Do You Know Jesus Christ? Or Do You Just Know ABOUT Him?

"May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; may the Name of the God of Jacob defend you; may he send you help from the sanctuary, and strengthen you out of Zion;" Psalm 20:1-2 Who is God to you? What is your idea of him? Is he a theology to you, is he an "ism?" Do you see him as some force or power somewhere far off? If so, where did you get that idea? You certainly didn't get it from his Word, the Bible, because his Word is all about his personal presence in our lives. The Word of God, the Bible, is the "manufacturer's handbook." The Creator tells us all about himself, about who he is, who we are, and what he wants for us. His Word tells us why we are the way we are, and what our destiny is. He shows us all about the message and purpose of the atonement he provided for us when Jesus hung on that cross, died, and then was raised from the dead - IN OUR PLACE. On that Cross he bore the penalty on all our sins. Because he bore our judgment, those who receive him are debt-free. God doesn't judge our sins twice. Jesus bore that judgment for the forgiveness of our sins and when one is born again all his sin debt has been met by Christ, and the person is cleansed forever. No greater love could there ever be. Think on this awhile until it becomes real to you. If God is only a theology to you, you need to come to know him. You need to come to know him personally and find in him all the answers and resources you need for life. It's all there for you, you need only pick up that Book and read it prayerfully. It's not way over your head, I've seen a child read it and grow in the knowledge of God. Start with the Book of Psalms - and concurrently, read the Book of John. Read every single day and he will reveal himself to you through his Word. If you are in trouble, what a fitting time for you to approach the God who brought you into this world. He will send you help from the sanctuary and strengthen you. But first you must know him. In John chapter 3 it is recorded that Jesus said that unless a person is born again he CANNOT see the Kingdom of God. The word "see" here, means perceive, or understand. The Word of God is nothing more than literature or history to a person who is not born again. The most intelligent professor, if not born again, will have no understanding of the Bible if ever he reads it. It all rests in being born again, and until one IS born again, he is just a "natural man," and he CANNOT understand the Word of God. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor CAN he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1st Corinthians 2:14 So the first step is to surrender one's life to the Creator, accept the atonement Jesus Christ endured to cleanse us from all sin, and once you are born again by faith in him, your spiritual eyes will be opened and you will be able to immerse yourself in the Word of God and let it give you life. Pray with me: Father God, I know ABOUT you, but I don't know you personally. I don't know you as a personal God who wants to be involved in my heart and in my life. Until now, you've been a theology to me, a teaching, an idea, but not a living person who cares about me. Please bring me into that personal relationship with you and teach me about yourself, for I desire to know you personally. The world has led me to believe that you put us here on this earth and then said, "I'll see you at the end, I hope you make it" as you recede into the background. Oh Father, I know that that is so far from the truth. You are present, and I want to know you in the present, and in every area of my life. Show me the way, I pray. I am willing to surrender myself and my life to you. Reveal yourself to me that I might be born again. And I will follow you all the days of my life. MORE: How One Is Born Again