Just to know Him more.

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A few years before God brought my family to be a part of The Bridge, Kim and I spent a great deal of time with a particular couple that had supported us in our church planting efforts.  Those dear friends brought steady encouragement by introducing us to the concept of the gospel cycle.  It all begins with knowing Jesus.  Then, as we truly know Jesus, we can’t help but love Him.  Then, as we love Him, we can’t help but respond by following Him.  In following Jesus, we continue to know and love Him and the cycle repeats itself.  The concept was revolutionary for my walk with Christ.  So much of my life had been driven by religious rituals and obligations in an attempt to be Christian.  But being Christian has everything to do with our relationship with Christ and so little to do with our own performance.  Even now, when I try to live for Jesus on my own volition, so much beside Christ Jesus can become my focus.  From personal experience, I’ve witnessed the amazing resolution and wonder of walking with and abiding in the presence of Jesus.  Oh that I would know Him still more!

As we look in on the characters of this chapter and what is to come soon after, each of their individual fates rests on one thing.  And that one thing is how they respond to a relationship with their Heavenly Father.  Some in this story will ignore Him and seek the desires of their flesh while others receive Him at His word and respond by seeking more of His will and way for their lives.   This passage does serve as a warning about the consequences of sin but even more as an invitation to experience the goodness of God through Jesus Messiah. 

How will you respond to God’s steadfast love in your life?  He invites us to receive it so that we will know Him in a way that will change us for our good and His glory.  Let us pray that God will crush our idols and make us quick to repent of our pride and self-righteousness.  May He turn our heart toward Jesus so that we will know, love, and follow Him with hearts set afire and minds made anew by His transforming presence and power. May the love of Christ overflow from us toward others.  And may our church family grow in favor with God and humanity for the glory and fame of our Rescuer & King Jesus!

Grateful and hopeful in Christ,

Jon