Knowing Jesus: Making Spiritual Discoveries

31 Oct Knowing Jesus: Making Spiritual Discoveries

Matthew 16:18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” God reveals Himself to those who know Him. No-one can know God beyond His revelation of Himself. Any opinion of God that is man-made cannot accurately convey the knowledge of God. Unfortunately, many know about God from various sources and build their expectations on these beliefs about God. When they are disappointed they feel God has failed them. They never had a right concept of Him and were never in touch with Him.

God, the Creator and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ is revealed to us in the Bible. There are certain foundational understandings that can underguard and enhance our knowing God. There is an attitude or mindset that can enhance how we know God. Remember, He reveals Himself to ‘real’ heart seekers. The casual seeker will know about Him but the real people who seek with all their hearts will begin to know Him.

Do you want to know Him?

Our minds’ capacity to comprehend Him has been badly affected by some events in the past. Our minds cannot fully comprehend God. Our hearts have the potential of really knowing Him. We start to know Him first by accepting what He says about Himself in the Bible.

The Bible is the authentic book that contains truths about God. He introduces Himself as “The Creator” in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” His ways, thoughts and words are contained in the Bible. When He reveals Himself to you, you begin to appreciate these things. There are steps to knowing Him:

1. Accept the fact that man has sinned and cannot save himself.
2. Accept that Jesus came and died on the cross to pay the ransom to buy mankind back from the slave-market of sin and degradation.
3. Repent of your sin and receive Jesus and you Lord and Saviour (Rom 10:9-10) “..if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
4. Make up your mind to go after God and not the things you were doing before.
5. Receive the Holy Spirit’s infilling.

Usually some things would happen to you at this stage:

i. A love for God that was not there before will be borne in you.
ii. A love for humanity
iii. A hatred for the sins you were enjoying before.
iv. A hunger for God and His Word.
v. A desire to reach out to others because you would love them to know God.
vi. A joy of salvation, knowing you have a Father in Heaven.
vii. A willingness to persevere in knowing and loving God in spite of all obstacles.
These are all healthy signs that the process of life has started in you. Encourage all these things to continue in you.

Now you are ready for a discipleship process:

a. Let God’s Word be final authority in your life.
b. Accept your new identity in Christ. It has responsibilities and privileges.
c. Be prepared to re-train your faculties, your mind, emotions, feelings etc.
d. Mental/spiritual strongholds need to go.
e. Cultivate a life of worship, prayers, study of God’s Word etc. Regularly practising these is essential.
f. Change your lifestyle — confession, meditation, evangelism etc. Faithfulness, integrity etc.
g. Identify with a fellowship with a vision to help you discover who you are in God and help others by reaching out to them.

You are a decision away from your walk of a lifetime. A word from God would change you life forever. Stay in constant fellowship with God’s Word and His Spirit along with other like-minded believers and get ready for the changes of a lifetime.

Shalom!
Jesus is Lord!