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Jesus talked about some who did all sorts of works. Jesus had this to say to them: “I never knew you (Matthew 7:22-23).” They even worked miracles but didn’t know Jesus and He didn’t know them. The word “knew” in this Scripture is the same word that’s used of a man “knowing” his wife so she has a baby. It speaks of that kind of intimacy. That’s the kind of intimacy that happens when we listen to the Father’s voice and yield to His grace to the point that He does His works through us and the Seed of Christ is planted in us.

“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone (James 2:17-18).” And works that are not by grace through faith are also dead.

Hebrews 11:6: “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.”

Know that if you seek God you will find Him.

Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh (body) I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

If you have been born again, you have already been crucified with Christ. You live in a physical body, but you don’t live by that physical body. You live by faith. You flow in the River of the Holy Spirit, and He controls the flow.

Ephesians 6:16: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.”

Faith acts as a spiritual shield, protecting us from the attacks and lies of the enemy.

Ask God to answer these questions.

1. What does it mean when Jesus says, “I never knew you”? That is, what kind of intimacy does the word “knew” describe in Matthew 7:23?
2. In this meaning of the word “know,” why is knowing Jesus so important?
3. What does it mean to you for your faith to have works?
4. Why are works dead if those works have not been done by grace through faith? (You might have to think about this for a while.)
5. What does it mean to seek God and find Him?

Bonus questions:

1. What does it mean to live by faith instead of being ruled by the carnal mind?
2. How does faith protect you from the enemy?
3. Why is faith without works dead?
4. What happens to works that are not done by grace through faith?
5. Why is faith necessary to please God?
6. What two things must you believe to draw near to God? (It’s in the third paragraph in the article.)
7. What does it mean to be crucified with Christ?

1. Pray for the Lord to protect you and keep you in His presence and His presence only.
2. Direct your mind toward the Lord only.
3. Ask God what He want’s to talk about.
4. You can ask God any questions. In all of this, be led by the Holy Spirit. God promises that He will answer you if you ask Him.
5. Do not edit or change what God says even if you don’t understand it.
6. Reject the lies and receive the truth.
7. Take notes.
8. Transfer your notes to your journal without editing what God said to you.

Keep in mind that God doesn’t want you to ever disconnect from Him. He wants to flow through you constantly in knowledge, wisdom, and love. Learn to stand in God’s presence and hear His voice. Then teach others to do the same.

Fishbone (Cause and Effect) Diagram Exercise

Draw a cause and effect diagram that makes sense for this unit. You can read more about cause and effect diagrams in (Fishbone Diagram Info). This simple tool can help you understand how to make things work, why things aren’t working, or why things are happening in a certain way. Review the article and find the most important effect you want to look at and put that in the box on the left end of a line. From the center line, draw one branch for each cause. Think of the branches as streams feeding into the main river that leads to the effect.

Let the Holy Spirit lead you in this. (Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.) Take what you learned, your notes or what you produced and videotape yourself. Be a kid influencer for Christ with your own social media platform by uploading your video as God leads.