Do You Know Him?

When we seek obedience for the sake of "Heaven" we will fail. When we seek obedience for the sake of Christ we will be victorious.

Compelled by a fear of Hell, I sought to live a moral Christian life while growing up; the problem, however, was that the abstract notions of Heaven and Hell were never enough to compel me to complete obedience. Why? Living for myself was more immediately fulfilling than the intangible and distant promises of Heaven.

Having been awakened to the love of Christ, I now realize why the promise of Heaven was never enough to yield full obedience: I had lost sight of the Author and Perfecter of my faith, Jesus Christ.

Christianity is not about gaining entrance into some abstract paradise called Heaven. It is about knowing Jesus Christ personally. In fact, knowing Jesus is Heaven. ”Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3).

Knowing Jesus Christ Himself is the only thing more fulfilling than living for myself. I crucify my desires for the sake of knowing Him more, because knowing Him and His love is better than life.

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith" (Philippians 3:7-9).

Do you know the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ?