knowing verses Knowing

“And Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful.” (Luke 10:41-42 KJV) Oswald Chambers said of this verse “The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service to Him.” ‘My Utmost For His Highest’

That thought made me think of Matthew 7:21-23, where Jesus is talking about the end of time and He is judging the Church. “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘LORD, LORD, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:22 NKJV) Study also Matthew 25:31-46

As I was praying for family, I thought of the fact that so many know the truth; they at some point heard the gospel and understood that they needed salvation and Jesus was the source of that salvation; but they never got to know the source of that truth and so they are not free. So close…but so far.

It’s not head knowledge that leads to salvation, it’s revelation knowledge. Knowing about Jesus and what He did for us is not going to save us from eternal damnation. Saying ‘I believe in Jesus’ is not enough, Romans 10:4-13 reveals that personal relationship comes from personal revelation which causes a change of heart and a public profession, this act of faith starts the process of salvation in our life (salvation is not just going to Heaven when we die).

The key is to know Jesus! If we just have the form of Christianity (works of the Kingdom) but do not know the source (Jesus Christ) we will be those who have done the works but are cast out because we did not know the source, Jesus. That is what lawlessness is!

How can this be you ask? It is called religion. Jesus talked of the fact that the Jews had a form of religion but they did not know GOD therefore they did not receive Him. Though they had been waiting for generations for the messiah, when He came they rejected Him because He stood against their religious form of worship that had no love. They had no love for GOD only for rewards and fame, they were blind to GOD’s presence and love because it did not fit what they wanted from their messiah. They rejected the revelation of who the messiah was as revealed in the Law and the Prophets because that would require them to serve the people in humility rather than lording it over the people.

Religion always exalts self rather than Jesus!