How To Know Jesus Christ

I have had people ask me how they can completely give themselves over to God
saying they have prayed about it and repented of their sins but can't seem to
get their flesh and mind in line with it. I know we all have problems with the
flesh from time to time. The main thing is that we repent and not live in
continual sin. When we have been born-again the Holy Spirit will convict us of
our sin. We need to come to know Jesus Christ and not just about Him. It is not
a onetime say a sinners prayer or be baptized and then were in. We need to make
it our business to follow Him the best we can and yes that takes a lot of effort
on our part. The flesh does not want to do it and Satan surely don't want us to
do it.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
~ Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

Diligently seeking Him takes a lot of effort.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye
are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto
righteousness. ~ Romans 6:16

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your
heart. - Jeremiah 29:13 (KJV)

Jesus wants all of us not just part. So the more we study His word, pray and get
to know Him the more we will be able to be lead by the Holy Spirit. The more we
will hear His voice. Again it is a life time commitment and not just something
we think about from time to time. Some people may have the idea that when they
have repented and prayed asking Jesus to forgive them that they will
automatically have the desire to read his word daily, be in constant prayer and
worship. Some people think they should have an overwhelming desire to do so and
think they do not have God or his Holy Spirit living in them. Wonder if it
supposed to be like, ok at 7am I'm going to read the Bible, at 10am I'm going to
pray, etc...

No it is not like that. It is supposed to be a walk with Him all the time. To
get to know His word so good it is in our heart. The Holy Spirit will bring to
mind what you need to know, but you first need to make sure it is in there. That
means to get to know the bible. Don't depend on a Preacher to teach it to you,
read it yourself because today there are not many Preachers that are actually
teaching and preaching the truth. If you don't know the truth you will not know
if they are feeding you a line or not.

The apostle Paul said, I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is
present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see
another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me
into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I
am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus
Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with
the flesh the law of sin. - Romans 7:21-25

We are to do our best to think on what is good as it says in Philippians 4:8:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if
there be any praise, think on these things.

Some people wonder why it seems that some people are so "on fire" for God and
hear from God and they don't seem to.

Well a lot of the people you see on TV are fakes. A lot of the people you see in
Church are fakes and most likely are not hearing anything. Like I said you need
to really get to know your bible so you know the truth. The more you read, study
and pray asking God to open your eyes and help you to hear from Him and get to
know Him the more you will come to realize what you have been missing. Believe
me once you get to know Him you will have no doubt you are saved and you will
start hearing from God, not audible but He will put thought in your mind of what
He wants you to do.

If you truly are born-again then you will want to know God better. I know God is
wanting you to know Him better.

Jesus answered and said, ’I thank You, Father . . . that You have hidden these
things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes’ —Matthew 11:25

We do not grow into a spiritual relationship step by step, we either have a
relationship or we do not. God does not continue to cleanse us more and more
from sin, "But if we walk in the light," we are cleansed "from all sin" ( 1 John
1:7 ). It is a matter of obedience, and once we are in obedience, the
relationship is instantly perfected. But if we stop obeying for one second,
darkness and death are immediately work on us again.

God’s truths are no revealed to us until we are in obedience. You will never
open them through just reading the bible. But when you read and start to obey,
revelation comes right away. Let God’s truth come to you studying the bible for
yourself. The only way you can come to know the truths of God is by getting to
know Him and obeying Him. The more you obey God the more things He will show
you. you. You could read tons of book about God and the Holy Spirit, when in
actuality being obedient would make things as clear as crystal. Don't think you
will just come to know the things of God some day, but get to know them now by
now by obedient now. Know that God will not reveal more truth about Himself to
you, until you obey what you know already. Pray ask Him to help you get to know
Him better and be looking for the Holy Spirit to put things in your mind that He
wants you to do. It may be very, very small things, but do them and see your eye
start opening up to the word of God as you read it. You will surely start to
know Him.

Mark 8:34-38
And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto
them, Whosoever (anyone that) will come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but
whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save
it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose
his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever
therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful
generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the
glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Since this is Jesus himself speaking in this passage then we know He is speaking
the truth. He expects us to deny ourselves and follow Him. Which would mean we
place Him first in our life. Not second third or so on.

The first commandment is "You shall have no other gods before me" Exodus 20:2-3
This alone with the above passage tells us God wants our full attention. He does
not say, "Your Pastor should put me first and deny himself" he says, "Anyone
that will come after me, let him deny himself," So we are each individually to
put God first in our lives. Not just when we are in Church, but the entire day,
every day Church or not. (I know we can't think about Him 24-7 but the more we
get to know Him the more we will communicate with Him.)

If one reads the entire bible, and they should, they will see that the whole
bible points to Jesus Christ and it is all about knowing Him. So if one claims
to be a follower of Jesus Christ and that they know Him, they will do as He
teaches.

