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The Important Knowing

We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him. (1 John 5:20 ESV)

It is of the greatest importance for the Lord's children to recognize fully that, above all other things, His object is that they should know Him. This is the all-governing end of all His dealings with us. This is the greatest of all our needs....

Our minds are so often occupied with service and work; we think that doing things for the Lord is the chief object of life. We are concerned about our lifework, our ministry. We think of equipment for it in terms of study and knowledge of things. Soul-winning, or teaching believers, or setting people to work, are so much in the foreground. Bible study and knowledge of the Scriptures, with efficiency in the matter of leading in Christian service as the end in view, are matters of pressing importance with all. All well and good, for these are important matters; but, back of everything the Lord is more concerned about our knowing Him than about anything else. It is very possible to have a wonderful grasp of the Scriptures, a comprehensive and intimate familiarity with doctrine; to stand for cardinal verities of the faith; to be an unceasing worker in Christian service; to have a great devotion to the salvation of men, and yet, alas, to have a very inadequate and limited personal knowledge of God within. So often the Lord has to take away our work that we may discover Him. The ultimate value of everything is not the information which we give, not the soundness of our doctrine, not the amount of work that we do, not the measure of truth that we possess, but just the fact that we know the Lord in a deep and mighty way.

You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

You know that He was manifested to take away our sins. § That we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness. § He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him.

He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed…  The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. § Thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer . . . that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations. § He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance. § Through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. § Your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.

Matt. 1:21;  1 John 3:5;  1 Peter 2:24;  Heb. 7:25;  Isa. 53:5,6;  Luke 24:46,47;  Heb. 9:26;  Acts 5:31;  Acts 13:38,39;  1 John 2:12

Our Lord Jesus Christ . . . though He was rich, yet for your sakes . . . became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell. • Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. § Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation.

Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.

All things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

2 Cor. 8:9;  Col. 1:19;  Heb. 1:3,4;  Phil. 2:6,7;  Matt. 8:20;  1 Cor. 3:21;  1 Cor. 3:22;  1 Cor. 3:23

Fit First

And the servant of the Lord must not strive" (2 Tim. 2:24).

Our one responsibility, that of concentrating upon the Lord Jesus, has a three-fold result: (1) fellowship with Him; (2) growth in His image; (3) ministry of life to others.

"The love of the Lord culminates in this, that we should be with Him. He died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him (1 Thess. 5:10). I find the one who is set on usefulness (Martha) does not advance like the one set on personal affection to Him (Mary). The Lord give us to be more personally attached to Himself; then we shall be useful according to His good pleasure."

"There is one thing that all can do - be meet for the Master's use' (2 Tim. 2:21); and this is the secret of usefulness. Usefulness is not activity; it is not merely being used, but it is fitness, cleanness, preparedness, and separation of heart, singleness of eye, the affections set on things above - all, in fact, that proceeds from the judgment and denial of self, and the manifestation of Christ in the life by faith."

"All my ability to act for the Lord Jesus here depends on my conscious identification with Him where He is, not where He was for me; though as I receive power from Him I walk here even as He walked; His life is manifested in me. -J.B.S.

"But be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient" (2 Tim. 2:24).

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