Knowing God, p. 38 “But knowing Jesus Christ still remains as definite a relation of personal discipleship as it was for the Twelve when he was on earth.”
In my own human logic this fact is beyond my comprehension. In human terms being able to know Jesus Christ just as the disciples knew Him seems altogether foolish. The analyst and skeptic cannot make sense of this. Only through the working of the Holy Spirit can one know Jesus Christ just as personally as the disciples knew Him. The author says it succinctly. “To know Jesus is to be saved by Jesus…from sin, and guilt, and death,” and as the author says later this saving is by the grace of God. God’s Word in the changing of one’s heart so that Jesus is personally known is of central importance. The content of the Gospels is not unfolding before our very eyes, as was the case for the disciples. But we have the words and life of Jesus, as well as the “biblical testimony to himself,” in the Bible, and we have the Holy Spirit enlightening our hearts (p. 38). “For the word of God is living and active…it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit” (Heb. 4:12). A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is possible only through the Holy Spirit working in the heart. The importance of Jesus’ resurrection, the Holy Spirit, and the Bible becomes particularly apparent as I think about the definite personal relationship that I have with Christ.
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