You Can't Live What You Haven't Learned

You Can't Live What You Haven't Learned: Knowing Christ in Ephesians 1

There's a difference between knowing about someone and truly knowing them. In Ephesians 1:15-23, Paul prays that the church would grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, not just in facts or religious language, but in a real, living relationship. That distinction changes everything about how we live out our faith.

Why Insider Church Language Can Get in the Way

Every community has its own language, and the church is no different. Acronyms, theological terms, and churchy phrases can make longtime members feel at home while leaving newcomers feeling lost and on the outside.

But the deeper problem isn't the vocabulary. It's when we mistake familiarity with the language for actually knowing the Lord. We can learn to say all the right things and still miss the heart of what it means to follow Jesus.

The big idea is simple: you can't live what you haven't learned.

What Does It Mean to Truly Know Jesus?

Knowing Jesus isn't about memorizing scripture, earning degrees, or attending church long enough. It's about relationship. You could memorize the entire Bible and still miss out on truly knowing Christ.

Paul writes in Ephesians 1:17-18: "I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Him, so that with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which He has called you."

The Ephesians Paul was writing to were largely new converts, many of them poor, uneducated, and without a long history of faith. They didn't have the full scriptures. What they had was the power of God meeting them right where they were. And Paul said that was enough, because they were coming to know Jesus as a person.

Three Essentials Paul Prays the Church Would Know1. Hope: A Hope That Doesn't Depend on Circumstances

The first essential Paul prays for is hope. Not the kind of hope that comes from seeing all the signs fall into place, but the kind that comes simply because God wants to give it to you.

There are seasons in life where nothing looks promising. Plans fall apart. Situations don't resolve. And yet the Lord shows up and says, "I am with you." That presence is the source of Christian hope.

We are also called to be extensions of that hope to others. When we offer a word of peace or show up for someone in a dark moment, we become a reflection of the Heavenly Father to the people around us.

2. Inheritance: Receiving the Mission of Jesus

The second essential is understanding the inheritance we've received. Paul points to a vision from Isaiah 11 of a world where justice reigns, the vulnerable are protected, and the knowledge of the Lord covers the earth like water covers the sea.

"They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountains; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." - Isaiah 11:9

Looking around at the world today, that vision can feel far off. Division, violence, and suffering are real. But the inheritance we receive isn't just a future promise to wait on. It's a mission to participate in now.

We receive this inheritance not because we earned it or deserve it, but because God wills it. And with that inheritance comes a responsibility to carry the way of Jesus into the world.

3. Power: Living It Out Through the Risen Lord

The third essential is power. Paul describes the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at the right hand of God as the power available to those who believe.

"God put this power to work in Christ when He raised him from the dead and seated Him at the right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named." - Ephesians 1:20-21

Jesus reigns supreme. But here's the remarkable thing: He chooses to work through His people. He gives us hope and inheritance so that even when we haven't yet seen the fullness of His kingdom, we can still live it out. We surrender to His lordship and say, "Whatever you ask of me, I'll do it."

When the Church Has Gotten It Wrong

It's worth being honest here. The church has sometimes used what it "knows" to exclude people rather than welcome them. We've decided who deserves God's grace and who doesn't. We've spoken poorly of people made in the image of God, people whom God loves deeply and wants to know Him.

Knowing Jesus should make us more generous with grace, not less. The scripture is clear: let the Lord deal with wickedness. Our job is not to fight against people but to bring the love, mercy, and justice of Christ into every space we occupy.

How Do We Restore God's Fullness to the World?

The call isn't simply to plant more churches or post more scripture in public places. It's to be people who pour out the love, mercy, righteousness, and justice of the Lord wherever we go.

The knowledge of the Lord spreading across the earth doesn't happen primarily through legislation or memorization. It happens when someone says, "I want to introduce you to the person I know. I want you to have the kind of relationship with Jesus that I have."

That's how the kingdom expands. Not by force or performance, but by invitation and presence.

Throughout history, the church has started orphanages, funded education for children who had no access to school, and responded to global disasters when no one else could get in. The Church of the Nazarene, small as it is in the grand scale of the world, has been welcomed into disaster zones specifically because it shows up with the love of Christ in action.

That's what it looks like to live out what we've learned.

Life Application

This week, move beyond knowing about Jesus and take one intentional step toward knowing Him more personally. That might mean spending time in prayer where you actually listen instead of just speaking. It might mean sitting with a passage of scripture and asking, "Lord, what are you saying to me through this?" It might mean looking for one person in your life who needs hope and choosing to be an extension of that hope to them in a practical way.

The challenge is this: don't just carry the language of faith. Carry the presence of the One the language points to.

Ask yourself: