Knowing Christ

Chapter 1. The title of the message is Knowing Christ. Knowing Christ. And if I had to put a subtitle to it, it would be this, What Saving Faith Looks Like. This is What Saving Faith Looks Like. Now I cannot I cannot put into words the importance of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. I cannot articulate how important that is to know the Lord Jesus Christ.

It's so important because it matters. It's a matter of life and death. It's a matter of life and death. IT'S A MATTER OF LIFE ETERNAL OR ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD. IS THAT IMPORTANT? THAT SHOWS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS. OUR LORD SAID THIS IN JOHN 17-3, AND THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL. YOU'D THINK WE'D GET UP ON THE EDGE OF OUR SEAT, WOULDN'T YOU? BECAUSE WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE.

THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL, THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW THEE, THE ONLY TRUE GOD AND JESUS CHRIST WHOM THOU HAST SENT. ONE IS NOT KNOWN WITHOUT THE OTHER, BUT IF YOU KNOW ONE, YOU KNOW THE OTHER. Christ said, He that has seen Me has seen the Father. has seen the Father, He that has seen Me. The Word of God teaches that Christ is to be known. He can be known and He is to be known. He's more than a historical figure who lived 2,000 years ago.

I do not believe, we do not believe, us who believe, we do not believe in a historical figure WE BELIEVE IN ONE WHO LIVES. WE BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTED CHRIST WHO IS SEATED AT GOD'S RIGHT HAND. THAT'S WHO WE BELIEVE. THAT'S WHO WE BELIEVE. In 1 John 5, verse 13, THESE THINGS HAVE I WRITTEN UNTO YOU THAT BELIEVE ON THE NAME OF THE SON OF GOD. THIS IS THE REASON I'VE WRITTEN THIS UNTO YOU WHO BELIEVE THAT YOU MAY KNOW. that you have eternal life you don't have to wait till you die to know this you know it now you can know this now that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the son of god in first john john 5 20 and we know you know The epistle of 1 John could be titled, And We Know. I looked this up, there were so many times John said, We know!

We know! And we know that the Son of God has come. We are totally convinced of that, we know this. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, we know this. That the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding. understanding of who God is, an understanding of who Jesus Christ is, an understanding of what we are, an understanding of what He did for us as our substitute. God's given us an understanding that we may know again Him that is true. This is that excellent knowledge Paul spoke of in Philippians 3 and I've made reference to in the last week. This excellent knowledge surpasses every other kind of knowledge. Knowing Christ, not knowing facts about Him, knowing Him like we know each other, like I know my wife. We know Him and this knowledge surpasses all other knowledge. All earthly knowledge eventually comes to an end. It comes to an end. But the knowledge of Christ leads us to know God. And that knowledge leads to eternal life.

Listen to what Jeremiah says in Jeremiah 9, 23-24. Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might. Let not the rich man glory in his riches, BUT LET HIM THAT GLORIETH GLORY IN THIS, THAT HE UNDERSTANDETH AND KNOWETH ME."

That's what you glory in, the one you know. God's given you an understanding of the gospel. You understand, completely understand, how God can be a just God and a Savior. You understand that, rejoice in that. God gave it to you. God gave it to you. You didn't figure it out. We didn't figure it out because we're a little smarter than the ones that didn't. God sovereignly revealed Himself to us, gave us an understanding of the gospel.

But let him that glory in thee, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord, I am Jehovah, the self-existing One. WHICH EXERCISE LOVE AND KINDNESS, JUDGMENT AND RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE EARTH, FOR IN THESE THINGS I DELIGHT, SAITH THE LORD. Now Paul writes here to Timothy in verse 12, that's basically the only verse I want to deal with this morning. He says, FOR THE WHICH CAUSE I ALSO SUFFER THESE THINGS. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed. I'm not ashamed, I'm not ashamed of the gospel, I'm not ashamed of Jesus Christ and I'm not ashamed of His people, I'm not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He's able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.

Paul suffered for the gospel he preached. The Gentiles hated him. Now God saved some from among the Gentiles in every city where Paul went to preach but most of those people in the city hated Paul. They hated Paul because the gospel he preached was set against their idolatry. It was set against their idolatry and the Jews hated this gospel And they hated Paul because he preached to us Gentiles. Because we were included. So he was hated on both sides.

Turn over to Acts chapter 19. Let me see where I want to start reading. In Acts 19, look in verse I'm going to read seven verses here. After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the Spirit when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also go to Rome. So he went into Macedonia, two of them So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.

And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. That's what they called it. They called it that way. That's a good name, isn't it? Because Jesus Christ said, I'm the way. And they were known as the people of the way. That's what they were called. They were first called Christians at Antioch, but in other places they were called the People of the Way. They are the People of the Way. Christ said, I'm the Way.

