Christian Living
Knowing About Him or Knowing Him
4Whoever says, I know Him [I perceive, recognize, understand, and am acquainted with Him] but fails to keep and obey His commandments (teachings) is a liar, and the Truth [of the Gospel] is not in him. -1 John 2:4 (AMP)
Society today is one of popularity contests, marketing, becoming all you can be and putting your best foot forward. Public Relations professionals (PR people) are there to clean up the faulty image slips from Presidents to Pastors. Image building, rubbing elbows and Facebook Likes all seemingly validate our worth based on the “friends” or people we “know”.
Who or what do any of us really know? What exactly are the carefully constructed brick facades, built to offer the appearance of strength and beauty, around our lives hiding? What is it that we don’t want people to know? Or what is it that we are trying to convey that you would like people to think that you know?
Knowing about someone or something is completely different than knowing them. You can say that you know President Obama based on his life being lived in the public eye over the last several years. You may even think you know him so well as to waltz right up to him on the street like an old friend. The fact is you would probably end up face first with a mouth full of asphalt, your arms twisted behind you, getting acquainted with Secret Service officers. Convince them you know him.
Sadly, it can be the same with people who know about Jesus. Look at Acts 19: 13-16
13Then some of the traveling Jewish exorcists (men who adjure evil spirits) also undertook to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, I solemnly implore and charge you by the Jesus Whom Paul preaches! 14Seven sons of a certain Jewish chief priest named Sceva were doing this. 15But [one] evil spirit retorted, Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you? 16Then the man in whom the evil spirit dwelt leaped upon them, mastering two of them, and was so violent against them that they dashed out of that house [in fear], stripped naked and wounded.
Please, if you skipped reading these Scriptures, go back and read them. These men knew about Jesus. They didn’t know Jesus. And the evil spirit literally went violent on them.
On a personal note, I would like to share that I have a sister-in-law who is from Kuwait. She knows a lot about Jesus. She even believes that Jesus existed and will return. But she does not know Jesus as the Savior.
John speaks very clearly here of those who say they know Him. It is very black and white. The word “know” in this passage comes from the Greek word ginosko meaning:
to know, come to know, recognize, understand; to have sexual relations
What in the world could this possibly mean? Bear with me. It is a reflection of intimacy. Sexual relations, that was to be pure and undefiled, between a man and his wife. A most holy occurrence, in the most intimate way, guarded with the utmost privacy.
Sexual relations today are nothing more than courses to be taught to elementary schools, joked about on sitcoms, degraded and demoralized in society or even shouted about from the rooftops of yes… our churches.
John was speaking of an intimacy with Jesus. A deep knowing, being acquainted with Him in a way that reflects to the world outside of the time spent growing together inside.
I have had friends over the years that I have shared very intimate details of my life with. But there is One who knows already. He knew every detail before I was conceived and He still loves me. There was no sin that His Blood was not powerful enough to cleanse me from.
Christians, as a whole, in the face of society are lumped in a category of hypocrites and liars. Why? We can’t blame the world and point the finger. John warns us in this Scripture.
What does your life reflect about who or what you know? Is it genuine or is it a cover up for something that you lack on the inside? Are you still searching for Him when you leave the altar and the church doors close behind you? Are you looking for something that someone else appears to have with Him and trying to mimic it?
The same Jesus that died for them, died for you. There is nothing that you have done, that is more powerful than His Blood. There is nothing hidden that He does not already know. You have not fallen so far that He cannot reach you. You’ve not gone so far that you can’t turn back. There is no shame that is greater than His Grace.
Above all, there is no Knowing About Him that will ever compare to the intimate experience of Knowing Him.
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