Increasing in the Knowledge of Jesus

 Everyone knows that Christmas celebrates God's sending His Son to earth, and Jesus' death and resurrection opens the door to bring men to God, but what is God's plan or purpose for those who have received His "goodwill and peace to men."  Certainly God is not mocked and His revealed purpose will not be thwarted.  "My Word shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11) 

God has much more for believers than to just endure the challenges of life and finally go to heaven. Notice the instruction in Colossians 1, "that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."  What an amazing description of what our lives are meant to be! 

For what God calls, He also provides.  So He has also given us the wherewithal to accomplish this level of life.  The verse continues, "strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light."  In His light we become light.

The more we grow in knowing God, His purpose, and His provision, the more we will be able to please Him and bear fruit.  There is a deep desire in every man's heart to do something with our lives that matters, in other words, be fruitful.  The key to actually having this kind of life is "increasing in the knowledge of God."

Notice in 2 Peter 1:3 how incredibly much is already given to us through knowing God: "All things that pertain to life and godliness have been given through the knowledge of Him."  No wonder Paul's heart cry was "to know Him and the power of the resurrection."  Likewise, the prayer found in Ephesians 1, asking God to give "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God" is the key to hope, to realizing our eternal inheritance, and to having the power of God in our lives. 

Yet many believers don't seem to have these promises as a reality in their lives.  Why?  Hosea 4:6 suggests "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."  2 Peter 1:4 states that through the "exceedingly great and precious promises" we can escape the corruption that is in the world and "become partakers of the divine nature."  Do you sense the heart of God who desires us to be whole and to enjoy His fulness of life, as we come to know how great He is? 

The obvious question is how do we get this knowledge of Him?  Number one, Romans 1:19-20 points out that His eternal power and Godhead can be clearly seen through creation and all He has made.  However, His personality, love, and plan can only be revealed through His Word.  Jesus is the Word of God, and since He is the exact "image of the invisible God," He came to manifest or show what God is really like.  

Jesus, in a discussion with the Pharisees (John 5:39-40), declared that the Scriptures "bear witness to Me," but require that we "come to Me that you may have life."  God desires to reveal Himself to those who humbly hunger to know Him.  Furthermore, Jesus and the Father sent the Holy Spirit to bear witness to Jesus, to renew our minds by leading us into all truth, and to transform our hearts to know God as "Abba Father."  2 Peter 1:21 points out that all Scripture was given by the Holy Spirit.  So go to the author, the Spirit, and ask Him to open up the Word to reveal Jesus and the nature of God.  If you continue in the Word, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.  Jesus is the truth. 

One more challenge: what book of the bible specifically claims to be the revelation of Jesus Christ?  Yes, the Gospels are His life on earth and the epistles give practical instruction in knowing Him and living out the Christian life, but the answer to the question is Revelation.  Most people mistakenly think this book is about what is going to happen in the end-times, but that is not what God says it is.  Since this book claims to be the revelation of Jesus Christ that God Himself wants the church to have (Revelation 1:1-2), my intention in coming posts is to look specifically at what God has revealed.  

The bottom line is that the one whose life pleases God and bears fruit, is the life that is ever increasing in the knowledge of God.  Invite the Holy Spirit to give you a deep hunger to know Jesus.  Be willing to seek and to wait on Him that He may "open your eyes that you may behold wondrous things out of His Word." He who calls you to be "increasing in the knowledge of Jesus" is Faithful, and He will do it.