Want to know God?

Elkton Road Baptist Church, Athens

Do you know God? Do you really know Him in an intimate and personal way? It is possible to be around the people of God, the things of God and involved in the work of God but not know Him. This seems to be the case with two of the 12 disciples in chapter 14 of the Gospel According to John.

After Judas Iscariot departed to betray Him, Jesus spent the evening reassuring, comforting and instructing the remaining 11 disciples concerning what was about to take place; that being Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection and then His ascension back to God the Father. Just after Jesus said they knew where He was going and the way He was going, Thomas confessed that he did not know and asked how could they know. Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). If we honestly confess that we do not know and ask how to know, God always will answer, revealing how to know without rebuking us. Did Thomas know then? It doesn’t appear that he knew since John 20 records Thomas’ refusal to believe Jesus is alive without seeing and touching Jesus for himself. When Jesus appeared again, He does not rebuke Thomas but instructs him to believe. Then Thomas believed, confessing “My Lord and my God” (John 20:27–28). Thomas now knew God by knowing Jesus Christ and believing Him to be who He had always said He was.

Following His initial answer to Thomas, Jesus had said, “If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him.” Philip, the other disciple that did not know, asked for Jesus to show them the Father. After spending three years in Jesus’ presence, with Jesus’ people and even doing the work Jesus instructed him to do, Philip did not know. Jesus once again gave a simple answer, instructing Philip to believe Him (John 14:7–12).

If you want to know God, He said, “And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). In order to know God, you must believe in Jesus with your heart.