I sometimes hear people say if they only knew Jesus better they would be more obedient.
They seek intimacy to be more obedient. This used to make sense to me. Now I know better.
Truth does not stand on the street corner offering herself to every idle by-passer. She lurks in the shadows waiting to be found by those who would search for her.
Some truths are counter-intuitive; they are not apparent or discoverable by commons sense or logic. That is why we we need revelation. That is why the Bible is necessary.
We think if we knew Jesus better we would be more obedient, but the truth is the opposite, and we would likely not discover it but for God’s revelation through Jesus’ words recorded in the Bible.
Jesus said, “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him.” (John 14:21). In other words, Jesus discloses Himself to those who are obedient to Him. Obedience precedes knowledge. The more obedient you are to Jesus the more He will make Himself known to you.
This is not a works mentality. Jesus wasn’t talking about salvation. In John 14, Jesus is talking to His disciples, not to the lost.
As one is obedient to Jesus, he discovers the blessings of righteousness. As his trust is rewarded with the blessings of righteousness he is motivated to trust Jesus more. As he trusts Jesus more, Jesus reveals more of Himself.
True, Jesus may be found in the midst of our sin, but He is known through our obedience. GS