It was early one Friday morning; the end of my work week when I heard such amazing life changing words. This after asking such bad questions! I sat that day along the back wall of a local coffee shop. As usual, it was early, about 7 am that morning. I was reading a marvelous book about Christ and His Gospel. At times I get amazed at the glory of this Gospel; the marvelousness of God’s love towards people and to what lengths He went to save us! So, that morning after reading a few pages, I looked up to ponder what I’d read. It was like gazing at such beauty. Then I would say things like, “Wow Lord, Thank You Father!”
That morning my eyes caught this man walking through the door. He was dressed in a sharp looking suit. His shoes were polished really well. He carried a slick looking leather briefcase and walked up and ordered a $5 coffee drink. As I stared at him, I asked the Lord a question. “Lord that man looks like he’s doing well for himself. It looks like he’s happy and his smile, while ordering that expensive coffee, looks real. Lord does he have to accept you? I mean Lord does he really have to make a decision to accept you? Does he really need to fall to his knees in repentance and give his life over to you?” Even as I asked those questions I felt off base. I knew the answer to these questions. The embarrassing thing was that this went on since Monday that week. I would ask those questions when people would walk in to buy their coffee drink.
But Friday morning it happened right after I was watching that dapper dressed man with the leather briefcase. I heard words that got riveted to my heart forever. Jesus responded to my questions. He said, “Jack, you’re asking the wrong questions.” That got my attention!! I responded by saying, “Really?” “Yes”, He said. “Jack, the real question is ‘Why wouldn’t they want to know Me’?!” It was like an awakening in my spirit. Christianity isn’t a single intellectual, mechanical decision! It’s a walking relationship with the living God through Christ Jesus as Lord. Andrew Murray put it like this, “Some confess Christ while others possess Christ”.
One hymn writer put it well. “And He walks with me and He talks with Me and He tells me I am His own”. Another one wrote, “What a friend we have in Jesus…”! Even in the book of the bible, the Song of Solomon it reads, ‘I am my beloveds and He is mine!” All through scripture God wants relationship through Christ! “Why wouldn’t they want to know Me?” I felt a shift begin to happen from intellectual knowledge to intimacy!
Relationship, friendship and intimacy with Christ Jesus! All through scripture mankind has had this open door to accept His invitation to walk and enjoy Christ. My questions that morning were purely intellectual, academic, & mechanical in nature. The Christian life is discovering the depths and treasure of Christ Jesus. It was never about just making a decision to accept Christ. The Christian life is more than making an intellectual decision. It’s more than academic or a mechanical function.
Paul said in the New Testament, “That I may know Him!” ‘Know’ in the original language means intimacy not just knowledge.
So, that day I made a resolution to spend more time in knowing Christ relationally, rather than knowing Christ intellectually. I finished my coffee that morning and knew I had taken a ‘right turn’.