How Do I Know?

 "I want to know Christ..." Philippians 3:10

    Of all the joys of parenthood, this one was not high on my list: Math problems. When my youngest was in middle school, she approached me with such a convoluted algebraic equation that I sought help from a friend I knew to be a reliable source of knowledge: a school teacher. At her kitchen table, she led us step-by-step through an incomprehensible mathematic maze (which took five minutes!) and whose final answer turned out to be zero! Incredulous, I mused, "Now, what was the point of all that?"

    The question "How may I know Christ better?" is much more compelling to me and, I daresay, the final answer will never be zero. 

    My quest for knowledge led me to the book of 1 John. First, I considered the source, the Apostle John. Known as the disciple whom Jesus loved, he walked and talked with Jesus personally. He proclaimed what he had seen and heard. This letter he wrote uses the words "know," "knowledge," or "acknowledge" at least 44 times in only five chapters. Certainly, this is a great resource for someone who wants to know!

    I love the comprehensible method this teacher uses. He often says, "This is how we know..." No long way around the barn; just straight to the heart of the matter. Here are some of the steps I learned with the reference provided:

• We must confess our sins (1:8,9)
• Acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God in the flesh (4:2)
• Keep his commandments (2:3)
• Live as Jesus did (2:5)
• Leave your life of sin (3:6)
• Do what is right (3:10)
• Love each other (3:14)
• We have the Spirit which he gave us (3:24)
• Our hearts do not condemn us; we have confidence before God (3:16)
• Everyone born of God has overcome the world (5:4)
• God has given us eternal life (5:11)

    The final answer is eternal life! At the start of the equation, I was a miserable sinner but, by the end, I am a sinner saved by grace who lives in victory, having overcome the world! And the learning process continues because, as it says in chapter three verse two: "What we will be has not yet been made known." There's more to come so don't stop learning, never quit growing in Christ. You will still have problems to solve, but you'll have the most reliable Source helping you. "...He knows everything." (3:20)

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." Ephesians 1:17