On this side of time, when Jesus Christ appears for the second time, or when we die and go to be with Him, all of the knowledge that we have discovered about Him is only just a part.
In Job chapter 26 Job tries to describe some of the wonders of God but it is an impossible task. In verse 14 he says: “Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him?”
All the while we live on this earth, we can only gain partial knowledge of who Jesus Christ truly is.
When I was a young boy, every Sunday morning our family of nine children attended a small “Open Brethren” church in a small township in New Zealand. Most of us who gathered were all related with some visitors from time to time. We loved to sing hymns from the hymnal, “Hymns of Light and Love.” We still have one of these hymn books in our home. I loved to sing No. 239. Here are some stanzas from the seven verses of the hymn:
It passeth knowledge, that dear love of thine,
My Savior, Jesus, yet this soul of mine
Would of thy love in all its breadth and length,
Its height and depth, it’s everlasting strength,
Know more and more.
But though I cannot sing, or tell, or know
The fullness of thy love, while here below,
My empty vessel I may freely bring,
O Thou, who art of love the living spring,
My vessel fill.
Lord Jesus, when Thee face to face I see,
When on thy lofty throne I sit with Thee,
Then of thy love, in all its breadth and length,
Its height and depth, its everlasting strength,
My soul shall sing.
It will take better minds with much better powers of understanding to comprehend all there is to know about our Lord Jesus Christ. But we are promised in 1 Corinthians 13:12 that when we see Him “face to face . . . that then we will know Him as He really is." So great will be the revelation that all our prior knowledge will be so limited in comparison. It will be considered “partial knowledge.” Partial knowledge will be replaced with full knowledge. “Face to face” knowledge.
However, we cannot ever give away our pursuit of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Even though our faith is weak and frail, we must make every effort to gain more heart-knowledge of the One who is our Lord of lords and King of kings. The more we know of Him the deeper our love will be for Him on this earth NOW.
The bride in the Song of Solomon describes her Beloved with the most endearing terms. Read Song of Solomon 5:10-16.
The greater our knowledge of Him will determine the greater our worship of Him.
When I was a young man, along with other young people who were on fire for God, we used to sing:
To know Him, to know Him
Is the cry of my heart,
Spirit reveal Christ to me.
To hear what You’re saying
Brings life to my bones,
To know Him, to know Him alone.
Most Christians would tell you that they know Jesus Christ from a historical perspective, e.g. they know how He was born, they know some of the Bible stories about Him, and they know some of the miracles that He performed. They know that He went to the cross and paid the price for their sins. They know that He is their Savior and that He was buried and rose again on the third day. They know that He ascended into Heaven and that one day He will return to earth and they will be changed into their glorious heavenly bodies.
However, sad to say, many Christians do not know Him NOW--on a daily basis. They do not know much about what Jesus Christ is doing for them and others NOW. They do not have a daily relationship with Him in His Word and in prayer. Therefore, they do not have an increased desire to worship Him.
If what we know of Jesus Christ does not move us to seek Him, love Him, and worship Him more, could it be that our knowledge of Him is only intellectual and has not yet reached into our spirits? The spirit part of man is where the knowledge of Christ must enter in order for our lives to be changed. All our knowledge of Jesus Christ must affect “the hidden man of the heart.”
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell