Keep on Growing in the Knowledge of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ

God delights in our knowledge of Him, “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD” (Jer 9:23-24). And God commands us to keep on growing in the knowledge (heart knowledge/ experiential knowledge) of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Why? Because we cannot trust, love, obey and follow the one we do not know well. The more we know the Lord, the more we shall trust in Him, love Him, appreciate Him, submit to Him, follow Him and serve Him. It is very vital for you and me to know our Lord and our God. Even God’s grace and peace increase through our knowledge of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2).

Jesus Is our Lord and God: Many know Jesus as a good prophet or teacher, but we must know Him as our God and Creator. The phrase “our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” has only one definite article in Greek, denoting one Divine Person, our Saviour Jesus Christ is the Lord, the Jehovah, the “I AM THAT I AM” in the Old Testament (Exod 3:14; John 8:58). This same phrase “our/the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” can be also found in 2 Peter 1:11; 2:20. Another phrase “God and Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1) also has one definite article in Greek, denoting that our Saviour Jesus Christ is God and the Creator. Truly, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” and “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory”  (John 1:1-3; 1 Tim 3:16). The knowledge of the Lord Jesus as our God, almighty, all-wise, all-knowing, eternal, immutable, faithful, loving, holy, and present every where, is very important to our faith and victory over the world, “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:5). Do you and I really believe that Jesus Christ is our living and true God? Is He really our Lord, who has full control over our lives and we are not our own? Many say to Jesus, “Lord, Lord” on their lips, but they are not sincerely submissive to Him and His Word at all! Jesus confirms, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt 7:21). Only the Holy Spirit can help us confess Jesus Christ as our Lord with our full trust and submission, “no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (1 Cor 12:3). May God help us grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Is Our Saviour: Jesus is the human name. Jesus is a short form of Joshua or Jehoshua, which means, “Jehovah is salvation.” Then, Jesus means Saviour. His incarnation, His virgin birth, His death for our sins, and His resurrection for our justification secure our salvation for ever. He is able to save us not only from our sins and our condemnation to Hell (Rom 12:1), but also from the bondage of our sinful nature (Rom 7:24-25). Praise the Lord! May God help us grow in the knowledge of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Jesus Is Our Christ: Christ is the divine name of our Lord. It means the Anointed, the Messiah. There are three anointed offices: the priestly, the kingly and the prophetic (Exod 28:41; Lev 8:12; 1 Sam 10:1; 16:13; 1 Kings 1:39; 19:16). Then, when you and I believe that Jesus is the Christ, we must mean that He is our Great High Priest, our King of kings, and our Great Prophet with humble trust and full submission. Only those who are born again may sincerely believe in and submit to the Lord Jesus as Christ with that full meaning, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God?” (1 John 5:1). How about you and me?

Jesus Is Our Great High Priest: The high priest represented the people before God. How can you and I as sinners go near the holy God and be acceptable unto Him? We do need the Lord Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest, who is our perfect Representative before God, who “is able to save” us to the uttermost and ever living “to make intercession for” us (Heb 7:25), and by whom our spiritual sacrifices are “acceptable to God” (1 Peter 2:5). We do need His blood to keep on cleansing us from all our sins so that we may maintain our fellowship with God (1 John 1:7) and overcome the accusation of Satan (Rev 12:11). As our great High Priest can “be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” let us therefore “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:15-16). Is Jesus Christ our Great High Priest?

Jesus is Our King of Kings: Jesus humbly came to die for sinners, but He rose again, and God has “exalted” Him “with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour” (Acts 5:31) and says, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom” (Heb 1:8). How about you and me? Shall we also “exalt” the Lord Jesus as the King of our hearts and our lives? Does He have full authority and full control over our lives? If we decide to do whatever we like regardless of His approval, He is not truly our King. If we say, read, watch, listen to or do whatever we like or go wherever we like regardless of His guidance and Word, He is not our King. Many still arrogantly despise, challenge, mock and reject the Lord Jesus as their King, but when He comes again the second time with all His might and glory as “King of kings, and Lord of lords” (Rev 19:16), they cannot stand before Him to hear His sentence, “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me” (Luke 19:27).

Jesus Is Our Great Prophet: A prophet is God’s spokesman and representative to His people. His ministry is to speak exactly God’s Word to the people as well as to properly foretell, warn, rebuke, teach, and preach according to God’s Word. Jesus Himself is the living “Word of God” (Rev 19:13; cf. John 1:1; Heb 1:2; 1 John 1:1) and His words are the very Word of God (John 12:48-50) and “shall not pass away” (Matt 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33). It is thus dangerous to arrogantly attack, question, criticize, twist, misinterpret, mistranslate, modify or cast doubt on God’s Word as many people do, even “scholars”, to serve their own worldly purpose and selfish ambitions, for this will be their tragic end, “And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people” (Acts 3:23). Then, if our Lord Jesus is our Great Prophet, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).