The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
“To Know”
Eternal life, as defined by the Lord Jesus Christ, involves the personal knowledge of Himself and the Father...
“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent” (John 17:3).
The Greek root word for “know” in the Lord’s statement - “ginosko” - suggests more than a mere mental possession of facts. Born again Christians unequivocally, but with deep humility, confess that we know God in terms of a relationship and fellowship that transcends mental awareness. The title “believer” does not merely suggest that we believe facts, which we certainly do, but also that we believe Somebody. This leads us to explain as much as possible in terms of a genuine experience of God. But not all. Indeed, it is impossible to completely define what we mean regarding the knowing of any person, whether human or divine. We tell what we can about our relationships, but at some point confess that we know others in a mode and measure far beyond our ability to express.
Consider marriage, particularly long bonds of matrimony. Husbands and wives grow to know each other well if they have a good relationship and fellowship. However, no honest husband will begin to suggest he perfectly knows the person and heart of his bride. Nor will any wife claim to know the same about her groom. We rather know one another in an awareness for which no words exist, or ever will exist. The mystery characterizes every loving marriage, wherein a spouse can look across a crowded room to his or her partner in the knowledge that even in the midst of a multitude, a knowing occurs never to be explained, and forever for which to be grateful.
Applied to our fellowship with God, the same knowing abides. No believer can fully explain what it means that we know Him. However, no believer will fail to confess that he does. The indwelling Spirit of God brought with Himself such assurance when we believed: “The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16). Our mental, emotional, and even physical response to such wondrous grace may ebb and flow in our earthly humanity. Deep in the spirit, however, in the temple essence of our innermost being, the light shines and bears witness of a presence we know and the Person who is there.
Let us explain all that we can in bearing witness to our knowledge of God. There is indeed much to tell. At the end of the day, however, and perhaps at its beginning, our most powerful witness reflects the testimony of a blind man given sight by the Lord Jesus, but who could never fully explain the glory thereof…
“Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto Him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner. He answered and said, Whether He be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.”
(John 9:24-25)
Weekly Memory Verse
The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
(Deuteronomy 29:29)
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