How Well Do You Know God?
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“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3).
Within each of us, there is this desire to love and to be loved – to know others and be known by them. It’s human nature. But the truth is, the people we know like that are very few and far between.
If we’re honest, most people we call “friends” are really nothing more than acquaintances – people we know but aren’t truly intimate with. Others we know about, but we don’t really know. Maybe they are people from work, or people you’ve met at church and see on Sundays. Neighbors maybe?
We might know some of their likes and dislikes, what sports teams they root for. Or we might get together once in a while, but you have to ask them, “hey, are you guys okay with… (whatever you’re serving)?” Even some of our extended family members might fall into that category.
Then, our spouses. If you’re anything like me and have been married as long as my wife and I, well, you finish each other’s sentences. You know how and what they’re feeling without them saying a word – and the same goes the other way. My wife usually knows how I’m going to answer something before I do. And then there’s our family. We don’t just know about our immediate family, we know them very personally.
Then there are those who we know are our friends in the truest sense of the word. We trust they’ll do what they say, and we know they’d sacrifice for us. We can talk to them from the heart. No games, no hidden agenda. They say that we can’t choose our family but we can choose our friends. But sometimes, they are one and the same.
These friends are pretty rare. To get and keep such a relationship can be a challenge. And because we are human, they can be broken. Save for One.
“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).
What about God?
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24).
You must know that we have this human nature to love and be loved and to know and be known because we are made in the image of our Creator. That must mean that He has those same desires. To love us and to be loved by us. To know us and to be known by us.
Well, He clearly already knows everything about us. We have no secrets from God. And He clearly loves us enough to have sent His son to die on our behalf so that our sins could be forgiven and we could spend eternity with Him.
But how well do you know Him? Which category is He in? Do you truly know God, or do you simply know about God? Is your relationship close and personal, or it more distant? How do you see Him? How do you perceive Him? Do you trust Him – I mean, really trust Him? With everything in your life?
See, it’s so easy to get complacent about God. It’s so easy to say we believe – and we do – but that is kind of the extent of it. It doesn’t go beyond our head to make its way down to our heart.
Today we find so many who are rather casual about their relationship with the Lord. We find this to be especially true for those who were brought up in the church. Believing in God was just something they’ve always done. I should know – that was me for many years. In fact, I wasn’t just casual, it was even less than that.
I was brought up going to church, listening to sermons, going to Sunday school, receiving communion – you name it. I did and said all the things I was expected to do. With all the sermons I had heard, I knew quite a few of the verses and stories. And because of that, I thought I knew the Bible. But beyond that, zip. Before long I recognized that while I believed, God meant nothing in my life. Sunday was just a day to go to church.
Then everything changed and God showed me what had been missing – a real relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. I learned that God has no grandchildren, only children. And I decided I wanted to be a child of God.
We so often see in homes or posters, signs with Jesus’ words, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock” (Revelation 3:20). Many see it as an invitation to non-believers. That is inaccurate. Jesus’ words are spoken to the people within the church in Laodicea. The words were directed at a church that Jesus said was lukewarm – neither hot nor cold. He said words that amounted to “you make me sick and I’m about to vomit you out of my mouth.”
Jesus had more to say for this lukewarm church that would seem to apply to so many Christians today.
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see” (Revelation 3:15-18).
That was me before. Casual in my faith. Lukewarm. Neither hot nor cold. When I came around, words from an archbishop from Uganda, Henry Orombi, opened my eyes. He said, “It is so hard to be a Christian in America, because you have everything and don’t need God.” He pretty much echoed what Jesus said some 2000 years ago.
I have often said that we do not grow closer to God through prosperity – we actually step further away. It is no secret that here in the U.S., we are among the richest nations in the world. God’s message to Laodicea could have been for us here. Casual Christianity has become commonplace.
So, time for a direct question that only you and God can answer. Where do you stand in your relationship with the Lord? How well do you know Him? Intimately, or casually? How “casual” are you about your faith? Are you lukewarm – neither hot nor cold?
Don’t you think it’s time to get serious about this? Don’t you think it’s time to let that relationship drift down from your head to deep into your heart?
Jesus is standing at the door of your heart and knocking. He wants to sit down and get to know you – and you Him.
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Revelation 3:8).
What Difference Does It Make?
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23).
