Knowing Christ: The Essence of Eternal Life

Eternal life is not merely a destination or a reward after death; it is a profound relationship with God and Jesus Christ. In John 17:3, Jesus defines eternal life as knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. This knowledge is not just intellectual but deeply personal and transformative. God's greatest desire is for us to know Him intimately, and He demonstrated this through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. The cross is the ultimate expression of God's love and His desire for us to know Him.

The Apostle Paul exemplifies this pursuit of knowing Christ. Despite his extensive knowledge and accomplishments, Paul considered everything else as loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. This knowledge goes beyond mere facts; it is about experiencing the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. It is about being conformed to His death and living in the reality of His resurrection.

In today's world, we have access to a wealth of sermons and teachings, but there is a danger in merely accumulating knowledge about God without truly knowing Him. True knowledge of God is not secondhand; it is personal and direct. It requires spending time with Him, listening to His voice, and allowing Him to reveal His heart to us. This is the essence of revival and true repentance—turning from sin to Jesus and seeking Him with all our hearts.

To know Christ is worth losing everything. It requires an unconditional surrender, letting go of both unrighteousness and self-righteousness. It means flushing away anything that hinders our relationship with Him, whether it be sin, pride, or distractions. God desires to reveal Himself to us, and He promises that if we seek Him with all our hearts, we will find Him.

Ultimately, the most important question is not just whether we know Jesus, but whether Jesus knows us. On Judgment Day, many will claim to have done great things in His name, but only those who have a genuine relationship with Him will enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, let us turn to Jesus, seek His forgiveness, and pursue a deeper knowledge of Him, for this is eternal life.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Eternal life is about knowing God and Jesus Christ personally, not just intellectually. This relationship is the essence of eternal life, as defined by Jesus in John 17:3. It is a transformative knowledge that goes beyond mere facts and changes how we live and relate to God. [02:07]
• 2. The Apostle Paul's greatest desire was to know Christ, even considering all his achievements as loss compared to the excellence of knowing Jesus. This pursuit of knowing Christ involves experiencing His resurrection power and sharing in His sufferings, leading to a deeper conformity to His image. [07:40]
• 3. There is a danger in accumulating knowledge about God without truly knowing Him. True knowledge of God is personal and direct, requiring time spent in His presence, listening to His voice, and allowing Him to reveal His heart to us. [09:04]
• 4. Knowing Christ is worth losing everything. It requires an unconditional surrender, letting go of both unrighteousness and self-righteousness. This involves flushing away anything that hinders our relationship with Him, whether it be sin, pride, or distractions. [20:06]
• 5. The most important question is whether Jesus knows us. On Judgment Day, only those with a genuine relationship with Him will enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, we must turn to Jesus, seek His forgiveness, and pursue a deeper knowledge of Him. [39:17]
  ** [39:17]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:14] - Introduction to Eternal Life
• [01:04] - Jesus' Definition of Eternal Life
• [02:24] - The Living Presence of Christ
• [03:15] - God's Greatest Desire
• [04:21] - The Cross as God's Love
• [05:14] - Knowing God vs. Worldly Achievements
• [06:11] - Our Greatest Desire
• [07:06] - Paul's Passion for Knowing Christ
• [08:00] - Head Knowledge vs. Heart Knowledge
• [09:04] - The Danger of Secondhand Faith
• [10:00] - Direct Relationship with Christ
• [11:11] - The Depths of Knowing Christ
• [12:49] - The Ocean of God's Knowledge
• [14:13] - Recognizing God's Voice
• [15:59] - God Revealing His Heart
• [17:54] - Unconditional Surrender
• [19:06] - Losing Everything to Know Christ
• [21:24] - Flushing Away Hindrances
• [23:06] - True Repentance and Revival
• [35:59] - Seeking God with All Our Heart
• [37:15] - The Way to Know God
• [39:17] - Does Jesus Know You?
• [40:45] - Closing Prayer

1. John 17:3 - "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
2. Philippians 3:7-10 - "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death."

1. According to John 17:3, how does Jesus define eternal life? How does this definition differ from common perceptions of eternal life? [01:04]
2. In Philippians 3:7-10, what does Paul consider as loss compared to knowing Christ? What does this reveal about his priorities? [07:06]
3. How does the sermon describe the difference between knowing about God and truly knowing God? [09:04]
4. What are some examples given in the sermon of things that might hinder our relationship with Christ? [21:03]

1. Why might Jesus emphasize knowing God and Himself as the essence of eternal life? How does this shape our understanding of salvation? [02:07]
2. What does Paul's willingness to count all things as loss for the sake of knowing Christ suggest about the nature of true discipleship? [07:40]
3. How can the accumulation of knowledge about God without truly knowing Him be a danger in our spiritual lives? [09:04]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the importance of personal and direct knowledge of God in contrast to secondhand faith? [10:00]

1. Reflect on your current relationship with God. Do you feel it is more intellectual or personal? What steps can you take to deepen your personal relationship with Him? [02:57]
2. Paul speaks of experiencing the power of Christ's resurrection and sharing in His sufferings. How can you seek to experience these aspects of knowing Christ in your daily life? [07:40]
3. Identify any "rubbish" in your life that might be hindering your relationship with Christ. What practical steps can you take to "flush" these hindrances away? [21:03]
4. The sermon emphasizes the importance of spending time in God's presence. How can you prioritize this in your daily routine? What might you need to sacrifice to make this happen? [22:11]
5. Consider the question, "Does Jesus know you?" How does this challenge your current understanding of your faith and relationship with Him? [39:17]
6. Reflect on a time when you relied on secondhand faith. How can you cultivate a more direct and personal relationship with God moving forward? [09:04]
7. How can you ensure that your pursuit of knowledge about God leads to a deeper relationship with Him rather than just intellectual understanding? [10:00]