John 6:44–45 “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me.”

As Christians, we all learned about God and His Christ through someone or something. We were drawn to Him in different ways. Some were attracted to God through the humble study of Scripture, while others were drawn by the testimonies and experiences of believers.

Each of us has benefited either from the testimony of others or directly from the truth revealed in God’s Word.

However, if you have spent many years in the faith and still depend entirely on the knowledge and experiences of others without discovering Christ for yourself, then your relationship with Him has not matured as it should. You may be growing in age and years of ministry, but not necessarily in wisdom and the understanding of God’s ways.

Only those who have learned from the Father and are taught by God truly come to Christ and learn His ways. The disciples learned directly from Jesus because the Father drew them to Him. Therefore, an important question remains: What is your own testimony of your walk with God since you began following Him?

What have you learned directly from His Word that has transformed your life and strengthened your relationship with Him?

Many Christians depend heavily on the testimonies and experiences of their leaders. They can speak about the encounters of others, but when asked to share their own experience with God, they struggle to do so. They testify about what God did in the lives of great men and women of faith, yet they have little personal testimony drawn from their own walk with Christ.

There comes a stage in a believer’s life when he begins to hear from God personally through His Word. This was the experience of the people of Samaria. At first, they believed because of the woman’s testimony, but later they said that they believed because they had heard Him for themselves. If you have not yet reached this stage, your spiritual growth is being hindered.

When you rely only on what others say, you remain vulnerable. You must discover the truth for yourself through God’s Word. Personal conviction and revelation bring lasting freedom from the power of sin.

It is unfortunate that many people defend the words of men more passionately than the Word of God. They are eager to follow human personalities rather than follow the Lord and grow into His likeness.

We were redeemed to recover the image that humanity lost in Eden, but we grow into His likeness by learning in His presence. This is what leads a believer toward spiritual maturity.

A personal encounter with Christ is necessary if you are to have a genuine testimony about Him. Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” They gave various answers. Then He asked, “But who do you say that I am?” The most important answer was not what others believed about Him, but what they had personally discovered.

While the testimony of others can introduce us to Christ, our own testimony confirms our faith in Him. This is why some believers fall away when spiritual leaders disappoint them. Their faith was built upon a person rather than upon Christ Himself.

God has no grandchildren; He only has sons and daughters. He desires to speak to you personally, not merely through human intermediaries.

If you have not developed a personal relationship with God through genuine encounters with Him, then your spiritual life remains incomplete. It is those whom the Father draws to Christ who truly come to Him and remain in Him.

God directs His children through His written Word. As they read the Scriptures, He speaks to them personally and reveals truths that nourish and strengthen their souls.

We may learn from others, but the word of man is never the final authority. The Bereans listened to the apostles, yet they searched the Scriptures daily to confirm whether what they heard was true.

Through Christ, God has established a Father-son relationship with His people. Before Christ came, God sent prophets and teachers to instruct His people. But since the veil was torn, believers have direct access to God through Jesus Christ, the only mediator between God and man.

Jesus commanded His disciples to teach all nations. Their purpose was to introduce people to Christ, not to themselves.

A student naturally grows to resemble his teacher. This is why many people end up reproducing the image of their leaders rather than the image of Christ.

How can you reach the stature of Christ if you are not learning directly from Him?

Your understanding of Scripture is often influenced by the teacher who trained you. You may speak like them, think like them, and adopt their mannerisms. But the question remains: When will you begin to think and act like Christ?

Many spiritual leaders have reproduced followers after their own image, just as Adam reproduced after his own kind. As a result, many believers reflect the characteristics of men rather than the character of Christ.

Remember, it is those who bear the image of Christ who will be qualified to see His face. God is not looking for replicas of famous men but for disciples who resemble His Son.

Only Christ has the power to reproduce His own character in those who submit to His authority and teaching.

The danger of becoming a copy of another person is that you may inherit not only their strengths but also their weaknesses, limitations, and flaws.

Jesus alone is holy, pure, and without blemish. Through His blood we have redemption and forgiveness. It is only those who follow Him who can become like Him and grow toward perfection in His sight.

Those who are discipled by Christ learn to recognize His voice and refuse to follow strangers. They are the Lord’s sheep, and the wolves of this world cannot snatch them from His hand.

May we not merely know about Christ through others, but may we know Him personally, be taught by God, and be transformed into His image.

Prayer: That I may know you and the power of your resurrection and the fellowship of your suffering, in Jesus name amen.