John 17:3 "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

As John states in his gospel in chapter 17 verse 3 to know God as the true God is Eternal Life and he includes Jesus Christ as apart of this knowledge. I have thought often of this verse and have just recently tried to think deeper on it, I acknowledge the danger of micro examining a verse so much that you lose its meaning all together so I try to avoid this by keeping my thinking simple.

We see from scripture that there are many warnings in scripture about having mear knowledge, mear knowledge puffs up the human mind and brings about spiritual pride and even spiritual blindness. The Pharisees are a perfect example of this type of individual, they had knowledge of scripture and prophecy beyond anyone of their time except we see they are the ones that showed the most resistance to their Saviour. I believe the reason for this wasn't because of a lack of knowledge rather wrong thinking of their Saviour. They thought of an earthly kingdom, an earthly nation, and an earthly king. When they saw and thought of a Saviour to the nations their only thoughts were to an earthly king such as David or Solomon who were both majestic and had great wealth and power.

But then here comes Jesus of Nazareth, humble and meek, quite common and plain step in and in a different form of teaching and thinking beginning to rebuke them and correct them in all their splendor. Not only this but the Holiness of Christ in action was manifest in His humanly form exposing the wicked hearts of all men, including the Pharisees. These men relied on their "holiness" as a trade and so anytime their outward holiness took a hit they lost profit.

Getting back to knowing God and Christ Jesus, my thoughts on this derive from what I know of Christ and God their character and personality. As I examine myself I find I know little of either but enjoy what I do know, the fact that I know little doesn't discourage me any though rather makes me hit the plow that much harder knowing those that SEEK, FIND. I don't seek earthly knowledge of Christ or mear facts about Him and His life but am trying to seek God intimately and relationally. I believe that as we read the word in prayer God in His mercy reveals Himself to us through the Holy Spirit. We commonly call these Revelations. Which simply means we believe the Holy Spirit revealed these thoughts. How can we know the difference between knowledge and revelations? I commonly think Knowledge will puff you up while a Revelation from the Holy Spirit will humble and man to his knees into fear and praise to the Father and Christ.

I have met many who were anger and upset with God, but I found these people generally have a lack of knowing who God truly is, generally these individuals were burned by the religious and have now shut themselves off from receiving Christ because of the hypocrisy of Christ's followers. These religious zealots, in love for God feel its their duty to stand up for righteousness sake, but while doing this they pull out the sword as Peter did in the garden and cut off the ear of their listener leaving them deaf to the message that can save them. I was once one of these zealots like the Brothers of Thunder James and John I wished to call down fire and destroy the obstinate. This kind of attitude though Zealous for Righteousness is quite foolish. We see that Blessed are those that hunger and thrist for Righteousness but the very next beattitude is Blessed are the MERCIFUL. I know the Word is a Double edged sword, it cuts through and sperates truth from falsity but we see our Saviour was like a skilled surgeon using the sword carefully and patiently in order to heal hearts and bring them closer to God the Father rather zealously destroy the oposition.

An aspect of Christ I love is this, that HE Loved People, more to point He loves YOU and ME. According to Christian theology Christ lives in US through the Holy Spirit. IF the Holy Spirit is in us then it will naturally lead us to Love People, whether saved or lost. Stepping into Right thinking of Christ will lead us into the right treatment of others in regards to Our Saviour causing us to become true examples of that Love. Our duty isn't for glory or honor or even fame but to point the lost and those in Christ TO Christ.

I encourage all to really think about Christ often as I know you probably but try and look at Christ through different lens of His person seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit. Understand this, the Beattitudes are everything Christ was and everything Christ wants us to be. I believe coming into Right thinking of the Father and Christ are the single most important things one can do and Growing in Christ and the knowledge of Him.

God Bless,
Matthew

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Matthew Guldner

I liked your post Matthew. Truth And Love remain hand-in-hand forever & forever.

Bless you as well.
Thank you

Proverbs 8 - was what I was praying over before I came back online just now. Truth and Love - in Equal Measures. Amen Brother.

I agree I came across the words of Paul to the Corinthians that I thought were appropriate to share.

1 Corinthians 8:2 AMP "If anyone imagines that he has come to know and understand much [of divine things, without love], he does not yet perceive and recognize and understand as strongly and clearly, nor has he become as intimately acquainted with anything as he ought or as is necessary."

I enjoy learning more about Christ, and I found that many that reject Christ simply have wrong thoughts or understanding of who He is and what Christianity is suppose to look like.

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Matthew Guldner

hi,in this context to know is like adam knew eve and she bore a son. this is an intimate knowlege and it is linked to when Jesus said depart from me ,you worker of iniquity,for Inever knew you.jimp

Thanks for that insight Jimp, its definitely appreciated I never even really thought of it that was until you mentioned it of course.

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Matthew Guldner

I really enjoyed your leading post. What you attempted to express - I think you succeeded.

It was not an easy task.

Pull out the sword as Peter did in the garden. Perhaps I'm all wet behind the ears.... that would make me green. Yet not to be confused with "going green". Anyway....

There are times in my walk with Jesus that a sword and worse were run through my soul that I might understand that God's Holiness is not a joke. There is a place in every man's experience with God when a sword, knife, and worse must be employed. Certainly, the Lord doesn't leave them there. But He replaces them with knowledge. But let us not treat Hell and punishment as though they have no place in the conversion of souls. They are not teachings best left on the floor of a freshman's dorm room with he graduates to Sophmore. Not that I suppose that's where you were going with that.

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Paul Horton

Those definitely weren't my intentions, I am talking about the religious truths that really aren't "deal breakers" in regards to Salvation, such as Post, pre, and mid. I have a cousin that God bless her heart has convictions that simply aren't mine. She came from a rough family with very little structure, use of drugs and alcohol, and lots of violence. The Lord dilivered her from all of these things but she started going to a very strict united pentecostal. She would try to place clothing, eating, and praying regulations on any and everyone that even had an inclining of coming to Christ. If you didn't submit to these regulations then you were somehow unsaved or quite boarderline.

This is the religious zeal I am speaking of. Preach about Hell YES and Eternal Punishment YES. Both are quite necessary. I would agree with your statement that sometimes a sword is necessary to cut a man's soul right through, often times though I believe we get into crusader mode and don't realize that the Holy Spirit has to be the one doing the cutting. Our job is the mercifully and graciously present the truth in Love and then ofcourse pray and have faith the Holy Spirit does the rest from there.

Many are turned off from Jesus because of the religious zeal of others that were/are Christians.

We also see that Peter was trying to defend Jesus when he cut the man's ear off, Jesus doesn't need a defense HE is our defense what He wants to do though is Live through us as a witness to the Lost.

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Matthew Guldner