Many Christians have a desire to have a deeper relationship with Christ, but struggle to enter into one; many times thinking it's just not possible or attainable in this world.
While a number of believers may not say it that way, their actions do.
Assuming there is a determined honesty to someone wanting to know the Lord Jesus, there are a couple of things to remember before going in and talking about it.
When Jesus taught the crowds the parable of the sower, He brought His disciples aside and said this in Mark 4:
13 “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
The point He was making was extraordinary. Parable reflected the realities of who Christ was and the Kingdom of God. This specific parable was a foundational parable that gives meaning to the rest.
Jesus was basically saying that if they didn't understand this one, the rest would be misunderstood and misinterpreted.
Continuing on, Jesus gives the interpretation of the meaning of this foundational - parables of parables:
14 The sower sows the word.
15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
I only bring this up not to get into the scriptures above, but to say that getting to know Jesus Christ is determined by the obstacles above, and overcoming them in Him.
A walk with the Lord can't be without conflict, challenge; both within and without. That's the point He makes above.
With that in mind, let's talk briefly about getting to know the Lord Jesus Christ.
The first and foremost thing that must be part of us is a detemination that no matter what happens, we will continue on with our walk with the Lord.
This doesn't mean we won't falter or stumble, but that even when we do, we allow Him to pick us up, while keeping our hearts open to Him.
If we don't have this, no matter what else we do, it'll be pretty hopeless and fruitless. The reason why is instead of going two steps forward and one step back, we basically take one step forward and then go one step back; making no progress, and if we're fortunate, just barely holding on to what we do have of Christ.
Now this doesn't mean we won't feel that way, just that the reality must be forward progress, and not going nowhere.
So with determination must come the desire to want to walk with Christ, even when we know we'll meet the cross immediately, and who we are begin to be weakened that Christ may show forth. This of course takes a lifetime, so we must settle into a marathon, and not a sprint mentality.
That way when we do go through struggles, we can hold on knowing they are temporary, and eventually the Lord will bring us through them.
One thing to keep in mind with the two things mentioned here - determination and desire to know Jesus Christ - we can't do it without Him. So we must ask Him to give us that determination, while also giving us the desire to know Him better in the midst of adversity and struggles, or in the best of times as well.
Without Him we can do nothing.
While there is the direct knowing of Christ, beyond that there is the knowing of Christ in fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Modern day church practices make it almost impossible to do that, which is a major reason for Acts29review blog and website, which challenges and calls for the church of Jesus Christ to return to a more organic church experience and practice, which empowers believers to know Christ individually and corporately.
At this time I'm not going to get into too many practicals in this, as it's most important to ask the Lord Jesus to cultivate within us the desire and determine to continue to know and fellowship within, before we think of practical ways on how to do it.
One of the better books you can get and read on that is from Jeanne Guyon called Experiencing The Depths of Jesus Christ, which you can look at and purchase below if you choose.
Once you start on a path in learning to know and fellowship with Christ, eventually it becomes a simple, immediate and continuous step of faith you walk and live in.
It's nothing more than turning to Him within you, and from a corporate standpoint, living, sharing and walking in that together.
In reality, that's the way Christ becomes all in all, and that's the process and the end result of what is called the eternal purpose of God, where we literally bear and are changed into the image of Christ while we walk in Him together.
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