“Do I Truly Know Jesus?”

A personal reflection on 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith…

This question tugs at my heart, and I cannot ignore it. I ask it first of myself: Do I truly know Jesus, or do I only know about Him? Have you ever asked yourself this question?

My journey began in a home where God and church were foreign words, and even the name of Jesus was used harshly. Yet one morning, when I was six years old, everything changed. After a night when my parents had been drinking and fighting, I went for a walk and heard beautiful singing from a nearby house. A man came out and asked if I would like to come in. I said yes, and he took my hand. I’d been told, as all children are told, “never speak to strangers”, but something inside me told me it was “Okay”. That day, I learned about Jesus and the song “Jesus Loves Me,” and it was the beginning of a love that has only grown stronger with time. It was not about what I lacked, but about the gift I received: a living encounter with the Savior.

Even now, I pause to reflect on my heart and my walk with Him. I consider whether my days, my habits, and even my cherished traditions truly draw me closer to Jesus or sometimes distract me from Him. I examine myself quietly and gently, desiring to grow in intimacy with the Savior and to place Him at the center of my life. This reflection is not about judgment or blame, but about opening my heart to His guidance and love.

Jesus did not come to give me mere traditions. He came to reconcile me to God and to draw me into a living relationship with Him. He said, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Eternal life is not about knowing facts about God; it is about knowing Him. That truth pierces me, reminding me that faith is not something I visit occasionally. It is a life, breathed and lived in His presence every day.

Scripture calls me to examine my heart continually. Isaiah warned, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Jesus confronted religious leaders who knew the Scriptures but failed to recognize Him. He said, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” The Word is meant to lead me to Him, not merely to teach me about Him.

Even now, I must examine myself with honesty and humility. Church attendance, rituals, familiarity with faith, they cannot replace a heart that truly walks with Jesus. Faith is not knowing facts; faith draws me closer, changes my desires, and deepens my love for His Word. James reminds me, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder.” These words fuel my reflection, reminding me that true belief transforms my heart, not just my knowledge.

The resurrection reminds me why keeping Jesus central matters. Paul wrote, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” Nothing is more foundational than the cross and the empty tomb. Yet I must remain alert. It is easy to let traditions, customs, and familiar celebrations, even those meant to honor Him, take His place. I ask myself gently: Am I holding Him at the center, or have I allowed other things to fill the space meant for Him?

The beautiful truth is that Jesus never turns away a heart that truly seeks Him. God promises, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” He knows me. I know His voice. This is not distant religion. It is a living, loving relationship, the closeness God desires for every soul.

My heart aches for the thought of anyone living surrounded by faith yet missing the joy of truly knowing Him. Jesus’ words are sobering: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.’” These words call me to examine myself continually, to measure my heart by the Word, and to ensure that my devotion is personal, real, and alive.

Yet His promise is full of hope. Anyone who sincerely turns to Christ will find Him ready to receive them. His heart is open to those who seek Him. Knowing Him is the greatest treasure my soul can ever find, and it is my prayer that I never settle for anything less.

I am reminded again that my faith is not in traditions, rituals, or familiarity alone. It is in the living God who meets me wherever I am, who calls me into relationship, who waits patiently for me to seek Him with all my heart. My journey began with a childlike step into a house with singing, and it continues as a lifelong pursuit of knowing Him, not just about Him. This is the treasure I desire above all else, and it is the one I hope to hold firmly, now and for eternity.

A Prayer of Reflection

Heavenly Father,
I come before You with a heart that longs to know You more fully. I confess that at times I may have been familiar with Your name, Your Word, or the traditions of faith, yet my heart has wandered or grown distracted. Forgive me when I have allowed anything, even good intentions, to take the place of truly seeking You.

Draw me closer, Lord. Help me to hear Your voice above all else, to recognize Your presence in every moment, and to follow You with a heart that is fully Yours. Teach me to examine myself honestly, to align my thoughts, my actions, and my desires with Your Word, and to cherish our relationship above all else.

Thank You for never turning away a heart that seeks You. Thank You for Your patience, Your grace, and Your unfailing love. May my life reflect the joy of knowing You, and may I treasure You above everything else. Lead me, guide me, and keep my heart ever tender toward You. In the Name of Jesus I pray…Amen.

Scripture References ~ KJV

1. John 17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
2. Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
3. Isaiah 29:13 “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nigh me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.”
4. John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
5. James 2:19 “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
6. 1 Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ be not raised, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”
7. John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
8. Matthew 7:21, 23 “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven… And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Additional Scriptures for Examining Your Faith

9. 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
10. Lamentations 3:40 “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.”
11. Galatians 6:4 “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.”
12. Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
13. 1 John 2:3-5 “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected.”