“I know Him.”

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. 

1 John 2:4-5a

“I know Jesus.” With that statement I have put my life upon the stage of public inspection. To know Jesus is to know forgiveness. To know Jesus is to be changed. To know Jesus is to know and commit to the truth. To know Jesus is to experience the supreme love and to learn to love as Jesus loves… selflessly, completely, sacrificially, and for the glory of God the Father.

In what sense then do I know Jesus? I know Him as Teacher, Savior, and Lord. This has been revealed to me by the Word of God. 

Jesus is my Teacher. I am His disciple. I know Him by understanding and constantly growing in what His Word says. I study His life in the gospels. I see His story build in all the Old Testament to make the gospel the ultimate truth of all time. I learn how to live in His Church as His follower in the New Testament epistles.

Jesus is my Savior. His death made Him the advocate… the mediator… the satisfactory sacrifice before God the Father atoning my sin and that of the entire world. His saving work is complete, effective for all who will receive Him in this way. I add nothing good enough to please God. Jesus did it all. And I throw all my soul onto His cross and find my life now resurrected in His empty grave!

Jesus is my Lord and my God. He directs my life. He is perfecting me in His love. I must work at obeying Him. I still fight sinful and selfish impulses. I fail and throw myself again on His sufficient sacrifice. I let His Holy Spirit convict me and His Word instruct me. My will must bow to Him in worship AND obedience. In this way I keep His commandments. In this way my life practice, transformed by His work, is radically different as His disciple. And through Jesus, God keeps working His love in me until I stand complete before Him. I will know this fully in eternity. Yes… I know Jesus! I am changed by Jesus forever!