KNOWING CHRIST I

STUDY I If you ask the average believer what is eternal life, the answer is that eternal life is life that never ends! But Even those who go to hell will be there eternally. where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. Mark 9:48 Eternal life is not the length of life. It is the quality of life. It is the life of God who has no beginning and no end. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3. Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ. It is not an intellectual knowledge that comes out of study, but a knowledge that comes out of intimacy with God and with Christ. Eternal life is not something you attain just day you are born again, but it's something you grow into. It's a life pursuit. Paul tells Timothy, lay hold of eternal life, 1Tim 6:12. Remember that Timothy was already born again and was preaching, had a church and was going for missions. The eternal life that God desires us to have is to intimately know Him and Christ. Do you know God? Do you know Christ? Are you persistently pursuing a greater knowledge of God. If you don't pursue eternal life now, at the last day, even if you have spent your life preaching God word, or have been active in church activities, you will be cast out. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ Mat 7:22-23 One can prophesy, cast out demons, and perform miracles in the name of Jesus without a personal knowledge of Christ. Ministry will not be the test; knowing Christ intimately and being known by Him will be the most important thing in the last day. Have you ever stopped and considered that some of the preachers you know who preach God's word, heal the sick, cast out demons and perform miracles may end up in hell? It's a sobering truth, that you can do ministry and go to hell. It's not ministry that God wants from His people primarily, but an intimacy with Him. The first things must always remain first. The most important thing God wants from you is not that you serve Him, but you know Him intimately. Serving God should be a by-product of knowing Him first. Then you will begin to say, We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets. and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. Luke 13:26-28 You can sit and receive Gods word in church day after day, and listen to powerful sermons and be blessed but if that does not lead to an intimacy with Christ, you maybe thrown out at the last day. In this passages we can see that it is sin that will cause people who served God to be thrown out. Therefore we can conclude that the secret of overcoming sin is in knowing Christ intimately. The more you know Christ, the more you overcome sin. God told Cain ...sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Gen 4:7 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Rom 6:14 The secret of godliness is in knowing and seeing Jesus who came with a human body, kept His spirit pure.... The primary purpose to which God called you is that you may know Him. This shouldn't be substituted with ministry or anything else. God is not pleased with you because you serve Him; He had millions of angels who served Him before the creation of the world; He created you so that He can fellowship with you and be intimate with you. Your service to Him should be the outflow of your intimacy with Him. Have the right order and priorities in your life. You are blessed to be a blessing Feel free to share @Blessed Mshindi Mambo