[The] Second major theme [is] knowing Jesus Christ. In no less than thirty references, you will find words like this: "Fellowship", "Abiding", "Knowing Him", "Walking in the light", [and] "The life of Him". All of these little phrases you find coming over and over in 1st John. These words speak about relationship. It's not enough to have the doctrine of Christ in it's place, as important as it is. It's not enough to have it in it's place. We can't do that and say, "I'm safe,". That's not enough. It must go deeper than that. It must be a known a of Jesus Christ. John was all wrapped up in a relationship with the Living God, who is Jesus Christ our Lord. that's where John was at, that's where he lived, that's the way that he walked. For sixty years upon this Earth, that's what made his Christianity lifelong. He had a knowing relationship with the Son of God. That is what also make our Christianity will make our Christianity lifelong. Nothing else, nothing more, and nothing less will make our Christianity a lifelong Christianity. There must be a relationship with Jesus Christ. That's got to be number one. It's got to be a priority to us.
Many times, we have lots of decisions to make. I was counseling with someone recently, and they are trying to find a way, and they were not sure what to do about this, or what about that. I told them, and it sounds so simplistic, but it's true, "You keep your relationship with God number one, and if that is I it's rightful place, you will know what to do about all other things. But if you lose sight of that sweet relationship, and then you have decisions to make, I can not promise you that you will make the right decisions if He is not the altogether Lovely One in your heart and life. We lose sight, and we won't make right decisions.
What was John saying? The faith that was once delivered unto the saints was the faith of faiths that cause a man or a woman to be able to know God, and walk with God, and to be able to love God with all of their heart, through Jesus Christ. That is the faith. Oh, let us put it way up there where it belongs! A man can know his God, a man can have an intimate fellowship. We are to walk with him.
Someone said to me not long ago, "How do you witness to a religious person? How do you tell a religious person about Jesus Christ? Because, they have so much right. They do things right, their morals are right. How can you tell them about Jesus Christ,". This is what I said to him: "Your point of witness is relationship. Whether you're talking to a Catholic, an Amish man, a Muslim, or a good Baptist, your point of contact is relationship. That's the difference between religious and Christian relationship. So, that's your point of contact,". A vibrant, ongoing, knowing relationship with God will speak to that man or that woman's heart. No one can gainsay that.
Oh, some of the opportunities we've had to witness to the Muslims over in Northern Africa! How do you witness to them? They do everything right, they believe in morals, they believe in modesty, they believe in coverings, they believe in being honest, they believe in all kinds of things, they even believe in the Old Testament. What can you do? Talk to them about God. They don't believe that you can know this God that they are talking to. They pray five times a day to him, but they will tell you, "We are not allowed to know this God that we pray to,". Oh, if you can go to them, and not just giving them the doctrine of knowing God, but if you can come to them out of a vital reality yourself, and tell them that you can know God, and tell them that you know God, you have a point of contact where you can reach them. And I tell you, if you speak to them in that way, they don't have anything to say. That's when they start listening. Before that, they want to argue about who Jesus is, about who Mohammed was, about the New Testament, about whether it's good or bad, or whether it was right. They have all kinds of arguments, but when you begin to speak to them about a relationship with the living God, they have nothing to say, because they have not, and they know they have not, and you are saying that you have one. That puts a big question mark in their mind, and they are ready to listen, and you can tell them about Jesus, and how precious He is to you, and you can win them by your life.