July 6, 2014

Intimacy is what characterizes a relation in which one truly knows God.

Using Abraham as an example, Gary Jones talks about making the transition “knowing about” God to achieving the intimacy of really knowing God.

The value of suffering is in attaining an intimacy with Christ.

Philippians 3:7-10
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3)

“Draw near to me and I will draw near to you.”  (James 4:8)