Knowing God - Part 1

If we as believers decide we want to know God better, how do we go about that? How can we know what God is really like? Is it just that some people have a special insight to understand God, that the life experience of certain people reveals God to them, or that it just gradually happens as people get older? In other words, is there anything we Christians can do to purposefully increase our knowledge of God, or is such a thing completely out of our hands?

It would be discouraging and frustrating to want to know God better and realize there is nothing we can do to facilitate that goal. Previous posts (Afraid to Know God series) have revealed that God wants us to know Him and even instructs us to do so. It would then stand to reason that God has provided a way for us to obtain that knowledge.

At first glance, it would seem that the initiative and responsibility rest with the believer - that a Christian must purpose to seek to know God and must work to achieve that knowledge. It is clearly evident, however, based on a multitude of Scripture, that it is God who takes the initiative. God chooses to reveal Himself to man.

"For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (II Corinthians 4:6). Of His own volition and for His own purposes, God reveals and discloses knowledge of Himself. The verse above is just one of many declaring that God reveals Himself and various aspects of His nature to people. Repeatedly God states that He makes Himself known. (See also Exodus 6:3 and 29:46; Numbers 12:6; I Chronicles 17:19; Nehemiah 9:14; Psalm 9:16; 48:3; 98:2; 103:7; 106:8; Isaiah 19:21 and 64:2; Jeremiah 16:21; Ezekiel 20:5,9; 35:11; 38:23; 39:7; Romans 9:22; Hebrews 8:11).

In addition to God the Father, the person of Christ also reveals the knowledge of God. "And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true" (I John 5:20a). Part of Jesus' ministry was to reveal God to us. "Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him" (Matthew 11:27b). Through His life and through His words, Jesus helped to show what God is like. (Also Luke 10:22 and John 17:26).

The Holy Spirit also assists in revealing God to believers. Jesus disclosed that the Holy Spirit would come to reinforce His ministry as the Spirit would "teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you" (John 14:26b). The Spirit continues and enhances the revelation of God that Christ Himself began. "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God" (I Corinthians 2:12).

God in all of His persons reveals Himself to believers. This is encouraging truth, as it gives assurance once again that knowledge of God is possible. God is willingly disposed to reveal Himself. There is also a sobering aspect to this truth; we can know God only if He chooses to reveal Himself to us. If God were to withhold knowledge of Himself, there would be no way for anyone to know Him. God's deliberate and voluntary disclosure is the only way that we can know God.

Moses prayed, "Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You" (Exodus 33:13).

Paul's prayer recognized the necessary interaction by God: "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him" (Ephesians 1:17).

Jeremiah's prophecy records God's own words revealing His necessary role: "I will give them a heart to know Me" (Jeremiah 24:7).

Romans reveals how man can know anything about God. "Because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them" (Romans 1:19).

Man cannot know God unless or until God reveals Himself and gives man a heart to seek Him. God can choose to open man's understanding and show things that were not previously known. God can arrange a man's life to facilitate that knowledge. (Isaiah 48:6 and 45:3; Job 37:7).

These explanations could lead to hopelessness in the pursuit of God. Maybe there really is nothing a believer can do in order to grow in his knowledge of God. Such knowledge seems completely dependent on God's decision of whether or not to reveal Himself to man. Again, we are reminded of the wonderful reality that God wants to reveal Himself and is looking for opportunities to do so.

God is able to reveal Himself most effectively to those who are seeking to know Him. More than once God reveals that "If you seek Him, He will let you find Him" (I Chronicles 28:9). He will even provide leaders to help those who are seeking to know Him. "Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding" (Jeremiah 3:15).

The Bible makes it clear that we are to seek to know God. There is responsibility on us. It is also clear that our own seeking is ultimately not the enabling factor. All of our seeking would be worthless if God did not choose to reveal Himself to us. God has proactively established ways of revealing Himself and has committed to utilize those methods when we seek. Let us then seek diligently while relying dependently on the kind volition of God to reward our seeking and to keep our hearts in a seeking state.

"Give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies." Psalm 119:125 (NASB)