Just as you gave him authority over all mankind, so that he might give eternal life to all those whom you have given him. And eternal life is this: to know you, the one true God, and him whom you sent, Yeshua the Messiah. John 17:2-3
The difference between being a “christian” and a true believer and follower of the Son of God is simple. The christians follow their man teacher and their bible for instructions. A man of God, a man who is one with the Son as the Son is one with the Father, he gets his strength and instructions from the Lord, not man or a bible.
The number of times I have seen people go to church, hear a message and get something from it, maybe it even convicts them a little bit. But then they go back to the world and act the same, nothing has changed in them. And many times it gets worse because you know the truth yet you do not follow it. Why?
Because men and the bible are religions, not God and they have no authority. Over the years I have read all kinds of books including the bible many times over, and the books I read all are about instruction on how to do things better, more efficiently and in ways to get the best results. I could care less about reading a romance novel or anything else than books of instructions.
Same with the people I listen to on podcasts or youtube. They are people who can give me some information I need to know. Like this morning I ran across a video about fatty liver, and being my liver supposedly is a little bit fatty, I listened. The title was about how to get rid of fatty liver in 6 days. It had very good information from a guy I have listened to a lot and trust. He pushes natural ways to fix things and more so natural ways to live life so these things do not happen to us.
Here is the main point, when I listen to these things or read these things, I implement what they are saying. If it works, then great. If it does not then I will stop using it. Normal or most people hear something and then go back to the way they always did things. For example one of the main reasons for fatty liver is either bad carbs and alcohol. I stopped consuming both the day I found out I had a possible problem. I still am not trusting the results of the test, but at the same time it is better to be safe than sorry, I lose nothing to stop my wine intake and home made bread in the morning and other carbs. But many people want the easy way out and do not change, so they run to a doctor, get some meds, and it makes things worse. My wife’s first husband drank himself to death, he could not stop drinking.
Here is the real point however, it has to do with authority. We see a god on our level, waiting to get instruction from us by praying. The prayers of most are Lord, do this and that my way in the name of Jesus. And nothing happens. We like the idea of being one with God but we want him one with us on our level and in our way. Not his much higher level and in his way. But the true God does not bend, he does not come down to our level and accept it. He demands we do things his way and that way brings us up to his level.
So man ignores this light, or does not let it into their life, why? Because people do not want to change, they want God to get rid of the liver problem without stopping the carbs and drinking. They do not trust God, they say they do but when the rubber meets the road they do not. They do not seek his way and truth, instead they seek a doctors way and men teachers way, and make them to be gods way. But they are not and never will be.
When you get to know God, because you are hearing him and obeying him. Then you know his authority and you will know there is no other option except to obey him. The shame you feel from his light, also has in it the way out or the truth, it is mixed. You cannot receive the truth without it condemning you and showing you how wrong you are in what you do.
This is why Yeshua told the disciples they were one with him as he is one with the Father. This verse also kills the doctrine about the Holy Trinity, because if you are one with God, then you also are Holy, you cannot be in sin and unholy and one with the Lord at the same time. That is like being in the dark of the night and light of the day at the same time. Or hot and cold at the same time. You might be luke warm, which the Lord said he would take you in his mouth and spit you out if you are. He prefers you either be hot or cold. If you are hot you are one with him, if you are cold you are not. If you are lukewarm it means you see his truth and might even be trying to be good in his eyes, but not with his authority and power so you fall short, and keep a side of you very much a part of the world.
This last description of a lukewarm christian is the majority of church goers and bible followers. You can NEVER be one with the Lord and Father doing this, there is no authority of God in your life, only an authority of some words from men or a book with no power.
I watch these fake believers stay in their sin and I know why they do, and then watch them make up excuses for the dysfunction they allow in their life and others. And it always comes back to this one thing, they are not one with the Lord and walk with him in Spirit and Truth, which the true believers worship in Spirit and truth. The truth is in Yeshua not in a bible, man teacher or religion. We cannot substitute these things for a serious relationship with the Lord.
Many times I am taught about John 3:19-21 and I share it. Today the main part of the verse as it jumped out to me was “ And eternal life is this: to know you, the one true God, and him whom you sent, Yeshua the Messiah.” Keep in mind Yeshua is the light as spoken of in John 3, so he is saying exactly the same thing once again. We must know him, both the Father and the Son, which if you know the Son you also know the Father because they are exactly the same. You can hear either of their voices and not differentiate which one it is. They are the same, they give exactly the same message.
So you have a choice to either continue going through this life, falling short of the glory of God because you do not know him and obey him. Or truly tie into his authority and do his will. Being one with him as he is one with the Father.