E.Vaughan,
I would like to have a revival here. I want to revive your post from out of the dusty archives. While I am doing that, I want to express my appreciation to the programers at CMA for this web site and the very fact that topics and posts are never totally gone, unless they are removed for some reason. I am amazed at the openness that this site has to the world through the internet search engines. Most any time, day or night there are 30+ guests online, whatever that means, but you can see the articles that they are reading. If you are interested in such things, it tells a bit about what is going on in peoples minds. For me it is better than playing Freecell, just to watch and read what others are curious and reading.
So, E.Vaughan, here I am resurrecting your post that has lain idle for almost 6 years. I have not seen you on any of the recent forums that I have been lead to read, so I hope that you are still walking closely with the Lord and learning more, daily, from His Holy Spirit!!
You did raise a bit of a stir with your desire to reveal Truth. There are a lot of people, that know about Jesus Christ, but the fruit of their lives and speech reveals that there is a spirit other than the Holy Spirit in control. They do need to wake up and buy oil before it is too late.
I was not going to do what I am about to do, but sleep would not come tonight, as Scripture and concepts kept flowing through my mind. I trust that you will not mind if I say amen to your post and maybe add, from my heart, some thoughts and Scripture to what you have written.
First, a little bit about the word know.
The Jewish religious elements, from what I read, believe that they know God. They are taught by their Rabbis, who study commentaries about the Scriptures. Very few if any truly study the Scriptures themselves, from what I understand. That would mean that the average Jewish student most likely does not know God, but they know about Him by second hand information. Most likely that information could be anywhere from truth to simple educated opinion.
As I read the posts, old and new, and the bits of information about the people who write them, I see a parallel trend in the realm of those that would call themselves Christian. Many references to books, commentaries, opinions, doctrines, psychology, sympathy, concern, etc, but not so many that use Scripture in context or Holy Spirit inspiration to address the issues of life and the Christian walk.
Jew or Christian, both, receiving their knowledge from man, and mans wisdom and doctrines.
1 John 2:26-28 I am writing to warn you about those people who are misleading you. But Christ has blessed you with the Holy Spirit. Now the Spirit stays in you, and you dont need any teachers. The Spirit is truthful and teaches you everything. So stay one in your heart with Christ, just as the Spirit has taught you to do. Children, stay one in your hearts with Christ. Then when he returns, we will have confidence and wont have to hide in shame.
A court of law is a place where knowing is a most critical element of the proceedings. A person would not be accepted in a court of law giving second hand information, it would be called hear-say. The Judge wants first hand witnesses.
I have found an extremely interesting fact about the KJ translation of the word know. It has a number of different Greek words with different meanings and concepts that are all translated know. That means that the casual student of the Bible can miss a possible deeper meaning that is expressed in the original language, if they do not dig and listen to the Holy Spirit.
I want to make reference to just two of the uses of the word know as you have applied the importance of Christ knowing us.
Yes, it appears that the Bible would warn us that it is more important that Christ knows us than it is that we know Him, or know about Him.
There is an interesting connection between Matthew 1:25 and Matthew 7:23. They both use the Greek word G1097 [to know (absolutely - Completely and without qualification)].
Mat 1:24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: Mat 1:25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat 7:21 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.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
The question for us is Does Jesus know (G1097) us intimately, absolutely??
Does He dwell intimately within us?
Do we obey the Holy Spirit or are we controlled by our sense, emotions, the flesh?
I would like to throw in a little observation on the idea of works as expressed above. Another way of considering our actions, beside using the word works would be to use the concept of fruit. The Bible uses both, but for me Fruit has deeper meaning and concepts.
The fruit of a plant is produced without effort on the part of the plant. It all has to do with the kind of plant and what is flowing within the plant, the nourishment, watering, and sunshine or shade that the plant receives. The Spiritual similarities are amazing!! A lot of people that would call themselves by the name of Christ do not demonstrate that they believe the Truths that Jesus taught about works. It is a bit deeper than a surface understanding that would believe works does not have a place in Christianity!!
Moving on, there is the know that is used in Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see G1492 your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
and....
Mat 25:1 -13 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know G1492 you not. Watch therefore, for ye know G1492 neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Here the know has to do with seeing, or maybe looking like. You can come to your own conclusions, but it is not the intimate knowledge used earlier, by Christ.
Here are just a few important facts on the parable. The 10 were pure! The 10 had lamps to burn oil that would give light to see in the darkness. All 10 fell asleep! The oil was not something that could be, or in this case should be shared. The foolish were told to go and buy their own.
Most Christians would see this to mean that these individuals were pure and had the Holy Spirit. Five of them did not have enough of the Holy Spirit to give them light through the extended time of darkness. The bridegroom did not know, see, recognize, ?, them. They were left outside and did not come into the wedding feast. A very sobering reality!
Jesus said this to the believers in the Laodicean church, Rev_3:16-18 .... I will spue thee out of my mouth.... I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Once again there are a number of actions that a person must do to have an intimate relationship, to be known by Christ! I believe if you look you might also find that Jesus said ... I know thy works... to each of the churches that He spoke to in the Revelation. The NT has a lot more to say about works than just one verse that is rather misunderstood in relation to the heart of the gospel.
It would be good to remember the very first gentile convert, selected by God. Why did God choose him and his family, according to the Bible? Acts 10:1-2
So there you have it E.Vaughan! I believe that this should answer some of the responses to your wake up call. There are more verses in the NT that support what you were trying to point out. The warning is to those that think they are living in the Light, but the light that they have is really darkness! Oh, how great is their darkness!! Luke 11:34-36; Matthew 6:20-24
The really sad truth is that those who think that they know the truth and do not, will not listen to Truth, nor see Truth because they are so blinded, deaf, and hard hearted. Isaiah 6:9-10; Matthew 13:12-15
The Christians that are known by Christ are those sheep that know His voice and follow Him. They are lead by the Holy Spirit under His influence. They follow Christs example and walk in obedience to the Father.
Those that are under the influence of the World, but trying to follow their understand of the Bible, trying to be a witness, etc. but controlled by their senses and emotions, struggling with self and selfishness are walking on thin ice at best.
Human beings tend to imitate that which they admire and those that they hang out with most. Those are the people who come to know you, the more that you spend time and work with them.
When you meditate, dig into the Word, you will come to know Gods heart and desires for mankind. Walk with Him, doing, following the leading of His Spirit which are in agreement with the Spirit of His Word, and you will find that after a time, that is all that you have to talk about and imitate. His fruit will grow on you just like an apple effortlessly grows on an apple tree. Know that fruit is grown to be eaten, which may not be pleasant, but will always yield sweet nourishment when eaten. The seeds will hopefully produce new plants of like kind to produce more fruit.....