Phl3:10 That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
This week in Life Basics, which is Life Church's foundations in the faith class, taught by Amber Duffield, the topic is the assurance of salvation and not letting the enemy rip you off this way. On my way home I started thinking about just the word assurance and what makes us assured of anything concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These two scriptures keep coming back to me and the significance of them is so vital to the believer who seeks assurance in any area of their life. First Paul says, I may know Him; The word in Greek is Ginosko and it means to know by relationship but the Jews took it a step further and said it means to know intimately.
This is our call as believers to know (ginosko) the Lord Jesus Christ. We do it in many ways, we pray, read the living word (Logas) of God, and we fellowship (Koinonia). It's like becoming a Chef and learning to cook. It is not enough to put stuff together without knowing what each thing you put in the meal tastes like. Sure you can read a recipe but that is just knowledge. A chef needs to know his food intimately.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 8 that knowledge puffs up but love edifies. ( 1Cor.8:1) So how do we get to the Love part or as James said being a doer of the word of God and not a hearer only deceiving yourself James 1:22. In the second part of the scripture it says the power of His resurrection. The word power in Greek is Dymanis and it means Divine Power of God as when Elijah called down fire from God but let's look at Jesus as a man yet he was God. He said He does his Fathers will
Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Jesus said in John that when He left he would send the comforter (Holy Spirit) and He would testify of Me. (John 15:26)
The Holy Spirit is where we get the Power from, it is what rose Jesus from the dead, and most importantly it gives us the ability to love one another to turn the other cheek. Even as the prophet said Jesus would be like in Isa. 53:7.
So knowledge is good but we need the power to, the Agape love 1Corintheans 13 says:
Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Then lastly we are to partake in the fellowship of The Lord's suffering. This word means unity, oneness, and singleness of heart. This is why we do communion as a body to partake of the fellowship of His suffering.
Galatians 2:20 says it best.
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
1John1:1-4 By this, we can know we are saved. John said it like this. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-- 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
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