An Interview With The Author Of “Knowing Jesus"

Tawnya & Scott Landis
Apr 27, 2023

What is Knowing Jesus Really Like?

For more than two millennia, we have been given the responsibility of understanding who Jesus is, despite the numerous rumors and speculations about His true identity. Traditionally, religion and the church have relied on the Bible to educate us about Jesus. However, what if I told you that there is a simpler way to know Jesus?

In a recent episode of the Awakened Life Podcast, I spoke with Dennis Deardoff, a pastor and the author of the book "Knowing Jesus: Discovering How Jesus Lives as Me." During our conversation, he explained how effortless it can be to know Jesus truly.

Explore this article to uncover Dennis Deardoff's fresh approach to comprehending the essence of Jesus.

How did you overcome the challenges you had of your own paradigm, and how is it going now?

In the beginning, I felt impassioned and burdened by the Lord to know Him more. That passion opened up to me a new paradigm of understanding my relationship with Him and God. I came to realize that I didn't need to seek a personal relationship with Jesus I was already living as Jesus, as God says in Gal. 2:20. I don't try or choose to live as Christ, God says that my life is Christ, and I have no other life. I now live in union with Him and enjoy a deep level of connection that is profound and mysterious.

As Christians, are you supposed to have a connection or relationship with Jesus, or are you supposed to live as Jesus?

It may be hard to grasp at first. One of the other verses that also spoke to me of this truth is Colossians 1:27, which says, “For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you, Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.”

I read that verse hundreds of times, and all of a sudden, it hit me. Whoa! He doesn’t live just in a part of me. He actually lives in me as His body. I am His body. I am His manifestation to the world. That took a major shift in my spiritual paradigm. And the more I searched and opened that up, the more the reality became clearer. It's like switching your lenses; you're looking at the same thing but with different lenses. And now you're seeing things that you didn't see before.

Is Jesus the living example of Christ? Should we be like Jesus to live as Christ?

No. He is one and the same. Jesus is revealed in my body. I am His vessel. We all are. However, as much as it is our body, it actually belongs to Christ. And this is how Christ revealed His body to the world. 

But can we say that we are Christ? No. We are just His vessel. He is light, and we are just His instrument.

Does shifting paradigms make you automatically reject your previous beliefs?

No. It is God who brought me to where I am now. Shifting paradigms does not mean abandoning all your beliefs, but rather, you can look at it as God redirecting you. My previous beliefs were a great avenue to keep me grounded and develop my thoughts. However, now, my eyes are beginning to open to the revelation. Thus, my awakening.

Is your new paradigm fully backed by the Bible?

Yes. But this is looking at it through a new lens. It may be controversial for some people because we have been told how to operate and interpret the Bible. Our current practice of interpreting the Bible actually goes back to the father of Christian theology, Augustine. He told his understudies to take his doctrine and overlay it on the Scriptures. By doing so, they were able to interpret the Bible. And that’s what we’ve been doing.

Why did they need to interpret the Scriptures accordingly through their lens?

In the first centuries, Christians had various opinions and ideas. There were different kinds of ways that people described Jesus. There were no real set doctrines and codified rules. However, Christianity was flourishing. Thus, getting rid of heresy was the best option to consolidate power. At this point, Christianity became bound to a set of doctrines. And if you did not oblige to the doctrines, you’ll be annihilated or martyred. 

Although their intentions were well-meaning—to eradicate heresy and guard Christianity—by the time you do that, you take away the job of the Holy Spirit—to guard the truth.

Where is the place for teachers and pastors if it is the Holy Spirit’s job to guard the truth?

There is a lot of place for them. Their place is to help unfold the reality of Christ in us, not to tell us what we need to do. Because the truth is, we already live and move and have our being in God. We’re not separate from God. We are His manifestations. We are His expression to the world. And we’re already His children. And bringing Christ into it gives us an understanding of what He looks like. We look like Jesus. 

Does saying in your mouth and believing in your heart that Jesus is Lord mean you’re already saved?

Yes. There is a time when we make a choice and say that we accept that Jesus is Lord and that He is our life. We are saved through His life. But the greatest testament of faith is probably Mary herself. She had neither seen nor had a physical relationship with a man, yet she was told that she was pregnant and would give birth to the Son of God. Mary had a real conundrum—how to get her head around that. However, she came to a resolve to just let it be and accept it as God has said.

Conclusion

You might be wondering whether Awakened Life is a Christian-oriented brand. Simply put, I founded Awakened Life because I felt somewhat disconnected and sensed a void. In a recent interview with Dennis Deardoff, I realized that it's acceptable to embrace and be awakened by fresh viewpoints.

This subject is fitting for my brand since we are receptive to all sorts of paradigms. Through my podcast, The Awakened Life Podcast, where I conversed with Dennis Deardoff, I aim to challenge and disrupt established paradigms.

If you're interested in delving deeper and gaining insight into what it truly means to know Jesus and how my guest, Dennis Deardoff, underwent a paradigm shift, tune in here.