Do You Know Him?

I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:12

I have often found it interesting to note how easily we declare that we know people. In this age of social media, the superficial “likes” and emojis have served to deconstruct the fabric of true relationships. As a youth, growing up in a small rural town, adults would make the clarification of whether they knew someone or knew of them. This was their way of letting you know whether a true personal relationship existed or not. The Apostle Paul made a powerful declaration, “I want to know Christ and he power of His resurrection” (Phil 3:10). The type of knowing Paul was referring to was not artificial but authentic.

To the Galatians, Paul’s testimony was that his preaching of the gospel was done by revelation, not having received it from a person (1:12). When something is revealed it isn’t a new discovery rather it is an exposing of what has been present all the time. We know that “in the beginning was the word and the word was God” so Jesus was present from Genesis through Malachi, but his identity was divulged in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The disciples who spent time with Jesus, grew into experiencing an intimate knowledge of Him. On the contrary, Paul, who wasn’t with them, was committed to passionately opposing His teachings. It wasn’t until he was personally confronted with Jesus’s presence and power that he could see the Truth which was there all the time.

In the midst of our daily rush of activities, our quest to gain a seat at the table, and the need to excel, let us remove the barriers that separate us from knowing the Lord for ourselves. Take off tradition. Shake free from doubt. Wash away shame. Renounce fear. Wrap yourself in prayer, study, and obedience to the Word of God. Get the revelation of Jesus, the Christ, by opening your heart and allowing Him to be Lord in all of your life. Really get to know Him.