Text: John 6:64-69
“Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
To Believe means to accept as true, particularly with absolute certainty. While to Know means to be acquainted or familiar with, i.e., to have encountered.
Jesus had many disciples, but most of the disciples did not believe and know who Jesus is. They only think he’s some old prophet who came back to life. I’m sure they followed Jesus because they want to be seen with the Man who performs Miracles and does great teachings.
It got to a point in their walk with Christ, that they could not cope with nor understand the words of Jesus, so they withdrew themselves and walked with Christ no more (Verse 66). This is what we call BACKSLIDING today. They all left and it was remaining only the twelve disciples.
Jesus asked the Twelve disciples why they are not going away too, but Peter’s response caught my attention. He said “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also, we have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
Peter and the other eleven disciples understood what they signed up for. When Jesus called them into a walk with Him, at first they followed Him ignorantly, but as they walked daily with Him they believed He is the Son of God. And after a while, seeing all that Jesus did in their very eyes, their Believe became a Knowing, and this made their Faith in God strong.
Some Christians can be walking with God, yet, they do not Know Him. Even their beliefs are not genuine. Also, many Christians have turned back from following God. It could be during some hard phase of their life when all things seemed rough, or it could be the pleasures of the world that clouded their hearts and they fell for it. It could also be that the truth (word of God) that they hear is too hard to follow because it doesn’t satisfy the flesh.
Ask yourself, do I believe and Know Jesus? Or am I a Christian by lips? A Christian by lips is a group of people who call themselves Christian because they go to church or bear a Christian name.
If we don’t Believe and Know who we are serving, it will be easy to drift away from God. Therefore, don’t just believe in God, Know Him as well and you will see your Faith rising.
How can you know God? By having a deeper relationship with Him through studying the word, prayer, Fasting, obeying the word of God, and making Him your priority.
Meditation:
That I may know Him, and experience the Power of His resurrection.
