Do you Ginosko Him

[newlife]

Twinky's subject inspired me to ask this question........which I have wanted to post.

Do You REALLY Know Jesus Christ, or do you only know the scriptures about Jesus Christ?? I can know a lot about a person, where they work, where they live, who they hang out with, but may not really "know" them personally.

This has bewildered me and is at times troubling to me, that I don't think I actually Know Jesus Christ and have a relationship with him...Know what I mean?

With God...I feel close to Him and I feel like I ginosko Him to a degree....I mean who can fully know God? And since leaving TWI, that relationship has changed as far as some beliefs that I had in TWI but now no longer have.

But, When I read things like Paul saying he gives up everything to Know Jesus Christ.....Well, I've been waiting for that to happen for me, but I don't see it happening.

I have a lot of Christian friends who are always talking about Jesus....about how close they feel to Him, and How they have this great relationship with Him....and I am like, "What's wrong with me that I don't have that?"

I am born again, I SIT.....But this has always bothered me since I left TWI......

Now before TWI, I felt my relationship was with Christ.....and of course after taking PFAL and being in the ministry....that ceased to be.

I would appreciate your insight and input on this topic. Thanks so much!!

[johniam]

quote: "What's wrong with me that I don't have that?"

You DO have that. You've had it since getting born again, which happened before twi.

Remember the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. Anything you had before twi you still have.

In twi we were taught that true Christianity is not religion. Humor me. Even if that's true, religion does not delete true Christianity. We all have some of BOTH.

Sounds to me like you have guilt issues over having believed twi. Sounds like you are afraid you've somehow been penalized in your relationship with God. Like you're afraid Jesus is going to say he never knew you. Nonsense.

You have the same access to God. Jesus is still your advocate with the Father.

I've been married 25 years. Back during our courtship and early married days I sometimes felt like I was walking on air. But over time I still love my wife, but the sappy tingly emotions aren't there anymore. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I think that's true of our walk with God as well. If you've been a Christian 30, 40 years, then you've seen God work in your life: answered prayers, peace under pressure, fitly spoken words from brothers and sisters in Christ. It might not feel as new and exciting as it once did.

But God's still there, and you're still His.

Oh, BTW happy anniversary. 11 years tomorrow since you joined GSC.

Edited July 2, 2014 by johniam

[newlife]

Thanks for your post and for your confirmation to me of my relationship w/God. You are probably right in what you say. I listen too much to what other christians say and then hold that up as a measuring stick with my own relationship w/God.

You said something about having guilt over believed some of the things in TWI.....I've never thought about that before, ever, But, definitely I do blame myself for having changed beliefs I had prior to TWI.......They didn't make me believe anything....I made the choice to believe what they taught.

Thanks!

[Twinky]

newlife, I understand your problem here. Something I wrestle with too. I feel I know God ... but Jesus? Sometimes. Not enough.

A one-time poster here recommended a teaching in March 2014 by K Guigou at CFFM. He talks about this very thing. And talks about praying to Jesus and getting to know him, Jesus, more clearly. I found it helpful. And (being Kevin) you know what his background is and where he's coming from.

Here's a link: Guigou teaching

(Try to ignore the applause and standing ovation - other recent threads in this forum refer.)

[Mark Sanguinetti]

To love Jesus is to know Jesus. Do you love Jesus Christ? He is the most loving man in the history of the world and gave his life so that all of mankind could have salvation and eternal life through God his Father. Do you remember John 3:16? Certainly, Jesus Christ is part of that love of God as without his sacrifice this would not be possible. Incidentally, Jesus often taught us to pray to God His Father. This could be in the name of Jesus, God's Son as Jesus is the intercessor between God and mankind. Without Jesus Christ our relationship with God would be limited at best. Jesus as taught in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 is the head of the body of believers. Without Jesus Christ we would have no or a limited spiritual brain. The brain or the ability to think is inside the head. Our knowledge of God without Jesus Christ, the head of the body of Christ would be greatly limited.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

These are fundamentals. To know things start from the ground up.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Mark Sanguinetti

[excathedra]

it is so nice to see you mark

i do love jesus christ so very very much ~ ever since i was 7 years old i've been talking to him

[newlife]

Thanks for that teaching from Kevin. I loved it! He is so right about not being afraid to say the things we have been singing for 40 years about Jesus. I have often thought about that. Nice to know others seek to know things I am seekimg to know about. And nice to know that we don't have to know everything right now. Thanks Twinky.