For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain to the craftsmen, whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation and said, Sirs, you know, that by this craft we have our wealth. Moreover, ye see and hear that not alone at Ephesus, but also throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods which are made with hands, so that Not only this our craft is in danger to be said it not but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised and her magnificence should be destroyed whom all Asia and the whole world worshipped and when they heard these sayings they were full of wrath and they cried out saying grace is Diana of the Ephesians. Paul's message. Paul's message was destroying their idols. But not only was it destroying their idols, it was destroying their pocketbook. You touch a man's pocketbook. You want to really touch a man, or a woman, touch their pocketbook. Just touch their pocketbook. Most people, I think, for the most part, when they vote, they vote their pocketbook. They do.

But they were stirred up and they hated him for it and Jews hated him because he was preaching to sinners like you and me. Yet through faith in Christ, Paul endured to the end. He never quit. He said in one place, I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me. He never stopped. When it came time to die, he faced it with confidence because he knew that his salvation was sure in the Lord Jesus Christ that all was well with his soul.

He knew that and when Paul says that Christ is able to keep what he had committed to him against that day, what day is he talking about? Judgment day. Paul said I have committed everything to him and I know he's able to keep me against that day of judgment. Because that day is coming. That day is coming.

He was fully persuaded that Christ would preserve him and present him faultless before the throne of God's glory. Now let's look at what Paul knew. And this is what faith looks like. Paul says, I know whom I have believed. I know whom I have believed." Paul's confidence, it did not rest, and I'm trying to be careful how I say this, it did not rest in five points. Paul's confidence rested in a living person, a real living person, the Son of God, the Son of God.

Now Jesus Christ is not without His doctrine. It's not without His doctrine. But you really don't believe doctrine until you know Jesus Christ. You may accept it. You may say, Well, I believe that. But as far as really understanding it, not until you know Him. No man, no woman, no sinner has ever been saved by any doctrine. They are saved by the Living Lord of heaven and earth, by His blood and His righteousness. Paul does not say, I know in whom I have believed. He says, I know whom I have believed. You know, Abraham, it doesn't say if Abraham, Abraham believed in God and it was counted to him for righteousness. Abraham, it doesn't say Abraham believed in God. You know what it says? Abraham believed God. Abraham believed God.

And Paul knew the Lord Jesus Christ because he met Him. He met Him on that road to Damascus. He met Him. He met Him. He met Him personally. We really don't know someone until we really meet them, do we, in person? We really don't know. We really don't know Christ until we meet Him. Now we meet Him spiritually. We meet Him in spirit.

And that's just as real as When Paul met Him in the flesh, Paul saw Him and met the Lord Jesus Christ. You don't know somebody until you meet them. You can tell me all about somebody, but until the Lord reveals Himself, you can tell me all about the Lord, but until He reveals Himself, I don't know Him. But when He reveals Himself, I've met Him. Have you met Him? I've met Him.

Paul met Christ on that road to Damascus. You can read that in Acts 9, 1 through 6. I've read that. I don't have time to turn to all these scriptures. But Paul was, he was going, it says, to slaughter the church. He was breathing out, threatening, says slaughter. And he had a letter from the high priest That he could bring men and women who professed Christ, bring them and put them in prison. And the Lord struck him down on the road to Damascus. And you know what he said? Lord, what would you have me to do? What would you have me to do? The Lord let Paul stand there and hold the coats of those who stoned Stephen. He gave consent to it. He let Paul breathe out the threatening. He let Paul persecute believers. He let Paul put them in prison. And boy, when he met the Lord, hmm, he never got over that. He never got over that, I'm sure he didn't.

I tell you this, his life was forever changed after meeting Jesus Christ. And I promise you, if you really meet Christ, Your life will never be the same. I promise you, it will never be the same. Because Christ will be your life and you'll lay your ambitions at His feet.

Lord, if it be your will, I'll do this or that. There are things that I wanted to be a machinist. Lord will, of course at that time I didn't know the Lord, but I do now know that it was His will for that to happen, and if not, He would have changed it. It would have changed it. We lay our ambition, we lay everything at the feet of Christ, and we say, Lord, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, in my house as it is in heaven. forever changed. If we meet Him, we are forever changed. And then Paul received the gospel. He received the gospel directly from the Lord Jesus Christ.

He says in Galatians 1, 11-12, But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man, it's not a man's gospel. I didn't get it from Peter and John or any of the other apostles. I didn't get it from them. He got it directly from the Lord Jesus Christ. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Paul received the gospel that he preached directly from Jesus Christ. He didn't get it secondhand. He didn't get it from another preacher.

