Tag: John 17:3

You cannot commit to a God you do not know

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JEFF TURNER

Before God asked anything of Moses, he told him who he was.

Consider the order of that moment at the burning bush. Moses has turned aside. He has drawn near. And the voice from the fire does not begin with a mission or a mandate. It begins with an identity: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. That fear was not weakness. That fear was the only appropriate response to suddenly understanding who was speaking.

God knew what he was doing. He knew that before Moses could say yes to anything, he had to know who was asking. You cannot give your life to an abstraction.

So much of the uncommitted Christianity we see around us, the half-surrender, the one-foot-in and one-foot-out discipleship, traces its root not to defiance but to ignorance. People do not fully give themselves to a God they do not fully know. To know him rightly is to find every excuse for reservation consumed in the fire of his holiness.

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

John 17:3

Belief Requires Understanding for True Salvation

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JEFF TURNER

In Acts 16, when the jailer asked Paul and Silas how he could be saved, their response was direct: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” Some interpret this to mean that salvation requires no further explanation or mention of repentance. However, doesn’t this view overlooks the broader context?

I don’t believe this statement given to the jailer not meant to stand alone. It is reasonable to assume that Paul and Silas had already explained who Jesus is, what He had done, and why the man needed saving. Without this knowledge, belief would be empty. Romans 10:14 asks, “How will they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?” True faith requires understanding the person and work of Christ, including His death and resurrection.

The command to believe is central, but it is built upon clear teaching. Evangelism is not about offering vague assurances; it is about presenting the full message of Jesus so that belief is rooted in truth.

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

John 17:3