Do You Know God?

Colossians 2:2-3 - that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

The Barna Group did a study that said that 

everyone has a worldview, but relatively few people have a biblical worldview - even among devoutly religious people and

 only 9 percent of professing born again Christians have a biblical worldview. In other words, most people who call themselves Christians live as the world lives, not how the Bible says we should. 

The question arises: Who is God? The answer is simple: He is the ultimate source of truth, according to the scripture above. With that truth, why would we search for a worldview answer? Scientists are not generally professing Christians. They need to have a definitive answer to everything without a belief and faith in an Almighty God. Sometimes they stumble for answers and cannot find solace in believing something "just is" because God created it. 

Then there is the question: What is eternal life? John 17:3 - And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. There's the answer! Another simple truth. Eternal life comes only through the intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ. Not a general knowledge but a personal knowledge. It's a knowledge that must be sought. It doesn't come from just the idea that if one goes to church they're doing their duty to God.

I've mentioned this before. There is a difference between knowing who God is and knowing God. It's not just the knowledge about someone, but knowing them intimately, like a husband knows a wife. We need to have an intimacy with God; it's a spiritual intimacy...learning about Him and knowing His nature. 

In Philippians 3:10-11, the apostle Paul proclaimed: I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. This scripture tells us a myriad of things: To know Jesus changes us: we can become like Him...know His sufferings...and receive eternal life. This is an intimate relationship. This is knowing Him. I've asked God to let me see things through His eyes. He has shown me, in the grand scheme of life, just a small glimpse of His suffering. I think it helps us to realize more what He went through for us. 

God also tells us what He would like. He wants us to know Him...intimately. He begins to open our eyes to who He is when we decide to make this decision. That's exciting. Jeremiah 9:23-24 - Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD. It's not all about the things we have and do in our life on earth. It's about knowing and understanding Him. He promises us much when we know Him. He promises us eternal life, above all other things.


What I'm getting to is this: although one might be a good, selfless, humble, person, these things mean nothing without the intimate relationship with Christ. That's a very hard word. The way to eternal life is narrow, as Jesus has pointed out. We can say we know who Jesus is, but it's not the same as knowing Him intimately. I struggle with this and have occasionally let my feelings be known to the Lord (not that He doesn't already know) by saying "there has to be a place in heaven for a person like this." But in all honesty, we just don't know. It's all in God's hands only  God has the answer.  A very hard word, and frankly one I don't like to think about.


God is not middle of the road, suitable to all because of what they believe. With Him it's all or nothing; black or white, not gray. Just being a basically good person doesn't make it. This saddens me because I know a lot of basically good people who don't want to hear this because they want to believe what they want to believe.

Society thinks that tolerance is good and embracing diversity better, that God would not keep a basically good person from entering heaven. But there is only one way to heaven and eternal life. That Way is the Truth, mentioned above. His name is Jesus. Through our knowledge of the mystery of God and the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, His ways, His nature, His promises. He gives us the only thing we can truly cling to when all hell breaks loose in this world...hope. Choose to know Him, not just know of Him.

Philippians 4:19 - And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.