Jesus says I see you!

We all want to be noticed, recognized, and known. 

 There is overwhelming joy in knowing that Jesus sees me and knows me. Because I know He loves me despite my failings. A sovereign joy because I believe His promises to me. They are a sure foundation for my future. This is why I delight in His corrective chastisement as He guides me in the call and plan He created me to fulfill. 

John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.

There is no Joy outside of God's sovereign Will.

https://www.randolphbrown.com/2014/11/known.html

The promise attained?

Remember when you gave your life to Christ? All the promises find their yes in Him. The promise of God motivates obedience. Obedience is a path of discovery and growth. Then you obtain what was promised. Your motivation fades. You rely on what you know. You trust in your own understanding. And God waits patiently.

You’ve “attained”. Gone is the need to “trust in the Lord with all your heart” Your love for God becomes gratefulness and dependence fades away. You are thankful but your seeking heart subsides. Self-will dominates your thoughts. You have yet to learn God’s love for you is revealed in not what he can give you but in His desire to be with you. For you to know Him, and for Him to know you.

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 

Matthew 7:23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Paul said...

Phil. 3:10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.

A promise to restore what was lost? The enemy can fulfill such a promise.

The promise of eternal life is fulfilled only "In Christ."

John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and

Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

The Self-Help Christian Industry

Self-help Christianity emphasizes understanding principles to live by, that are expounded in the Bible. It is a path with a promise... "Walk in my ways and it will go well with you" (Jeremiah 7:23 )

We learn these principles from preachers and teachers that are well taught in the practical wisdom passed down to them. We all have some (practical wisdom) to give if you have been "born again".

The love and hope of the one who trains up his child in the way he should go, as he passes down the lessons he has learned, rarely brings about the hoped for result. Why?

Knowledge puffs up. What does that mean? Practical wisdom separated from its source, becomes something we begin to trust in. We see it as our own. And it is. It is wisdom we have acquired. It is wisdom we have operated on. It is wisdom that has blessed our lives. Because we have trusted it and acted upon it. We are accountable. If a man knows to do good and doesn't do it. That is sin.

If we know knowledge puffs up what are we to do. Your testimony reeks of biblical principles. God has met you where you were at. He spoke to you and made His wisdom known to you. I like to say, "He sharpened your axe". Certainly speak of the wisdom He has imparted...

Oh wait, do you have a testimony of what God has shared with you? Or are you just a student of practical wisdom?

Either way, the first part of Jeremiah 7:23 is what we all need to understand.

"But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you."

"Obey My voice" is a present tense imperative, progressive verb. You only hear Him in the present "here and now." That is when you should obey.

Known?

Many people know you. Know the you, that you have created. Created according to what you saw others held in esteem. The herd has a mentality.

Struggle, frustration, and disappointment are not a stranger to you. There lies the clue.

Looking for acceptance, you gave up on your uniqueness and gave in to the demand of conformity. Yes you did.

Then. Your true identity sought differentiation.  To be noticed, recognized and accepted was not enough. The need to be known as a unique, one of a kind person demands no compromise.

Who are you really? There is only One who can answer that question for you. Seek out the Lover of your soul. "Become" the one He created you to be. REPENT.

To be "Known" by someone.

To be known by someone implies a degree of intimacy, marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity.

I am reminded of a verse I used to misquote. "My sheep hear my voice and they follow me". In fact most people will misquote it that way.

The actual verse is...
John 10:27. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

This is in stark contrast to a verse where Jesus makes another statement about knowing someone.

Matthew 7:21:23  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

I never knew you?

Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV)
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
How can God not know someone?