Again.... But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to
God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently
seek Him. - Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

This is not about casual reading of the bible and going to Church. There are
many, many people that go to Church every Sunday that do not know Jesus Christ
and will bust hell wide open. See www.lostinchurch.com for more information
about that. Knowing Jesus Christ is not about going to Church, following a
Pastor, and walking the aisle. It is about seeking Him with all your heart
yourself. If you do this you will find Him and then you will know Him.

There is no push button thing you can do for salvation. The bible says we MUST
be born-again. That is a process and if you are born-again your life will start
changing and you will put Jesus Christ first. Not just know about Him or think
you purchased a ticket to heaven and you have it somewhere in a drawer.

We are to walk and live by faith and endure until the very end (Matt. 10.22). If
you are saved you will love and put Jesus first in your life. That is how you
know if you are born-again. Your life changes its focus and it then becomes
about knowing Jesus.

My life is my example. I knew about Jesus Christ and believe He was real since I
was 12 years old and even walked the aisle at a Church and was baptized. But
that is not what Jesus said to do if you want to know Him. He said one must
"deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." That is not what I did. I
just attended Church for a while and never diligently sought Him (I believe this
happens to a lot of people that have a push button mentality). I soon stopped
going to Church because of the hypocrisy and thought it must just be some sort
of game people like to play.

I don’t think I was saved at that time because of the following:

1 John 2:3-6 states: We know that we have come to know him if we obey his
commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a
liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is
truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to
live in him must walk as Jesus did.

John 14:21 states: He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves
Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and
manifest Myself to him.

And don't forget Revelation 3:16 which says, So then because thou art lukewarm,
and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

And everyone should plant this one in their minds and never forget Matthew
7:21-23: Not everyone that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your
name? and in your name we cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful
works? And then will Jesus profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me,
ye that work iniquity.

There are more verses but that is all I will review for now.

But I thank the Lord for a praying Mother at the age of 23 after years of
drinking, parting and things I don’t want to think about anymore. I decided I
really wanted to know if Jesus was real, so I got on my knees and ask Him. Guess
what? He let me know He was very real! I started seeking Him. I did not come to
know Him over night, for me it took some diligent seeking through bible study,
prayer and talking to people that knew Him. It took until I was 26 until I
actually meet became born-again. I was enlightened to know that He was REAL and
not just someone that people wrote about in the bible or people used to get your
money or someone that was locked up in a Church building. He proved to me He was
real and I have never been the same. It changed me and is still changing me at
the age of 50. I no longer look to Pastors or people as the ones who would tell
me what God wanted for my life. If you do this it will not be long before they
use you or let you down. I started looking directly to Jesus Christ who has
never let me down and I am learning to live for Him and not for me. I have
learned it is ALL about Him and not about us.

Until we come to know that, whether we are Pastors, laypersons, Elders, Deacons,
business owners or the President of the United States. We will not be saved. If
we do not know Jesus Christ and deny ourselves and give Him the glory for what
He has done for us. He has given His very life’s blood in our stead so we might
live with Him forever and throughout eternity. So until we come to know Him we
will never know what salvation is. We will then want to tell others of this
salvation and will not rest until He calls us home, as we will know what it
means to know and love Him. There is no mistake about people that know Him, they
always want to talk about Him and no not just at Church but everywhere they go.
Yes like your first love, you would talk about them until people were sick of
hearing it and you wondered what was wrong with them. Jesus wants to be our
first love today and everyday of our life and if you know Him you will want the
same thing. If you don’t then you will just think I am crazy, but I really don’t
care what people think. I care what God thinks and what God thinks will echo
through out eternity.

So to me this is what it means to know Jesus. Not knowing about Him but knowing
Him personally. And I pray this will help you to know Him better.

Plow on, plow on...
David Campbell

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ
Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
1 Timothy 2:5-6 (KJV)

The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him - Psalm 25:14

And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking
back, is fit for the kingdom of God. ~ Luke 9:62

Luke 13:24
Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to
enter in, and shall not be able.

Until Jesus Christ is truly our Lord, we each have goals of our own which we
serve. Our faith is real, but it is not yet permanent. And God is never in a
hurry. If we are willing to wait, we will see God pointing out that we have been
interested only in His blessings, instead of in God Himself. ~ Oswald Chambers

Many come to know Jesus as the Way. A few more go on to know Him as the Truth.
But very few go on to know Him as their life. ~ Rick Joyner

Below are some links with articles that may be of help:

What is the Christian life supposed to be like?
http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-life.html

How can I overcome sin in my Christian life?
http://www.gotquestions.org/victory-over-sin.html

How can I stay focused on Christ?
http://www.gotquestions.org/focused-on-Christ.html

Are you saved?
http://www.jesusisthelight.net/AREYOUSAVED.htm