“Knowing Jesus vs. knowing about Jesus—what is the difference?”……Fan magazines help us answer this question. Adoring fans of movie, TV, music, or sports stars buy thousands of dollars’ worth of information, photos, and juicy tidbits. After poring over such material, the fans feel as if they really know their heroes. But do they? They may know certain facts about their chosen hero. They may be able to cite birth date, favorite color, and childhood pets, but, if they were to meet that person face to face, what would the hero say? Does the fan really know the hero?……Jesus responded to this question

Matthew 7:21–23

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

There were people in Jesus’ day who thought they were friends of His because they knew the Law, made strict rules for themselves (and for others), and listened to His teaching. They followed Him, applauded the miracles, and liked some of what He said. But Jesus calls them “law breakers” and states, “I never knew you.”……Today there are thousands who know about Jesus—that is, they know some facts about Him, commit Bible verses to memory, and perhaps attend church regularly. But they have never allowed the facts to become their personal reality. They hold knowledge in their heads without allowing the truth to penetrate their hearts. Jesus explained the problem:

Matthew 15:8–9…‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.… Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’

(Isa 29:13 )”

Mark 7:6 …Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

We easily substitute religion for a real relationship with Jesus. We often think that, if we are doing “Christian things,” that’s all that counts. We can appreciate the facts of Jesus’ death and resurrection, but until we have made Him our Lord, the facts do us no good

John 3:16–18…“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.

Acts 10:43

He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”

Romans 10:9

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

There is a difference between intellectual assent and saving faith. Knowing Jesus means we have accepted His sacrifice on our behalf

2 Corinthians 5:21…For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, (Or to become sin itself) so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

We ask Him to be the Lord of our lives

John 1:12

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

Acts 2:21…But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord  will be saved.’ (Joel 2:28-32).

We identify with Him in His death and consider our old selves to have died with Him

Colossians 3:3

For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

Romans 6:2, 5

Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?……Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.

Galatians 6:14…As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, (Or Because of him ) my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.

Galatians 2:20

My old self has been crucified with Christ It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

We accept His forgiveness and cleansing from sin and seek to know Him in intimate fellowship through His Holy Spirit

John 17:3

And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

Philippians 3:10

I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,

1 John 2:27…But you have received the Holy Spirit(Greek the anointing from him) and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit(Greek the anointing) teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

When we repent of our sin and surrender our lives to Him, Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:38; John 14:26; 16:13

The Holy Spirit comes to live inside us, changing us forever

1 Corinthians 6:191 John 3:9

The facts we knew about Jesus come alive as we get to know Him personally. Let’s say you’ve read that your favorite movie star has green eyes and a dimple in her chin. Those traits are merely facts on paper until you meet her face to face. Then, suddenly, those green eyes are looking at you, and the dimple springs to her chin when she smiles. She tells you about her day, her fears, and her inner thoughts. You may recall that you had heard those facts before, but now you are experiencing them. You knew about her before, but now you know her. The abstract has become concrete. Things you thought you knew start to make sense as you enter into a relationship.……Jesus is a Person. To know Him is to enter into a relationship. The greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” (Matthew 22:37Mark 12:30Luke 10:27). It’s hard to love someone you don’t know. Loving Him starts with surrendering to His plan for your life. That’s what it means to make Him Lord (Matthew 6:33Romans 10:9–10Psalm 16:8). The nature of God is so vast and complex that no human being can fully know everything there is to know about Him. But life is about continually seeking Him, learning more about Him, and enjoying His fellowship (Jeremiah 29:13Philippians 3:8).

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