I truly think most people who say they are christains just know about God. You have got to know "about" God before you can believe he died for you. Actually, you accept what you "know about" him. I truly don't see the difference between knowing "about him", (facts) and knowing him personally. How can you know him personally if you will never physically meet him or will never hear him speak to you?? All you have is the Bible that tells you "about him". Perhaps someone can enlighten me? - km

Dear Km, Lets look at this in a carnal sense. If you hear about a man or woman who have moved into your neighborhood, until you personally meet them yourself all you know is "about them". They are still strangers even if you do not meet them for a year, all you have to go on concerning them is what you have heard "about them". Once you meet them personally then you began a relationship with them. We learn about God and his Son Jesus thru the Bible and testimonies of others, at this point we just know "about" God but when we humbly our hearts and ask Christ to come into our hearts and to be our Saviour then when he comes in we begin our personal relationship with him. No we do not see him face to face at this time but thru faith we come to know him. Faith is another subject which we need to study and understand. One simple way to understand the faith it takes to believe in God is like this. We dont see him but we accept that he is there, the same way we don't see the air but we believe that it is there. If we don't accept the air and breath in we will starve from lack of oxygen and we will die. If we don't accept Gods Son we will starve from lack of his Spirit and we will die. I hope this will help you. God bless you and have a good day. - Jerry

I agree that if people will do the four things in the list in the devotion they will have the opportunity to know Jesus. I feel I know Jesus some but I want to know Him more. I know He lives in my heart because I invited Him and at times I know He has responded from the depths of me in a loving manner when on my own I would have had a less than kind response. It feels like knowing Him is peeling away layers of myself so all that's left is Jesus. More of Him and less of me. Also, studying about Him in the Bible is like laying down layers of Him in me. - Janice

Paul gives a good explanation of three types of ways we can "know" God in 1 Corinthians 2 and 3 -- the natural (non-spiritual) man, the spiritual man, and the worldly man". The Corinthians were believers, but were not yet mature in their faith, so he considered them still worldly. I think most folks who call themselves Christians fit that description.

"The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: 'For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?' Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?' 1 Corinthians 2:14-3:3

So, someone who does not have the Holy Spirit, cannot know God. Even someone who has the Holy Spirit, but is not living a Sprit filled life, does not truly know God. We get to know God, by, as Janice says, getting out of the way, and living by the Spirit. I think we all are working to be more spiritual as we mature in our walk with Christ.
- Rick Y

Kim, many people have the head knowledge of Christ, they've read the Bible, gone to church, done Bible studies, oh they can tell you all you want to know about Christ, BUT, they have no heart knowledge of him, they show no forgiveness towards someone who has offended them, they will tell "little lies", just take small stuff from work, swear, but only the allowable swear words, and think of themselves before other. You see having the "heart" knowledge is putting into practice all you know about Christ, knowing personally as your Saviour, really knowing Him, not just about Him. Take care and know God is always there with you. - Jan-Mexico

KM that is such a good question and I'm sure one that many wonder about. The only way to truly know God is to pray and ask Christ to come into your heart and life as Savior and Lord. If we ask for it sincerely He knows our heart and will be faithful to answer that prayer, because the only way to know God is through His son. In John 14:6 Jesus said " I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen Him." The thing is KM even Satan knows about who God is. We cannot have a personal relationship with Him without going through the Son. - Christ Follower

well km he doesent talk to you phisically but he talks to you spirtually have you ever felt a tug on your heart?well thats god talking to you. and when a certain verse or scripture pops out at ya when you read his word thats him talking to you again hope that helped u out! - haley

KM, Christ Follower had a very good answer for you. I would like to expand on it a little more. I go through times of focusing on a particular feature of Jesus. Example: Jesus is the Word. I found that when I thought about Jesus as the Word, His words in John 15: 4-7 really gave me a way to know Jesus. "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers, and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me, and MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU,ask whatever you will and it shall be done for you." I know that is a long passage but I think Jesus is meaning that if you know His words you will know Him. I think memorization of Scripture is the way to havc His words abide in me. Try memorizing a few of the verses of His words and see if that helps to know Him more fully. - Janice

Being a teacher at a Christian school, its part of my pedagogical obligation - and, as a Christian, it is my pleasure - to teach my students the difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Him personally. It is my continual prayer that my students grow in their desire to develop a personal relationship with Christ, one that assists them in becoming powerful lights in the dark. And the best part of my job is that through my efforts to instill a love for the Lord in my kids, my own bond with Him is strengthened. I am ever walking closer to Jesus. He became my friend when I was 10, the same age as my students. He's become so much more over the years. - Gracie Benz

Well, put Jerry, again! We certainly have to want to know Him or we won't. Personal choice again.It all comes down to our choice, like everything else.Do I accept or decline.I am so thankful I know Him in a personal way, I was older, probably 26, don't know an exact time or day like a lot of people , but that isn't important. Just keep striving to be what Jesus wants me to be, constant, everyday struggle, but we have to surrender our "selves" and we can do it. - julie