Loving God means Moving On in Knowing Him - LUKE STARTS

Luke 1:4 (ESV) that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Why do we study the life and work of Jesus?  The same reason Luke put his Gospel together:
That we may be CERTAIN of the things we have been taught.

Luke is writing to a man named, "Theophilus" - lover of God.  Either that is his given name or one he came to have after conversion.  But I want to use it to make an important distinction. 

There are many who say they "love God" in their own little way and for their own idea of what He's like.  But having a generic "love for God" is not what the Bible asks of us.  We are called to KNOW Jesus.  

But we have never been called to know a generic idea we may have of what god is like "to us."  That God is easy to like and easy to ignore and easy to get upset with when life doesn't go our way.  The problem is, our idea of God is often not the God of the Bible.  Certainly not Jesus.  And if it is, then we have not grasped eternal life.

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

We are to know for certain what Jesus did (accomplished - Luke 1:1; and what Jesus taught which was handed down through the eyewitnesses).  Losing sight of those those "things" forces you to lose sight of the God who made you, formed you, calls you, and can redeem you.  

It is wonderful to love God even where you are in life and your own limitation of understanding or certainty.  But you cannot love God and stay there.

Loving God means moving on in knowing Him.  What He's like.  What He does.  What He says.  Where He stands.  What He expects of us.  What He's done for us.  These are things you have to come to know in increasing manner if you are going to claim to love God!  This is what it means to love God in some ways!  For to stay where you are at in your knowledge of anyone is NOT love, not interest, not commitment.

I'm still learning.  I'm still learning what I didn't realize I didn't know from years ago!  As I learn, I realize how wrong I was at times.  This is the journey of faith.  To only say you love God and not learn of Jesus is a cop out and false religion.

KNOW HIM, LOVE HIM.  Rince and repeat.

PRAYER:
Father, I look forward to knowing Jesus better through Luke's Gospel.  Open my eyes and ears and heart.  I want to know Him more so that I may follow Him closer and Love you fully.  My life is yours, change it and rearrange it as you see fit.  Amen!

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