He got it from Jesus Christ Himself. And you read that over in Galatians 1, 15, 18 where he went into Asia and he went, he was gone for three years. He was just gone for three years, then he shows back up. I tell you what I believe he's doing. The Lord was giving him the gospel. How long was the Lord walking with the apostles, the disciples who were apostles? Three years. About three years. And then Paul was gone for about three years.

And he met the Lord Jesus Christ and received the gospel from Him. And Paul KNEW that the Lord Jesus Christ was his Lord and his Savior. There was no question about that anymore. Paul knew that Christ was a DONI. Lord and Master. This morning, after going over these notes, and I was writing down here, Paul knew Christ, and then it just struck me. On my computer, I have all the names of God and what they mean. And I thought, this is really the best headline. He meant Adonai. Lord and Master. He met El Shaddai, God Almighty. He met Jehovah's Kingdom. All that God is, He met Him in Christ. He met Him in Christ.

Paul did not accept Christ as his personal Savior, he bowed to Him as his Lord and Savior, as his Sovereign, as his Sovereign. I really don't care much about who your Savior is first. Tell me who your Lord is first. Tell me who your Lord is first. Then I'll know who your Savior is. I'll know. Paul knew the Lord Jesus Christ as the only one who could save sinners.

In Acts 4.12 Peter said this, and Paul knew this, neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.

There is no other Savior, no other. I think Billy Graham Before he, when he got older, before he passed away, he said that he no longer believed that Jesus Christ was the only way to God. He made that statement. There are no other way. There is no other way. Jesus Christ is the only way. Always has been, always will be the only way to God. NEITHER IS THERE A SALVATION IN ANY OTHER, FOR THERE IS NONE OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN, WHEREBY WE MUST BE SAVED."

Paul knew Jesus Christ as Jehovah-Ra. That name means this, Shepherd. He knew Him as God, caring, guiding, and protecting Him like a shepherd does to sheep. Paul knew by experience as he wrote to the Philippian church, but my God shall supply all your need according to his riches, according to his riches. That's infinite. His riches are infinite. You can't count them. As someone said, if you can count it, you're not rich. They can't be counted.

According to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, Paul knew this by experience. And then he knew Christ as the wisdom of God. He continually sought for wisdom and direction from the Lord, whom he knew to be the wisdom of God. Now if you want wisdom, would you want to go to the source of wisdom? Christ is the source of wisdom because He's the wisdom of God. He's made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. And Paul knew Christ to be, as I said, El Shaddai, God Almighty.

For he wrote in Colossians 2.9, For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He understood that Christ was no ordinary man. He understood this is God, this man is God, this is who He is. And Paul knew Him to be Jehovah-Sikhenu, the Lord our Righteousness.

And as Paul wrote there in Philippians 3.9, he talked about being found in Christ, not having my own righteousness.

Paul at one time would absolutely die for his own righteousness. Declaring I'm righteous. I'm righteous. I don't need anybody else's But now After meeting Christ He took his he said it's all done. Oh Every good thing I've ever done my whole life is done What I need is the righteousness of Jesus Christ I need his righteousness and Jehovah's sickening, you find that in Jeremiah 23 6 where he's called the Lord our righteousness. He shall be called the Lord our righteousness.

And then Paul's persuasion. He said, I am persuaded that he is able. You'll never believe on Christ until you're persuaded that he's able. Just like I mentioned those two blind men last week. They wanted their sight. Christ said to them, do you believe I'm able to do this? What was, what was the king asked?

I believe Daniel, when he was in the lion's den, is thy God able to deliver thee? Is he, is he really able to save you from God's wrath? Knowing Christ led Paul to trust Him completely, completely. His persuasion was rooted in the character and power of the one he came to know. Paul was persuaded that Christ was not only able to save him but to keep him from falling away. Do you ever fear that? You ever fear falling away, getting cold and indifferent? Did you read that article on the back of the bulletin by Henry? Read it. Growing cold and indifferent.

In Jude 1 24, Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy." We are going to stand before God not trembling, but we are going to stand before God with exceeding joy. Paul was persuaded that what Christ had done was enough, complete, finished, FINISHED! It's not He finished His part, now you've got to do the rest.

No, it's finished. If the Lord Jesus Christ finished my redemption, it's finished. I don't add anything to it. Don't add anything to it. Paul said this in Colossians 2.10, And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power. You're complete. Only a fool would add to that which is complete. ONLY A FOOL WOULD TRY TO FIX SOMETHING THAT'S NOT BROKEN.

