What does it mean to have a "saving knowledge" of Jesus Christ?

Question

Isn't that Gnostic, the idea we are saved because of any knowledge we have?

Answer 1

It's not saying you are saved by knowledge but instead it is saying that, if you act on your knowledge of knowing about Jesus Christ and ask him in your heart you will be saved. Also it says that you know that through Christ you can by saved.

Answer 2

No, it isn't a Gnostic idea. A saving knowledge of Jesus is knowing who He is, what He has done and what that means in my life and acting on it. A simple example of saving knowledge: If someone came rushing up to your house, banged on the door and said, "Quick, get out your house is on fire"! and you looked around, sniffed the air and realized it was so, then leaving would be having a saving knowledge.

The ideas of the Gnostic's were that they had found "secret" information and that this information saved them and set them apart as Enlightened. They believed only a few, "special" people could have this special enlightenment. All the rest just get to do without!

I experienced this saving knowledge when I was 18. I was suicidal after a childhood full of sustained abuse and emotional violence. I was planning to kill myself. Some people shared their experiences with Jesus and what the Bible said about Him with me. I decided to act on the knowledge they imparted to me. I asked God to forgive me for where I had sinned and to become my God, to rescue me from pain and despair. I asked, He did. This is the only way in which "knowledge" saved me, it did by pointing me to Jesus Christ. He did all the real Saving!!!!!!

Answer 3

This can best be demonstrated by seeing how the Jehovah's Witnesses think of knowledge about Jesus and God. They translate John 17:3 as, 'This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.'

Now, check out the subtle difference in all other translations, such as, 'Now this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.' (NIV)

JWs think they can 'earn' more 'holy spirit' the greater their knowledge is. That is akin to gnosticism especially as one must believe the knowledge that is exclusive to their group. They spend great amounts of time every week studying and think that subscribing to many doctrines is an essential part of being saved.

Christians know Jesus by being brought into a personal relationship with him. Big difference. One does not need six months study and passing an oral exam on doctrine before obtaining permission to be baptised. They simply realise Christ died to save them from their sins, repent and ask God to forgive them. The genuine seeker is then adopted into God's family as his child and a Father/child relationship begins with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Alas, less than 1% of JWs believe they can ever be adopted as God's children, no matter how much knowledge of God they take in! Hugh difference, uh?

Answer 4

What we need to know is that Jesus died, although he did no sin, so that we would have the opportunity to follow his example and be saved.

When we are baptised we are told we 'put on Christ'. We identify with his suffering and death on our behalf.

We are told that just as Jesus was crucified and later resurrected, so we go down into a symbolic death and come up to a new way of life.

The idea you mentioned in your other question of not taking bread and wine is totally opposite to what Jesus instructed. He said to do it as often as possible in memory of him. It defeats the whole object of that remembering if you don't do it.

Answer 5

No, the knowledge is that of a spiritual, not simply intellectual, nature, that of knowing God by hearing and believing the gospel of Christ, the Divine Son of God made flesh, by full hearted repentance and faith, faith in Him and His blood (not Rome or one''s own works), to save unworthy sinners, and thus receiving His Holy Spirit (Jn. 1:1, 14; 3:36; Acts 8:36-39; 20:21; Eph 1:13). .

(1 Tim 2:4) "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

(John 17:3) "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

(Gal 4:6-9) "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. {7} Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. {8} Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. {9} But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?"

(Col 2:8-9) "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. {9} For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

The above verse is actually contrasting the "Gnostic knowledge" with that of Christ. The Gnostic religion with it's phantom Christ is hardly cohesive or uniform, nor at all Biblical, but it is non-sense: http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/thedavincicode.html

As for the ignorant poster who denies Christ is alive and supposes we cannot know Him, here as a few "effects" that testify to this "cause":

http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/amazing /
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4136610474021109864
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3682855866783766146
http://www.truthsaves.org/testimony/
http://www.crosssearch.com/People/Personal_Christian_Homepages/Topical/Testimonies/
http://www.christian-faith.com/truestories.html
http://www.truthsaves.org/testimony/
http://www.shelovesgod.com/library/testimonies.cfm
http://breadsite.org/topics.htm

(Acts 3:19) "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;"

Answer 6

It means the same thing as I having a "saving knowledge" of Elvis Pressley, who is now risen from the dead and sits at the right hand of God. In other words, it doesn't mean a damn thing. Nobody can have any authentic or actual knowledge of a person who died almost 2000 years ago. Any claim of that nature is patently absurd and is not based on a single fact whatsoever. Yet, Xians I've met constantly inform me that they possess knowledge that I do not. Using a species of Ad Hominem fallacy, they tell me that if I were not spiritually blind, I'd immediately see the truth of their absurd religion. This is known unofficially as the Emperor's New Suit fallacy. Remember the Hans Christian Anderson story? It's very important. The conmen claimed that only those who possessed good taste and high culture could see their magic fabric. Of course, nobody could see a damn thing including the Emperor, but nobody wanted to say "I see nothing" because then they'd be admitting to having no good taste and refinement! Religion is the same thing. It's a con game, the oldest known to mankind. Those who believe this crap claim to have a "gnosis" or special knowledge of the truth of their faith (I hear it from Muslims too.) which the "spiritually blind" cannot know. One should interpret "spiritually blind" as a compliment as it really signifies a person who gives credence to a statement based on its evidential and factual value as opposed to belief based on whimsy and caprice.
The "spiritually blind" man calls 'em as he sees 'em. The Xian says "I know Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour", the "spiritually blind" man says "I do not believe your claim. The Emperor (God) is completely naked!" Unfortunately, many are too chicken to admit that they really don't believe this religious BS at all, because then that'd be tantamount to an admission of lacking gnosis or being "spiritually blind".


So remember, all ye who claim to know Jesus, long dead and gone, that I can claim to know Napoleon, Julius Caesar or Elvis in some kind of "spiritual" way and my claim is equally as valid as yours!

Answer 7

It means nothing to me. Salvation is not by any knowledge one might have, but only by grace (God's free gift), through faith in Jesus Christ.

Answer 8

Trust, rely, depend on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation from the penalty and power of sin.

Answer 9

It means to have knowledge of salvation and His redemption. It refers to How Jesus died to save us from our sins so that we will have access to heaven. John 3:16

Answer 10

It means coming into a personal relationship with Christ, by confessing & repenting of your sins, & asking Jesus to come into your heart., & to retore the relationship that had been broken by sin.