Theophilus? Who's Theophilus? Good question. No one knows for sure. But the name means, "friend of God" or "lover of God." Who is a friend or lover of God? I suppose anyone who seeks to put God first in their life, who pursues a relationship with God. A "Theophilus" us more than just a person who wants to know about God, the curious. A "Theophilus" wants to know God personally, intimately, thoroughly.
The only way to know God is through Jesus. Luke penned twenty-four chapters about the life of Jesus. In them he declared Jesus as God's one and only son who lived a perfect life, taught, healed, performed miracles, revealed the true nature of God, died a sacrificial death on a cross for the sins of all mankind for all time, and rose again on the third day.
Is Jesus for real? Did He really raise from the dead? Luke verifies it through numerous witnesses and notes Jesus remained on the earth for forty days before He ascended into heaven.
But becoming intimate with God is more than just knowing Jesus or believing Jesus is God's living son or accepting Jesus' substitutionary death as payment for my sin and making Him Lord of my life. God provided the means for truly knowing Him through the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit which He freely gives to every believer. You can know God through nature but limitedly. You can know God's standards through the Law of the 10 Commandments, but limitedly know God. You can catch a glimpse of God studying the life of Jesus. But you can only truly experience God, become intimate with God through the Holy Spirit. God, thank you for Your Holy Spirit living in me so that I can know you, experience you, understand your truths, sense your prodding and direction and correction and power.
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