Then Paul was persuaded of Christ's ability to keep him through whatever trials came his way. Are you persuaded that the Lord is able to keep you no matter what comes your way? Paul experienced the Lord's faith on his first hand. He said there Tommy read to you, all forsook me, but the Lord didn't forsake me. Everybody else did, but the Lord didn't forsake me. Christ will never forsake His own. The Lord strengthened Him, delivered Him, and preserved Him. That's what He did. And Paul was persuaded of Christ's ability to keep Him until death. Are you persuaded the Lord's able to keep you to the end and keep you believing? Keep you believing we're kept by the power of God. It says through faith. He keeps us believing As Paul neared the end of life, you know when It is said this was the last epistle Paul wrote Paul's writing this from prison.

He's in prison He is about to die. He's about to be put to death. He's about to be put to death. As he neared the end of life, his confidence just grew stronger and stronger. He said in verse 6 there, it was 2 Timothy 4, 6, I am now ready to be offered. Offered. That's how he looked at his death. I'm ready to be offered, like a drink offering poured out. I'm ready to be offered. And the time of my departure, he didn't speak of it as death. In the time of my death, he said my departure. It's like waiting at the train station and you're ready to board the train and ready to leave. Paul said it's my departure that's at hand.

And he can say, as he looked back on his time, Since the Lord saved him, I fought a good fight. There is such a thing as a good fight. There is such a thing as a good fight. When you're contending for the faith, that's a good fight. I fought a good fight. I have finished my course. Every one of us have a course to finish. We have a race to run and a course to finish. It says David served his generation. We have a time to serve this generation. Paul says, I fought a good fight, I finished my course, I've kept the faith. He says, I'm going to die believing God. Don't you want to die like that? I want to die in the faith. I want to die believing God. Paul trusted the same Savior at the end of life whom he trusted at the beginning of life.

He never changed. He never wavered. And this kind of persuasion brings a result. What does it bring? What is the result, results that it brings? Well by his statement we can see it brings confidence over in Romans 8 38 39 he says this is Paul wrote this for I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature. I think you covered them all, don't you?

Shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I can't even separate myself from God's love. If we could, we would. We would. There's so much sin in us, we can't do it. The believer rests securely in the Lord Jesus Christ.

And then it begets thankfulness. Are you thankful? A thankless people are a lost, are a lost people. If you're thankless, you're lost. Thankfulness. Thank you, Lord, we sing in song. Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul. Thank you, Lord, for making me whole. Thank you. If you can't think of anything else to thank Him for, start there. He has saved you. Paul thanked God for His grace, His mercy, and His faithfulness. Lord, thank you. And then it brings, this kind of faith brings contentment.

Are you content where the Lord has put you? Are you content with what God has brought into your life and what He's taken out of it? Are you content? I know even in turmoil we can find that contentment that you can't explain. Paul says this, for I have learned. Now contentment is learned, it's a learned behavior. I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content." The Lord brought me into it.

It's part of the journey home. I look at things as I experience them. Some have been painful and some have just been real joyful. But I look at every one of them and what's yet to come. as part of the journey home. As part of the journey home. As part of conforming me and you to the image of Christ.

And knowing this, knowing Christ, it enabled Paul to be satisfied with every circumstance he faced. And knowing Christ as Paul did, gave him a good hope through grace. He said, I have a good hope. That's why he wrote to the 2 Thessalonians 2 16. There's a good hope. Those who believe have a good hope through grace. We don't have a good hope because of something we have done. It's because of grace. God gave us this good hope through grace. which was given us in Christ before the world began.

Look in verse 9 of this chapter, chapter 1 of 2 Timothy. Who has saved us and called us. Which was first? Did you notice the order here? He saved us in Christ Jesus. He's a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He saved us in that covenant of grace, who has saved us and then called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began. It's so clear. God is a God of order.

He didn't create the heavens and the earth to see what happens. What kind of God would that be? No. Nothing in this world compared to Paul's relationship with Christ. Nothing compares to it. Earthly gain, he became lost in Philippians 3. when compared to knowing Jesus Christ.

Whatever the cost, Lord, whatever the cost, let me know you. I'm talking to you who believe. Do you ask the Lord continually to make himself known to you? Lord, I really want to know you. I want to have fellowship with you. In this life, in this life. And last of all, the question is not simply whether you know about Christ.

The question is, do I know Him? Do I know Him? Paul said, I know whom I have believed. I know Him. I just say, I know what I believe. I know what I believe. Paul said, I KNOW WHOM I BELIEVE. And I say with Paul, I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED, AND AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE TO KEEP THAT WHICH I HAVE COMMITTED UNTO HIM, ALL, COMPLETELY COMMITTED EVERYTHING, AGAINST THAT DAY, THAT DAY OF JUDGMENT.

Knowing Christ

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