WHY KNOW GOD?

Last week I set about to make the distinction between knowing about God, and really knowing Him. I borrowed some thoughts from J I Packer's book, "Knowing God".  I believe the distinction is huge, and the impact on our Christian life is also huge.  

Why would I say that? Well, consider how important the following things are to us as Christians.

Belief:  Can I believe what God says is true?  God, through the Bible, tells us about the most important things in life.  It is absolutely essential for me to know whether or not they are true.  For example, can I really believe it when the word of God says if I trust in Jesus I will be saved from my sins? How could I ever make the decision to believe what the Bible says if I don't really know the author?  There are atheists who know lots about God.  They just don't believe any of it because they have failed to know Him.

Faith: My Christian life means sometimes I will be required to step out in obedience to do things that are beyond my own abilities.  That requires faith.  Why would I ever take such a chance if I hadn't learn to trust or have faith in the one who is leading me?  Our faith grows as we see God prove Himself faithful in our lives.  Whether it's faith in God or in a person, it grows and solidifies as I get to know that person better and better.  

Hope: The world we live in today doesn't offer much hope.  It's filled with wars, violence, immorality, economic problems, and natural disasters.  On the surface there doesn't appear to be much hope.  Our hope comes from knowing God, secure that He is going to take care of us both now and for eternity.  If I don't know God, the world doesn't really offer much hope.

Peace: The Bible promises that as Christians we can have peace that passes understanding. It comes from Jesus Himself, the Prince of Peace.  As we've been discussing in our Christian Living Academy, that kind of peace seems to be elusive and is not a reality in most of our lives. The answer comes from a growing relationship with God, a close daily walk with the author or peace.

Service: Is my life a life of service to God?  As I read the Bible I learn that there are certain things God expects of me as Christ follower.  The question is this; is my service grudging and coming from a sense of duty, or does it flow willingly from a heart that wants to please God?  I may perform acts of service because knowing about God tells me it's my duty, or I can willingly, even anxiously, choose to serve God because I love Him.

Love:  Jesus said the greatest of all commandments is to love God with everything that is in me. Can I love someone that way if I don't really know them?  Today we see lots of people who are infatuated with celebrities they have never met.  Is that love?  Of course not.  Love requires that we get to know someone and develop a relationship with them.

I have a feeling that quite a lot of Christians are satisfied just to know about God.  We learn about Him by being in church, maybe remembering things we learned as a child in Sunday School. We may even pick up our Bible once in a while.  It's no wonder we are far from experiencing the abundant life that Jesus said is available to us as children of God.  

By contrast, what an amazing life God has in store for us if we communicate with God and learn to trust Him and worship Him and develop a close loving relationship with Him.  God has a wonderful life for us if we are willing to go beyond knowing about Him, and really come to know Him in a personal intimate way.  It's our choice.  What have you chosen?