There is a thought that seems to have become common among some, that all we must do to be saved is to believe in Jesus. Yet, that message is simply not correct. Jesus Himself taught that not everyone who calls out, “Lord, Lord” is going to make it to heaven. Their hearts simply aren’t in it; it was nothing more than lip service. As James, the brother of Jesus, said, “So you believe there is one God! That’s great! But even the demons believe that!” (James 2:19).
Some think if we follow the rules and rituals of the church, then we’ll be fine. Of course, sometimes that has no impact on their lives the rest of the week. Yet, Jesus taught quite clearly that we are to be ready at all times for Him.
Jesus told a great many parables. One of those was about the ten virgins who were waiting for the bridegroom so they could attend the banquet. Of the ten, five had enough oil for the bridegroom’s late arrival. The other five were unprepared and ultimately locked out of the banquet. When they came to the door, the answer was “Truly I tell you, I don’t know you” (Matthew 25:1-13).
When He was speaking to Nicodemus in John 3, Jesus said to the Pharisee, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Being born again means born not just of the flesh, but of the Spirit. And if we are born of the Spirit, then we don’t just believe in Jesus, we know Him in our hearts.
Truly knowing God is so much more than a simple belief that He exists. It is so much more than mere knowledge about Him. Truly knowing God means an intimate, deeply personal relationship. It means knowing He is right there with you through His Spirit – watching over you, guiding you, and directing you. It means you trust Him with anything and everything. It means giving up your life to Him, through Christ.
How Do I Get There?
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).
Knowing God more intimately is a vital part of our faith journey. But what that journey looks like – what path we take – can determine how strong that bond grows.
Don’t feel like you want to? Understood – and so does He. Tell Him, and ask Him to help you want to want to. Then let it begin.
Jesus is the key. Our salvation is in Jesus alone (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). Jesus revealed that anyone who sees Him sees the Father. He taught us that He was in the Father and the Father was in Him (John 14:9-10). To know God, we must know Jesus. Start by reading the gospels, one chapter every day.
Prayer. At first, you might feel like you don’t know how to pray. But that doesn’t matter – just speak what you’re feeling, whatever is on your heart. Start with the Lord’s prayer, even in your own words. Pray Psalm 63, especially verses 1-4. Pray whenever you think of it. Stuck in traffic or a long line? Say thank you, Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Here’s a prayer to get you started:
Father,
Help me to become the man or woman you created me to be. Help me to be who I want to be in Christ Jesus. Help me to accomplish whatever works you have prepared in advance for me to do. Help me to live my life through the fruit of your Holy Spirit. Help me walk with compassion, mercy, grace, forgiveness and humility. Help me to change how I think, how I feel, how I act and how I speak. Thank you, Father.
God’s Word. It is only through the Bible that we come to know God’s character, His promises, and what He has waiting for us (1 Corinthians 2:9). Make it a habit and set aside time. Other things can be put off – tv, social media, email, text messages – all of it. Download a Bible app onto your phone and use it.
Trust me, once you start, you won’t want to stop.
Fellowship and community with other believers. No church is perfect because we humans are not perfect. But find a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church that is true to God’s word. If they offer small groups or home study groups, participate. Even a “mega-church” grows smaller as you get involved (Hebrews 10:25).
Knowing God Changes Everything
When we truly know God, everything seems to change. Our priorities, our perspective on things. We begin to see things differently, in a better light. Our lives will be transformed. Not immediately, of course, but over time.
Yes, we can know God more intimately, even if we feel we know Him now. And knowing Him better can help us better reflect His love, His mercy, and His grace in our lives. But, in the end, it’s up to each of us personally. You can choose whether to continue living out your faith casually or to get serious about a relationship with the Lord.
Something to remember: unlike our relationships with other people, we will never be surprised by God, except in a good or great way. And the relationship can never be broken or fall apart.
At this point, it is entirely your choice. You can build your house on sand and hope the winds don’t blow, or you can build your house on the rock that is Christ Jesus.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” (Matthew 7:24-27).
Photo credit: Unsplash/Tachina Lee
Greg doesn’t pretend to be a pastor, a theologian, or a Bible expert, but offers the perspective of an everyday guy on the same journey as everyone else – in pursuit of truth.
Greg can be reached by email or on Facebook @ Greg Grandchamp - Author.