Want to know God?

First Baptist Church, Irvington

The title of this column is “Want to know God?” The question is important and deserves careful consideration. First the question assumes there is a God. Paul dismisses the futility of idols by pointing to the one true living God in 1 Corinthians 8:6, “Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.” Belief in the one true living God of Scripture is a matter of faith in the Scriptural testimony.

Secondly the question assumes the one true living God can be known. God is not a distant unknowable deity shrouded in mystery. He is not a God who desires to be known from a distance.

Thirdly the question assumes a certain kind of knowledge of God is possible. Jesus told the religious leaders of His day that they did not know God. I’m sure they knew more about God than anyone else in the first century, but they didn’t know God. Listen to Jesus’ words, “It is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’ and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him … and keep His Word” (John 8:54–55).

Knowing God requires understanding who He is, what He has done to make a relationship with Him possible, what He requires of us and a personal response to these things. Paul succinctly tells us, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9).

Finally the question assumes a person may have some desire to know God. After Peter had preached the gospel on the Day of Pentecost the Scripture says the crowd was “pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’” (Acts 2:37).

Do you want to know God? You must believe there is a God who can be known and demands a personal response to His offer of salvation. This must be something you desire for yourself.