It's Who You Know

You've heard it before, I'm sure. "It's not what you know; it's who you know." It's true. Well, sometimes. "I know the boss" is all well and good, but if you don't know how to do the job, it shouldn't be that helpful. But sometimes it's true. And in one particular case it is not merely true; it is critical.

Jesus said something interesting in His High Priestly prayer in John 17. He said His job was to "give eternal life to all whom You have given Him." (John 17:2) Then He explained,

And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3)

I'd guess that we don't normally think of eternal life like that. Eternal life is life given to those who believe that lasts an eternity, right? I mean, it's not that complicated. Except Jesus said it this way instead. So if eternal life is life that lasts an eternity (it only makes sense) and it is knowing the Father and the Son, how does that work?

Clearly Jesus is speaking of the source of eternal life. That is, the Father is the source of eternal life which is given to all who believe in the Son. That's not too complicated. No, not too complicated, but incredibly significant. Eternal life is not something we can earn. It is not something we can work toward or achieve or arrive at. We don't have what it takes to earn it and we don't have what it takes to supply it. But we knew that already, right? "For by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight." (Rom 3:20) And "We hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." (Rom 3:28) And more. Yes, we know that much.

I think, though, that we're not as clear on the point Jesus made. You see, we're truly saved by grace through faith apart from works (Eph 2:8-9), but it's not merely to salvation, to justification. We are saved by knowing God. Paul says by faith "you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God." (Gal 4:9) It isn't on the basis of a clean slate with God that we get into heaven -- get eternal life. It is on the basis of a real relationship with God. Jesus is our propitiation (Rom 3:25) which means He has taken God's wrath for us. That doesn't just mean we can walk away without fear. The point of removing God's wrath is so that we can know God. The point of removing what blocks a relationship with God is so that we can have a relationship with God.

This is why it becomes so significant when Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (John 14:15) Not because keeping His commandments saves, but because keeping His commandments is a sign of a real relationship -- love. John keyed off this when he wrote, "And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments." (1 John 2:3) There it is again. To know Christ and to love are synonymous and testable.

Testable? Yes. John goes on to say,

Whoever says "I know Him" but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in Him: whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked. (1 John 2:4-6)

In work or in life it is sometimes true that it's not what you know, but who you know. That's what makes networking so helpful at times, for instance. But in eternal life it's absolutely true. Eternal life is defined by Who you know. And this "know" isn't merely "knowledge about." It is a living, breathing, love relationship with the Father and the Son. Not some act or presupposition, but a genuine and intimate relationship that changes how you act and think and live. If you believe you know God but don't see a change in your behavior, the Bible says you're a liar and the truth is not in you. If that's you, you might want to look into that.