1. Eternal life means knowing God (John 17:3). What does it mean to know God, as opposed to just knowing certain things about Him, such as that He is powerful, loving, or a God of justice? If someone were to ask you, “Do you know God?”, how would you answer? How does Jesus fit into your answer?

Knowing God means much more than just knowing facts about Him—it means being in a living, personal relationship with Him. While it is important to be aware of God’s attributes like love, justice, and power, this alone is not enough to truly “know” Him. Knowing God means:

1. Experiencing Fellowship with God:

   • It means spending time with God—in prayer, through studying His Word, and reflecting on His work in our lives. This personal relationship allows us to experience His love, guidance, and presence.

2. Trusting God:

   • Knowing Him means trusting Him in all aspects of our lives, even when we do not understand everything. It involves relying on His guidance because we know He is good.

3. Living According to His Will:

   • Knowing God means reflecting His nature in our own lives by seeking and acting according to His will. This is demonstrated through love, forgiveness, and obedience.

Jesus: The Key to Knowing God

If someone were to ask, “Do you know God?”, Jesus would be a central part of the answer. For Jesus Himself said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Through Jesus, God becomes tangible and accessible to us:

• Jesus Reveals the Father:

  • In His words and actions, Jesus shows us the heart of God—His love, patience, justice, and mercy.

• Jesus is the Way to God:

  • He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Without Jesus, a relationship with God is not possible.

• Jesus Makes God Experiencable:

  • Through faith in Jesus, we experience forgiveness, peace, and eternal life that exists in fellowship with God.

My Answer:

If someone asks me, “Do you know God?”, I would answer, “Yes, I know God through Jesus Christ. Jesus has shown me who God is and how much He loves me. He has made a way for me to live in a relationship with God. Through Jesus, I experience God’s closeness, forgiveness, and guidance in my life.”

Difference Between Knowing and Just Knowing Facts:

Just knowing about God is like reading a book about someone without ever meeting them. Knowing God is like a friendship: it grows through time, trust, and shared experiences. Through Jesus, this relationship becomes possible—a relationship that encompasses not just knowledge but also transforms our lives.

2. What do Jesus’ words mean in a practical, everyday sense: “Your word is truth” (John 17:17)?

Jesus’ words, “Your word is truth” (John 17:17), hold profound meaning in a practical, everyday sense. They emphasize that God’s Word—the Bible—should be the foundation for our lives, our faith, and our decisions. Here are some practical applications:

1. Guidance for Our Lives

   • Meaning: God’s Word provides a reliable foundation for making moral and ethical decisions. It shows us how to live in love, justice, and truth.

   • Practical: In times of uncertainty, we can orient ourselves by biblical principles, such as forgiveness, honesty, or neighborly love. For example, the truth of the Bible reminds us to forgive one another just as God has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32).

2. Protection from Deception

   • Meaning: In a world full of conflicting opinions and values, God’s Word helps us discern between truth and deception. It guards us against paths that lead away from God’s ways.

   • Practical: When we encounter difficult or controversial topics, we can study the Bible to understand God’s perspective instead of relying solely on human opinions.

3. Healing and Renewal

   • Meaning: Jesus’ words in John 17:17 are in the context of the request for sanctification. The truth of God’s Word has the power to change us, cleanse us, and give our lives new meaning.

   • Practical: By regularly reading and reflecting on the Bible, we experience God’s renewal of our thinking and actions. His truth helps us discard old habits and live according to His will.

4. Encouragement and Comfort

   • Meaning: God’s Word is not only a standard for truth but also a source of comfort and encouragement. It speaks into our fears, doubts, and pains.

   • Practical: In difficult times, we can embrace promises like those from Psalm 23 (“The Lord is my shepherd”) or Matthew 28:20 (“I am with you always”) as truth and find peace in them.

5. Motivation for Change

   • Meaning: God’s Word calls us to align our lives with His principles and motivates us to grow in following Jesus.

   • Practical: The Bible encourages us to practice love (1 Corinthians 13), let our light shine (Matthew 5:16), and do good (Galatians 6:9). We can apply these truths in our daily lives through small acts of kindness or courageous steps in faith.

In Summary:

The statement “Your word is truth” reminds us that God’s Word:

1. Is reliable and unchanging, even in a world full of uncertainties.

2. Serves as a standard for decisions and a guide for a God-pleasing life.

3. Shapes our thinking and actions by challenging us to live in truth.

Practical Daily Steps:

1. Read the Bible: Set aside daily time to read and meditate on God’s Word.

2. Pray: Ask God to help you understand and apply His Word.

3. Act: Put the truth into practice, such as through forgiveness, honesty, or neighborly love.

4. Share: Share God’s truth with others to encourage and strengthen them.

In a world full of relativism and uncertainty, God’s Word remains a solid foundation. It is a source of truth that guides us, cleanses us, and keeps us in close relationship with God.

3. Jesus prayed, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). How do our own decisions affect how well this prayer can be answered in our lives?

Jesus’ prayer in John 17:15, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one,” shows that Jesus is asking not for isolation but for protection and steadfastness amidst the challenges of this world. However, our own decisions play a crucial role in how effectively this prayer is experienced in our lives.

1. Responsibility in Discipleship

   • Meaning: Jesus has given us free will, and our decisions influence how we experience God’s protection. When we make choices that draw us closer to God, we remain under His protection. By consciously avoiding evil, we cooperate with God’s safeguarding.

   • Practical: We should evaluate whether our decisions—such as how we spend our time, the relationships we maintain, or the content we consume—align with God’s Word.

2. Seeking God’s Presence

   • Meaning: Jesus’ prayer becomes especially effective in our lives when we are in close relationship with God. This happens through prayer, Bible study, and living according to His will. Decisions that distance us from God can make us more vulnerable to evil.

   • Practical: Daily prayer and trust in God’s guidance help us seek His presence and remain under His protection.

3. Responsibility for Our Thoughts and Actions

   • Meaning: While God protects us, we are responsible for consciously avoiding temptations and making decisions that promote God’s protection. Our thoughts and actions must be deliberately aimed at resisting evil.

   • Practical: By staying away from harmful influences and practicing spiritual disciplines, we strengthen our resilience. For example, consciously recognizing and avoiding temptations like envy, anger, or moral compromises.

4. Embracing the Holy Spirit as Helper

   • Meaning: The Holy Spirit is our advocate who leads us in truth and helps us resist evil. By consciously accepting His guidance, we can make decisions that keep us under God’s protection.

   • Practical: By listening to the Spirit and heeding His impulses in our daily lives, we experience God’s protection deeply.

5. Making Trust-Building Decisions

   • Meaning: To experience God’s protection, we must make decisions that build our trust in Him. Even in difficult situations, we should seek God and remain faithful to Him.

   • Practical: Situations of doubt or fear are opportunities to deepen our trust in God rather than giving in to evil.

In Summary:

God’s protection is a divine promise, but our decisions play a crucial role in how we experience this promise. By:

1. Consciously inviting God into our daily lives,

2. Adopting His truth as the standard for our lives,

3. Resisting evil through prayer and spiritual discipline,

we cooperate with God’s protection.

Final Thought:

Jesus’ prayer shows that we are not to be removed from the world but to be kept in it. This protection is a collaboration: God provides the protection, and we respond with decisions that promote His presence and will in our lives. In God’s presence, we find not only protection but also the strength to resist evil and shine as lights in the world.