Can A Person Know Jesus Intimately?

God desires to have a personal, intimate, loving, dynamic, and powerful relationship with every person on the planet.

WHAT IS INTIMACY?

To develop an intimate relationship with Jesus, we need to define what that looks like. Some have said that intimacy means "in-to-me-see" and begins by praying the following:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" (Ps 139:23-24 ESV)

"… please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight." (Ex 33:13 ESV)

Intimacy is allowing Jesus to look into our hearts. He prayed that the intimacy He had with Adam in the Garden of Eden would be restored and everyone who receives Him as Lord and Savior would "be one" just as the Father was in Him and He was in the Father;

"The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me" (John 17:20-23 ESV).

Jesus desired that the love the Father has for Him "may be in them, and I in them." (John 17:26 ESV)

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God's deep secrets." (1 Cor 2:9-10)

Question: How does a person grow in intimacy with a God they have never seen?

The Apostle Paul asked God, the "Father of Glory" to give every Born-Again Christian "the Spirit of Wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him" so that they would have the "eyes" of their "hearts enlightened" so that they would "know what is the hope to which he "has called" them and "what are the riches of his glorious inheritance" and the "immeasurable greatness of his power" towards them (Eph 1:15-19 ESV). Each of us is implored to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet 3:18 ESV).

The Bible gives us six clues to growing in intimacy with Jesus.

"1 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, 2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, 3 if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures…" (Prov 2:1-4 ESV)

1. Receive His words

- Read His Word like it's a love letter from a loved one - because it is! If you long to audibly hear His voice read the Bible out loud!

2. Treasure His commands

- Heed the commands. He has given us in His Word so store them up in your heart

3. Intentionally take notice and apply His wisdom

- Choose the wisdom of God and not the wisdom of the world

4. Continually study God's Word for understanding

- Learn how to study His words of life

5. Seek His wisdom like you are looking for lost money or hidden treasure

- Diligently seek His face daily

6. Cry out for insight and understanding

- Pray without ceasing and ask Jesus to illuminate His Word - Spending time with Him in prayer increases your time to explore and understand your actual needs and His desires for you.

When you do these things:

7. "then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints." (Prov 2:5-8 ESV)

If you desire to grow in intimacy with Jesus, He can't be just a part of your life. He must be ALL of your life. Human beings don't have the capacity to receive all Jesus has for them because of their pride. Pride caused Angels to be kicked out of Heaven and Adam and Eve to be kicked out of the Garden of Eden - and it will keep you from entering into having deep intimacy with eternal love Himself.

Intimacy is the way to know the heart of Jesus. If you long for deeper intimacy with Him, then you need to:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Prov 3:5-6 ESV)