Beyond Scriptures: My Journey in Knowing the Person of Jesus Christ
- The Perfect Church Child
It was Christmas morning.
I sat in the sitting room dressed in my princess ball gown, Christmas cap perched proudly on my head, flowered lace socks pulled up neatly, and my sparkling “koin koin” shoes completing the look. Christmas was easily my favorite day of the year because it meant one thing: I would get to attend the children’s Christmas party organized by the church.
I always looked forward to it. The choreographed dances, the drama presentations, the rice and chicken, the gifts, and of course, the memory verse recitations. I was exceptionally good at those. Give me a microphone and a Bible verse, and I would recite entire passages without missing a word. Sometimes up to ten lengthy memory verses in one sitting.
The applause from the congregation, the money adults sprayed into my hands, the approving smiles from my Sunday school teachers, and the proud nods from my parents- nothing in the world could beat the satisfaction I felt in those moments.
If there was a report card for Sunday school, I would probably have graduated with distinction. I knew the stories. I knew the verses. I knew the songs. To everyone around me, I was the perfect church child.
But beneath all of that, I did not know Jesus.
At least, not personally.
- Knowing About Him, But Not Knowing Him
Looking back now, I realize that my relationship with God was built mostly on information and performance. I knew what David did when he faced Goliath. I knew how many days Noah spent building the ark. I knew that Jesus turned water into wine and fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fishes.
But I knew these things the same way a student knows facts for an examination.
The stories lived in my head, but they had not yet reached my heart.
I thought being a Christian meant attending church faithfully, reciting Scriptures accurately, and behaving well enough to earn the approval of adults. That was all I had known. As far as I was concerned, I was doing an excellent job.
Then SS1 happened.
For the first time in my life, I left the familiar comfort of home and found myself in a boarding school. There were no parents reminding me to pray. No Sunday school teachers asking me memory verses. No one monitoring whether I had read my Bible that day.
It was just me, alone with my faith.
What remained when the applause disappeared? When there was no audience anymore? When church became a choice rather than a routine?
Those questions quietly followed me through my first few months as a boarder.
I did not know it then, but God was about to introduce Himself to me beyond the Scriptures I had memorized and the church activities I had mastered.
- The Sundays That Changed Everything
Sundays in school quickly became something I looked forward to after attending fellowship once. It reminded me of home.
There were vibrant worship sessions, drama ministrations, and opportunities to sing and dance again. In many ways, it felt familiar. It felt safe. It felt like the version of Christianity I had always known.
So, I threw myself into it wholeheartedly.
I attended fellowship meetings faithfully. I sang the songs with enthusiasm. I participated in activities and listened attentively to the messages. Yet, unknown to me, God was using those seemingly ordinary Sundays to begin unveiling a truth that would change my life forever- a truth I had somehow missed despite spending years in church.
Week after week, I listened as different speakers talked about having a personal relationship with Jesus.
Not knowing about Him.
Not knowing Bible stories and memory verses.
Knowing Him.
At first, I did not fully understand the distinction.
Wasn’t that what I had been doing all my life?
Hadn’t I grown up in church?
Hadn’t I memorized countless Scriptures?
I had even won several Bible quizzes and competitions and was known for my knowledge of the Bible.
But the more I listened, the more uncomfortable I became.
The messages seemed to be exposing a gap I never knew existed. I began to realize that it was possible to know the Scriptures and still not know the Author. To talk about Jesus without talking to Him. To be familiar with church culture and yet be unfamiliar with His voice.
It was possible to perform Christianity without experiencing Christ and that realization, shook me.
Because if I was honest with myself, most of my faith had been built around what people could see: the recitations, the activities, the attendance, and the applause.
But what happened when no one was watching? What happened in the quiet moments when it was just me and God?
The answer was difficult to admit.
I knew about Him, but I did not truly know Him.
And interestingly, that fact bothered me.
What began as excitement for Sunday fellowship slowly became a journey of discovery- a journey that would take me beyond Scriptures, beyond routines, beyond performance, and into a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.
- The Sermon That Unveiled the Truth
That fateful Sunday, the atmosphere felt no different from every other fellowship service I had attended. The choir sang. We prayed. Announcements were made. Everything followed the familiar rhythm I had grown accustomed to until the sermon began.
The message centred on knowing Jesus beyond the Scriptures.
As I listened, something stirred within me.
It felt as though every message I had heard in the weeks leading up to that day had been preparing my heart for this particular moment. The preacher spoke about the difference between knowing facts about Jesus and actually knowing Him. He spoke about relationship, intimacy, and fellowship with Christ.
With every word, it felt like layers were being peeled away from my understanding of Christianity.
For years, I had mistaken familiarity for relationship.
I knew His miracles.
I knew His parables.
I knew His genealogy.
I knew the books.
I knew the verses.
But did I know Him?
That question echoed repeatedly in my heart, and the answer was painfully obvious.
“No!”
Not in the way the preacher described.
Not in the way Scripture described.
Not in the way God desired.
I saw my faith for what it truly was- a collection of knowledge without intimacy, information without transformation, religion without relationship.
Yet instead of condemnation, I felt invitation.
Invited into something deeper.
Invited into a relationship that was not based on performance, perfect memory verses, church attendance, or the approval of people.
Invited to know Jesus for myself.
And as the altar call was made, my heart raced.
I cannot remember every word the preacher said that day, but I remember what God was saying to me:
“I want more than your knowledge of Me. I want your heart.”
- Beyond Scriptures
In that moment, the little girl who had spent years reciting Scriptures realized that eternal life was not found in simply knowing verses about Christ. It was found in knowing Christ Himself.
What happened that Sunday was not an introduction to Jesus.
I had heard about Him all my life.
It was an introduction to a relationship with Him.
Slowly, my prayers became conversations rather than routines. My Bible became more than a book of stories and memory verses; it became a place of encounter. Worship became more than songs and choreography; it became an expression of love.
The Scriptures I had memorized as a child suddenly came alive because I was no longer reading them merely to know what Jesus did, but to know who He is.
That Sunday marked the beginning of a journey I am still on today- a journey of discovering His character, experiencing His faithfulness, hearing His voice through His Word, and learning daily that Christianity is not merely about mastering Scripture but allowing Scripture to lead you to the person of Jesus Christ.
Because beyond every verse, every sermon, every doctrine, and every church activity stands one central figure- Jesus.
- A Final Reflection
As I reflect on my journey so far, I am reminded that God’s ultimate desire has never been for us to simply accumulate knowledge about Him, but to know Him intimately. Jesus Himself said, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).
The Apostle Paul, despite his vast knowledge and accomplishments, still counted everything else as loss for the surpassing privilege of knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8–10).
If you find yourself where I once was- familiar with church, comfortable with Scripture, yet distant from the person of Jesus- I encourage you to go beyond the pages and pursue the Author.
Open your heart to Him.
Spend time with Him in prayer.
Read His Word not merely for information but for encounter.
For “you will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
The greatest discovery you will ever make is that Jesus is more than a story to be learned or a doctrine to be understood; He is a Savior to be known, a Friend to be loved, and a Lord to be followed.
Know Jesus for yourself, today!
