Just one moment before penning the challenging words, contend for the faith, Jude addressed his readers.
“To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ” (Jude vs. 1)
It stands to reason that we cannot contend for the faith apart from a relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father. After all, if God had not loved us, Christ would not have died for our sins (John 3:16-17). Without Christ’s sacrifice, we are still dead in our sins. More besides, if Jesus does not keep us by His power, we fall back into slavery to sin.
We need God’s love and Christ’s power.
I’ll never forget a certain eyewitness account I read in a counseling book. I didn’t even read much more than that one story. It’s a wonder of God that I even flipped to that section.
It was a story of a poor young man who, having suffered mentally and in many other ways, was ready to die. But, he took the advice of his family and went to see a Christian counselor named Karl. The young man wasn’t a Christian, but he agreed to try the program, which highlighted interacting with Immanuel (Jesus) in prayer, listening, and journaling.
God was so gracious! He met with this young man and let him “taste and see that the Lord is good!” (see Psalm 34:10) On the third visit, the young man said to Karl, “So, this is what Christians do? Because if this is the Christian life, I want it.” *
He wanted GOD. The taste of relationship with Christ – healing, cleansing, grace-filled love – was enough to make this young man hunger after the presence of the Lord forever.
The children of God have such a privilege, such a blessing, such life, in the invitation and ability to know God.
Sometimes, I wonder, are there Christians – ones saved by faith through grace, truly born again – who still don’t have relationship with God? Who don’t know Him intimately?
I think of the lost and unsaved, also. They have no clue what they’re missing…unless Christ’s ones tell them what it is to belong to Him and know Him!
This is why the crux of this new series is found in passages like Jeremiah 9:23-24.
“This is what the LORD says: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, or the strong man boast in his strength, or the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this: that he understands and knows Me; that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Sovereign Lord.”
God hasn’t left us wondering who He is. The Scriptures declare to us the glorious splendor of His majesty, the awesome power of His right hand, and the enduring nature of His love.
Knowing God is amazing, friend. Words can’t fully describe how sweet it is to trust Him to care, provide, love, hear, see, and act; because He is the Good Shepherd, God of all Comfort, My Loving God, God Who Sees, and Sovereign Lord.
Jesus isn’t merely our Savior, He is a present, real, active Friend and Defender in everyday life.
Do you know Him? Do you need to run to God and ask for a hunger to know Him?
Knowing God isn’t a spontaneous acquisition. It is a lifelong pursuit in which we gain fuller knowledge of every spiritual blessing we have in Christ. The good news is that, if we seek Him with all our heart, God promised that we will find Him (Deuteronomy 4:9, Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9).
Dear friends, let us know the Lord. Let us press on to know the Lord.
*Paraphrased from The Immanuel Approach; Lehman, Karl.