[Biblemat] S) "FOR THEY SHALL ALL KNOW ME"

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  Here is a study from my
recent files.  Use to the glory of God.

"FOR THEY SHALL ALL KNOW ME"

     Take time just here to read Jer. 31:31-34.  This passage is 
quoted by the inspired New Testament writer in Heb. 8:8-12.
He then adds, "In that He saith, A new covenant He hath made the first old.  
But that which is becoming old and waxeth aged is nigh unto vanishing away" 
(vs. 13).  One of
the differences in the Old Testament and the New Testament
is that under the New Testament, all those who are under this
covenant already "know the Lord."  They could not be citiz-
ens under the New Testament without first "knowing the Lord."  Under the 
first covenant, those born into the Kingdom
had to be taught to "know the Lord."  But as the Lord Jesus
said, "It is written in the prophets, And they shall all be taught
of God.  Every one that hath heard from the Father, and hath
learned, cometh unto Me" (Jno. 6:45).  The only way that one
can come to God, through Jesus Christ, is to be "taught."
The whole process of discipleship is one of learning.  Even
"babes in Christ" must know the Lord, or they wouldn't even be "in Christ."

     But there are several senses in which we need to "know
the Lord."  In this article, I want us to explore some of the
ways that we need to "know the Lord" under the new coven-
ant.

Know The Lord As Jesus Of Nazareth: -- The Scriptures say,
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with
God.  All things were made through Him; and without Him was 
not anything made that hath been made...And the Word be-
came flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory,
glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace
and truth" (Jno. 1:1-3,14).  Jesus was born of the virgin Mary
of Nazareth, in the town of Bethlehem in the reign of Caesar
Augustus (Lk. 2:1-21).  While some question how God could
be born of human flesh, how Deity could take human form,
God shows the necessity that His Son be human:  "Since then the children are 
sharers in flesh and blood, He also Him-
self in like manner partook of the same; that through death
He might bring to nought him that had the power of death,
that is, the devil; and might deliver all them who through fear
of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb. 2:14,
15).

     We read of the childhood of Jesus, of His earthly family,
of His earthly occupation (Matt. 2:14,15; 13:55; Lk. 2:40-52;
Mk. 6:3; etc.).  And most of all the Scriptures tell of His minis-
try on earth, as He taught and healed and saved those who
were burdened with various problems.  Then we read of Him:
"For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with 
the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all 
points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15).  No matter what 
problems come to us in this life, He is able to
understand and empathize, because He has gone through it
in human form, also.

     He invites, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you, and 
learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto 
your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).  
Jesus taught constantly
about His coming Kingdom, even before Pontius Pilate: "My
kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world
then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered
to the Jews but now is My kingdom not from hence" (Jno. 18:
36).  Instead of seeking to destroy those who opposed Him,
even for them who nailed Him to the cross, Jesus prayed: 
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Lk. 23:34).  His was 
a different kind of kingdom than the world
had ever seen.  It still is!

Know The Lord As The Christ: -- The Messiah (Hebrew form
of "Christ" in the Greek) had long been prophesied by Old
Testament prophets, so that the Jews were expecting the 
Christ to come.  Andrew, a disciple of John, the forerunner
of the Christ (Mk. 1:1-3), heard Jesus preach and the result
was immediate.  he found his brother, Peter, and: "Saith unto
him, We have found the Messiah (which is, being interpreted,
Christ).  He brought him unto Jesus" (Jno. 1:41,42).  Then, 
late in the ministry of Jesus, He asked the apostles about what other people 
thought of Him, and got a variety of answ-
ers.  He then asked, "But who say ye that I am?  And Simon
Peter answered and said, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God" (Matt. 16:15,16).  They were later to preach this
throughout the world.

     Prophecy declared that the Messiah would be "the seed of
woman" (Gen. 3:15), the "seed of Abraham" (Gen. 22:18) 
through whom all the families of the earth would be blessed.
The Messiah was to be, like Moses, a leader of God's people
and a spokesman for God.  As God promised Moses, "I will
raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto
thee; and I will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak
unto them all that I shall command Him.  And it shall come to
pass, tht whosoever will not hearken unto My words which He 
shall speak in My name, I will require it of him" (Deut. 18:18,
19).  This Messiah (Christ) was also to be of "the seed of 
David" (Psa. 89:3,4).

     The prophets foretold His ministry on earth, His miracles,
His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead
(Isa. 53:1-12; Psa. 22:1-18; etc. ).  And Jesus of Nazareth ful-
filled every such prophecy ever written about the Messiah (or
Christ).  His miracles proved Jesus to be the Christ, and pro-
bably only a few of His miracles are recorded in Scripture, but
John wrote: "Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the pre-
sence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: but
these are written, that ye may believe tht  Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God, and that believing ye may have life in His
name" (Jno. 20:30,31).

