Title: When You Realize Christ
Contents
Knowing Christ is eternal life. Knowledge is in words, and enlightenment is in evidence. In other words, “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak what we know and testify of what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony” (John 3:11).
Knowledge without evidence is chaff without wheat. Therefore, the gospel is not in words, but in evidence. This is because the gospel is a meaning, not a word. It is the same as it is written, “The Lord said to Moses, Write these words, for I have made a covenant with you and Israel according to the purpose of these words” (Exodus 34:27).
A farmer sows a seed in a field so that he can obtain a seed-like fruit. The proof of the seed is the fruit. Knowledge without evidence is arrogance. It is the same as it is written, "...knowledge puffs up, but love builds up..." (1 Corinthians 8:1).
The word of evidence is, “As for the word of life, which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have paid attention to, and which we have touched with our hands, this life was made manifest. I say that he was with the Father and was made manifest to us” (1 John 1:1-2).
As such, there is evidence that the word of life from the beginning can be heard, seen, noticed, touched, and experienced. Experiencing this is realization. It is written, “For everyone who feeds on milk is a child and has not experienced the word of righteousness, but solid food belongs to those who are mature. They use their senses, so they are trained to know good and evil” (Hebrews 5:13-14). As it is, little children, those who are not yet in the flesh, cannot experience the word of righteousness.
Therefore, faith comes from hearing the Word, but unless the Word is a reality that can be noticed and touched with our hands, we cannot experience Christ, and in the end we cannot realize Christ. It is like the confession, “I have heard of you with the ear, but now my eye sees you” (Job 42:5).
Likewise, being crucified with Christ is not accomplished by hearing with the ears, but by seeing with the eyes, paying attention, and touching them with the hands. It is the same as the words of the testimony, which is written, “You foolish Galatians, who deceived you when Jesus Christ was clearly seen before your eyes that He was crucified” (Galatians 3:1).
Therefore, concerning enlightenment, “I want you to know how I work for you and for those who are in Laodicea and for all who have not seen the face of my flesh, so that they may be comforted in their hearts, and united in love, with all understanding that they may come to the knowledge of Christ, the mystery of God, in which are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:1-3).
If you are a beginner in the way of Christ who only listens, you cannot understand Christ, the mystery of God. It is written, “And we will all become one in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, until we reach the stature of the stature of the stature of Christ, for we are no longer children, to the deceitfulness of men and the deceitful temptations of men. In order not to be lost and tossed and tossed by every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:13-14), it is only when they reach the fullness of the stature of the stature of Christ, and unite in love to all the riches of sensible understanding, which is the secret of God. You can come to know Christ.
When all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in Christ are discovered through the realization of Christ, the meaning of the gospel is fulfilled, so the Lord Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. He sold all he had and bought the field” (Matthew 13:44).
Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, said, “I want you to know how I work for those who have not seen the face of my flesh”, which is also what he said to us. We didn't see Paul's face.
For this reason, we who have not seen the face of Paul now, knowing how he labored for us, and having comfort in our hearts, and united in love to all the riches of sensible understanding, will come to understand the mystery of God, Christ. Thus, when we have found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are in it, we will hide it and rejoice and go back and sell all we have and buy the field. This is heaven, and this is the will of God. Amen, thank you Lord.