A long time ago, there was a man who was so influenced by the power of Jesus that God used him in extraordinary ways. People would gather from all over just to touch pieces of clothing to his skin…handkerchiefs, scarves, etc., these would be taken to the sick, and they were healed of their various diseases and demons.
This man’s name was Paul.
Seven brothers were traveling into town and wanted to try and heal people too. These seven brothers came to the house of a man who was demon-possessed; they came in and declared, “I command you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.”
But then the evil spirit inside the man talked back: “I know Jesus, and I’ve heard of Paul, but who are you?” The Bible says the demon-possessed man jumped on them, mastered all of them, and overpowered them. All seven of the brothers fled out of the house as best they could, naked, bloody, and wounded.
“I know Jesus, I’ve heard of Paul…but who are you?”
There is no substitution for knowing Jesus. That’s what people mean when they say they’re not religious; they have a relationship with Jesus. At one point, people wondered if John the Baptist was the messiah.
John lets them know how they will know the messiah: You will know He who is the messiah because he will ignite kingdom life, start a fire inside of your being, the Holy Spirit will dwell within you. He will change you from the inside out. He will clean house- make a clean sweep of your life, placing everything in its proper place and order before God. Everything false will be put out with the trash to be burned. He will refine you with fire.
In the same way, judgment will come and separate the growing from the dying in this world…Jesus comes to separate the growing from the dead in you. Like a farmer He throws our lives into the air so what is good wheat can be separated from chaff.
His goal is not necessarily to come and burn the chaff, his goal is to save the wheat. The goal is not to take away all that is bad as much as it is to save all that is good. How well do you know Jesus?
The Bible says that some upon entering heaven will say “Lord I did all this good stuff in your name”. And he will say, “I never knew you.”
There is a big difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus. How well do you know Jesus?