Know The Lord As Savior: -- Many honor Jesus as a great and good man, one who 
showed us how to live a good and
happy life.  But they deny that He was deity or that He is the
Savior of mankind.  But Jesus stated His purpose in the clear-
est terms.  Whereas "All have sinned and fallen short of the
glory of God" (Rom. 3:23), Jesus declared, "The Son of man
came to seek and to save tht which was lost" (Lk. 19:10).
When God looked down on a world which was lost in sin (1
Jno. 5:19), He determined to give man a chance to be saved
from sin; "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not
perish, but have eternal life" (Jno. 3:16).  And the whole pur-
pose of the Son of God coming to this world was: "To save
sinners" (1 Tim. 1:15).

     Not only did Christ come to save sinners, He is the only 
one who could do so!  As he said, "I am the way, and the 
truth and the life; no one cometh unto the Father but by Me"
(Jno. 14:6).  In our culture, it may not be "politically correct"
to say it, but Jesus makes it clear.  There is just no other
Savior!  Jesus said to the Jews, "Except ye believe that I am
He, ye shall die in your sins" (Jno. 8:24).  We live in a time
when it is "politically correct" to "acknowledge" the "value" of
all religions.  For many that means never criticizing any of 
them.  But the gospel truth is that any religion that does not
recognize Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God and the only
Savior, cannot be in fellowship with God.  As the apostles said to the Jewish 
leaders, "And in none other is there salvat-
ion: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is
given among men, wherein we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

     The cross of Calvary is the defining moment of world hist-
ory.  Jesus died to set us free from the guilt of sin by His own
blood (1 Pet. 1:18,19).  But many would not accept that they 
were sinners in need of a Savior.  So, "The word of the cross
is to them that perish foolishness, but to us who are saved, it
is the power of God" (1 Cor. 1:18).  When Jesus, after His
death and resurrection, told the apostles, "Go ye into all the
world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation.  He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbeliev-
eth shall be condemned" (Mk. 16:15,16), they went every-
where preaching tht message (Acts 2:36-41; 8:12; 22:16).

Know The Lord As Friend: -- "There is a friend that sticketh
closer than a brother" (Prov. 18;24).  And that friend is Jesus
If you are in trouble, you want someone to "stand up" for you.  Well, tht is 
just what the Lord Jesus does: "If we walk
in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with
another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanseth us from all
sin...My little children, these things I write unto you that ye 
may not sin.  And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous" (1 Jno. 1:7 - 2:1).  As
our "Advocate" before the throne of God, Jesus pleads our
case for us and offers the cleansing of His Own blood for us.

     Regardless of where we are, the problems or the circum-
stances that surround us, Jesus cares: "Casting all your cares on Him, for He 
cares for you" (1 Pet. 5:7).  And He makes the promise, "Lo, I am with you 
alway, even to the end
of the world" (Matt. 28:20).  As the apostle Paul said, "But the
Lord stood by me, and strengthened me" (2 Tim. 4:17).  And
that is exactly what He will do for each Christian who is living
for Him.  He promises, "I will in no wise fail thee, neither will
I in any wise forsake thee" (Heb. 13:5).

     The Lord Jesus, as our Friend, will empower us to live as
we determine to "Seek first the kingdom of God and His right-
eousness" (Matt. 6:33).  The apostle Paul wrote, "Finally, be
strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.  Put on
the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:10,11).  When temptation or var-
ious other troubles come to us, the Lord Jesus will be there to help us find 
the right way -- if we will just determine to list-
en to Him and seek His way.  The apostle Paul was given a 
"thorn in the flesh" by Satan, and prayed earnestly to the Lord about it.  He 
answered, "My grace is sufficient for thee:
for My power is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly there-
fore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of 
Christ may rest upon me" (2 Cor. 12:9).  Even when the "thorn in the flesh" 
was not removed, the Lord still gave Paul
the strength to bear up under it.

     Yes, "know the Lord."  Know Him as Jesus of Nazareth the
Son of God (Jno. 3:16).  Know Him as the Christ, the Messiah
who had long been promised to the Jews.  Know the Lord as
your Savior, by submitting to His will in order to be justified by His blood 
(Rom. 5:9; 6:3).  And know the Lord as your 
friend, Who always cares for you and strengthens you.  Then
we can say, with the apostle Paul, "I can do all things through
Christ which strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13).  When you "know
the Lord," all things are possible for you in this life, and in
that life which is to come.  ---- Clem Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 56, 
No. 43, Oct. 26, 2007.   </HTML>
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