’ who seek to prove that the Lord Jesus was just a great man; and, all manner of Christians who profess Christ, and yet live at variance with everything that the Lord Jesus stands for. These mere ‘professors’ of Christ think that the name of Jesus is a talisman that can be used by anybody for their protection, or for the demonstration of power. People who know of the Lord Jesus, think of Him as a mere man who does not see or know what they are doing in secret; and so, like Ananias and Sapphira, they have no qualms telling lies and acting deceitfully in their local assemblies!
They know of Jesus, but do not acknowledge Him as the Creator; nor do they know the power and the extent of His salvation (John 1:1-3; Hebrews 1:1-4; Colossians 1:13-29). These people also do not know what God is capable of doing—that He rewards those who diligently (earnestly; not lackadaisically, nor begrudgingly) and patiently follow Him; and that He is also a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 32:39; 2 Kings 5:7)! Indeed, for people who merely ‘know of’ Jesus, the fear of God means nothing; in fact, the bible says that they are unrighteous (Romans 3:10-18).
May our knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ manifest not only in our love for Him, but also in our reverential fear of, and obedience to Him, which will make us to live holy before Him all the days of our lives.
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What We Are Talking About (3): A Knowing About Jesus?
When we talk about “Knowing Jesus” we are not talking of knowing about Him. To know about someone is to have heard some things about that person, without necessarily having any interaction with the person. All we know about that person is really hearsay, which we propagate to others and sometimes may even add our own unfounded opinion about the person. The Queen of Sheba heard about King Solomon, and even though she did not believe what she had heard, she nonetheless travelled to Jerusalem to prove those things which she had heard. By the time she met with King Solomon, she confessed that they had not even told her up to half of his majesty, wisdom, and wealth!
Ever heard of the saying, “The taste of the pudding is in the eating”? Hearing about the Lord Jesus through sermons, as laudable as that is, is not enough to prove that you know Him. It simply means that you have heard about Him! Until Job met with God, all his knowledge of God was merely in the realm of hearing about Him.
Many Christians who know about their Lord from the sermons of their pastors, but who have not proven those things which they had heard, are unable to convincingly speak of the Lord Jesus to people who don’t know Him. This is because they have not interacted with Him one-on-one! Let us emulate the Samaritans who were not just content to hear about Jesus from “the woman at the well”, but went out to look for and hear Him for themselves. Let us emulate Mary Magdalene, who refused to go away, but sought the Lord’s body, and in the end, became the first person to see the risen Lord! Let us not be content to only hear from other people about the Lord, but let us go further to prove those things which we have heard about Him through personal encounters. It is time for Christians to move from a mere belief about the Lord on to a conviction of Who He really is, otherwise, our witness will be weak and ineffective! We need the Holy Spirit to convince and convict us of Who the Lord really is.
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What We Are Talking About (4): A One Time Encounter With Jesus?
While it is absurd to hear of, or hear about, someone, and claim to already know the person, it is equally absurd, on the strength of one encounter with a person, to claim that you already know him. In much the same way, it is absurd, on the basis of a one-time encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, to claim to know Him.
Knowing someone requires more than a one-time encounter. Frequent and repeated; and, deep and meaningful interactions with a person, is required before you can truly lay claim to knowing him. Similarly, it will take more than a one-time encounter with the Lord Jesus to come to know Him. If your knowledge of the Lord is based on such one-off encounters in which you received a healing, a miracle, a deliverance, etc., your claim to knowing the Lord Jesus is spurious—that is, doubtful, bogus, unauthentic.
Like Saul of Tarsus, we need to take time out, away from the ‘noise’ of human presentations, and go to the Holy Spirit, to receive direct revelation, through the word of God, as to Who the Lord Jesus Christ truly is. We need to desire to know the One Who opened our blind eyes, and our deaf ears. We ought to desire to know the One Who gave us speech when we were dumb, and, strength in our ankle bones when we were lame, thus enabling us to walk. We need to seek to follow the Lord in the way, as did blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, after his eyes were opened. We need to seek to know the One Who saved our souls, and Whose desire it is for us to come and be with Him in eternity! This is the task that lies before us, and that, by the grace of God, we shall make our pursuit in the weeks to come in this study, and for the rest of our lives!
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What We Are Talking About (5)
A lot of people have been introduced to the Lord Jesus at one time or another, but whether or not they did anything beyond the mere introduction they received is another matter entirely. When we talk about knowing the Lord Jesus, we are talking about the steps we are taking or have taken in order to have a vital ongoing and significant relationship with Him.
Having been introduced to the Lord, or having received salvation, a healing, a miracle, and so on, from the Lord, it is imperative that if we are going to know Him, we must first be reasonably interested in Him. We have seen that Zacchaeus’ interest in the Lord after he had heard of Him, endeared the Lord Himself, to Zacchaeus. Andrew and John, after they had heard about the Lord from John the Baptist, followed Him and spent the night with Him—this was to be the beginning of a relationship that endured unto eternity. If we are reasonably interested in the Lord, we would take the next step which is to interact with Him, by engaging Him in conversation, asking questions, and seeking to know more about Him. The more we know the Lord through our various interactions with Him, the more we want to be involved with Him, which then leads us into more intimate relationship with Him. Such intimacy requires our investing time, energy, and other resources to keep our relationship very vital and significant. This is what “Knowing Jesus” entails.
As we can see, “Knowing Jesus” is a process, which culminates in revelations of the type that is not given to just anybody; in a friendship that cannot be broken; in the knowledge that is not given to those who are neither interested in, nor interacting with, the Lord on a regular basis; in a relationship of trust that is not based just on good times only, but also in tumultuous times; and, in a relationship that endures to eternity. May God grant us grace to achieve this friendship with our Lord, Jesus Christ.
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