Knowing God

Knowing God "We must learn to measure ourselves, not by our knowledge of God, not by our gifts and responsibilities in the church, but by how we pray and what goes on in our hearts. Many of us, I suspect, have no idea how impoverished we are at this level." "We are, perhaps, orthodox evangelicals. We can state the gospel clearly; we can smell unsound doctrine a mile away... Yet the gaiety, goodness, and unfetteredness of spirit which are the marks of those who have known God are rare among us... A little knowledge of God is worth far more than a great deal of knowledge about him." - J. I. Packer, Knowing God. Many churchgoers know about God; few know God. We can spill off verses, recite the gospel front to back, and maybe even understand eschatology and apologetics, but few of us claim to have known God and be known by Him. In our devotions, devout study of the Word, and services to God, how horrifying it would be at the end if we were to enter the kingdom of heaven saying "Lord, Lord" yet He answers "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." (Matthew 7: 23) Though we pride in having the accurate gospel, it is not enough to merely know about God. We must desperately seek after Him, understand Him, and have a personal relationship. "This 'knowledge' puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God." (1 Corinthians 8:1-3) "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts, boast about this: that he understands and knows me." (Jeremiah 9:23-24) Of course faithful and diligent study of God's Word is crucial for any kind of spiritual growth. We cannot possibly live for Christ and if we don't even know what His Word says. But what is our aim of reading God's Word? To know more answers to things? To give proper Christian answers? To gain theological knowledge? "To be preoccupied with getting theological knowledge as an end in itself, to approach the Bible study with no higher a motive than a desire to know all the answers, is the direct route to a state of self-satisfied self-deception... Our aim in studying the Godhead must be to know God himself better. Our concern must be to enlarge our acquaintance, not simply with the doctrine of God's attributes, but with the living God whose attributes they are. As he is the subject study, and our helper in it, so he must himself be the end of it." - J I Packer. Studying God's word is merely a tool, albeit an important one, that leads to personal fellowship with God. We cannot take our knowledge lightly, much less pride ourselves in it. Once we know and understand the gospel, there is no turning back. We either accept it or reject it. The more we know, the higher standard we have to uphold, because we cannot plead ignorance. "And the servant who knew his master's will but did not get read or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating... Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more." (Luke 12:47-48) Sometimes I fear gaining too much knowledge, not because I fear knowledge itself, but I fear the condemnation that comes when knowledge merely puffs one up and produces no fruit. So instead of inundating my head with sermons and theological terms, instead give me one good sermon, let me digest it and examine myself and renew my heart to repentance. At the end, knowledge, even accurate knowledge about the gospel and saving grace, does not save. How then do we know God, you might ask? "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments...By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." (1 John 2:3-6) A heart that seeks after God's heart, a life that rests solely upon Jesus, the Firm Foundation, and holiness and love that radiates from a transformed heart are the marks of a true Christian. Do you know God? Does He know you?