John 23: 23 And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.
24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do you keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.
26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.
30 I and My Father are one."
As you can see by the words of Christ, His sheep, His flock, His chosen people will know Him. We are told that the elect were chosen by God before the world was created. That those chosen will follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, they are His sheep.
In Thessalonian 2: 13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,
14to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
We can see that the Lord God has already called all to Him who would be His. This is evident for anyone to see. If you are called to know the gospel. To learn of Jesus and to want to be saved, you are called. God, who knows all, already knows who will come to Him and who will refuse. Let your heart be your guide and be led by it. If you have felt or do feel the pull of Jesus, then answer it. Come to His saving grace.
There is no need for anyone to turn away from His salvation. To become an elect, to be saved all anyone has to do is ask. Come to Christ, confess the sins and repent. Ask forgiveness in His name, accept Him as the Son of God and be saved.
God made redemption so easy. Easy for a sinner to get saved, cleansed and have eternal life. Jesus took the pain, torture and suffering for our sins even though He was sinless.
To know Christ is to know the way to salvation. It is to know the ultimate sacrifice for all human kind. The Lord God, creator of all things did not just create salvation for His chosen people, but for all humanity. Even with the knowledge that many will refuse this gift. Jesus went to the cross, knowing full well that His sacrifice will not be accepted by all. Yet He went, so that those who will repent, can be saved.
So to know Christ, to know Jesus is to know the depth of love that God has for us. Be saved, accept the offer to be cleansed of sin and guilt. Cut loose of the old life as you would old heavy clothing. Put on the new clothes of righteousness, for they are light. Let the Holy Spirit guide you and counsel you through life. Live the life as Christ commanded and lived. Simply by living in love and understanding, with compassion and forgiveness. Accept everyone for who they are and do not judge. None of us are in any position to judge others. We live in a state of redemption and we can accept all who come to Christ as brothers and sisters. We have all sinned and were in despair, but were freed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. By His blood we have been cleansed and so are others who have received Him. We are all the same, once we were filthy unclean sinners, but made clean and new by the grace of God. Don’t talk down to anyone, talk them up in Christ. This is done by living what we preach. Let love be our guide, not hatred or spite. We are told to not repay evil with evil.
Romans 12:17-21
New King James Version
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have[a] regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
We can choose to walk away rather than argue. Each day is another opportunity to live according to the teachings of Jesus. The teachings of God Himself. Instead of waiting at the bottom of the mountain for Moses to tell us God’s word, we have the word of God from His Son. Face to face the Lord delivered His word to the followers of Jesus and to all who would be in attendance. Many have wondered what it would be like to hear God speak. He has, in the bible there are numerous words from God Himself. They live in written form, and they will come alive as you read them. They hold the power to let each reader hear God speak. His words never change nor are they to be amended from generation to generation. The word of God is everlasting and appropriate to each generation. The basic of human desires and sins never change, nor do the words of our God. The prophets new this, the disciples and the apostles new this.
Just believe in God and His word. Trust in Him as He is faithful to keep His word and promises. Always remember His word, “I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD”. This has always been an awe inspiring message to me. Many times in scripture we are told to trust in the Lord. Not to worry, but to cast our worries on Him. We are to just believe, have faith and live in that faith. As we are told, “be still and know that I am God”. Trust the Lord to keep His word and believe. Don’t just have the knowledge of His word, we all must have belief in His word. We should live our lives in that belief, in His Word. We can claim the promises of God because He says we can.
We have the living word of God in our Holy Bible, read it and let it come alive in you. Accept the love of God and His salvation if you haven’t already. Just this act, will make a marked change in your life. You will begin to think and act differently. You will want to learn more, to understand the word of God and to associate with fellow believers. We are asked to do only these things, have faith, trust in the Lord, be obedient to His Word and live a Godly life. Forgiving, and loving as the Lord Jesus Christ displayed.
You will become the new person, and truly be born again. You will not only know the truth, but will be alive in it. AMEN.