What were we created for?
To know God.
What should our purpose be in life?
To know God.
What does this knowledge of God mean to my life?
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3
God has purposed from eternity that we, His creatures, should find our deepest joy, happiness, and rest in the knowledge of who He is. This knowledge, understanding, of the Almighty God who created all things, knowing and being known by Him, should be the only thing we glory in.
“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24
Again, I would like to quote J.I. Packer from the book Knowing God:
"What are we talking about when we use the phrase, Knowing God?
Knowing God involves:
1. Listening to God’s Word and receiving it as the Holy Spirit interprets it, in application to oneself;
2. Noting God’s nature and character, as his word and works reveal it;
3. Accepting his invitations and doing what he commands;
4. Fourth, recognizing and rejoicing in the love that he has shown in thus approaching you and drawing you into this divine fellowship.
The Bible tells us that we know God in the manner of a son knowing his father, a wife knowing her husband, a subject knowing his king, and a sheep knowing his shepherd. All four point to a relation in which the knower “looks up” to the one known, and the latter takes responsibility for the welfare of the former. This is part of the biblical concept of knowing God, that those who know him - that is, those by whom he allows himself to be known - are loved and cared for by him.
Knowing God is a matter of personal dealing.
Knowing God is more than knowing about him; it is a matter of dealing with him as he opens up to you, and being dealt with by him as he takes knowledge of you. Knowing about him is necessary precondition of trusting him,
“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall t hey believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” Romans 10:14
But the width of our knowledge about him is no gauge of the depth of our knowledge of him. You can have all the right notions in your head without ever trusting in your heart the realities to which they refer; and a simple Bible reader and sermon hearer who is full of the Holy Spirit will develop a deeper acquaintance with his God and Savior than a more learned scholar who is content with being theologically correct. The reason is that the former will deal with God regarding the practical application of truth to his life, whereas the latter will not.
Knowing God is a matter of personal involvement - mind, will and feeling.
To get to know another person, you have to commit yourself to his company and interests, and be ready to identify yourself with his concerns. Without this, your relationship with him can only be superficial and flavorless.
“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
Psalm 34:8
We do not know another person’s real quality till we have “tasted” the experience of friendship. Friends are, so to speak, communicating flavors to each other all the time, by sharing their attitudes both toward each other and toward every thing else that is of common concern. As they thus open their hearts to each other by what they say and do, each “tastes” the quality of the other, for sorrow or for joy.
The emotional side of knowing God is often played down these days for fear of encouraging maudlin self-absorption. It is true that there is nothing more irreligious than self-absorbed religion, and that it is constantly needful to stress that God does not exist for our comfort or happiness or satisfaction, or to provide us with “religious experiences”, as if these were the most interesting and important things in life.
“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1 John 2:4
“He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.” 1 John 2:9
“But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”
1 John 2:11
“Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” 1 John 3:6
“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”
1 John 4:20
But for all this, we must not lose sight of the fact that knowing God is an emotional relationship, as well as an intellectual and volitional one, and could not indeed be a deep relationship between persons were it not so.
Knowing God is a matter of grace.
It is a relationship in which the initiative throughout is with God - as it must be, since God is so completely above us and we have so completely forfeited all claim on his favor by our sins. We do not make friends with God; God makes friends with us, bringing us to know him by making his love known to us.
“But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?” Galatians 4:9
Their knowing God was the consequence of God’s taking knowledge of them. They know him by faith because he first singled them out by grace.
The word know, when used of God in this way, is a sovereign-grace word, pointing to God’s initiative in loving, choosing, redeeming, calling and preserving.
“And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.” Exodus 33:17
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5
“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:14-15
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” John 10:27-28
Here God’s knowledge of those who are his is associated with his whole purpose of saving mercy. It is a knowledge that implies personal affection, redeeming action, covenant faithfulness and providential watchfulness toward those whom God knows.
What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact that underlies it- the fact that he knows me. I am graven on the palm of his hands. I am never out of his mind. All my knowledge of him depends on his sustained initiative in knowing me. I know him because he first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when his eye is off me, or his attention distracted from me, and no moment, therefore, when his care falters.
There is certainly, great cause for humility in the thought that he sees all the twisted things about me that my fellow humans do not see, and that he sees more corruption in me than that which I see myself. There is, however, equally great incentive to worship and love God in the thought that, for some unfathomable reason, he wants me as his friend, and desires to be my friend, and has given his Son to die for me in order to realize this purpose.
He sees all the twisted things about me that my fellow humans do not see, and that he sees more corruption in me than that which I see myself. There is, however, equally great incentive to worship and love God in the thought that, for some unfathomable reason, he wants me as his friend, and desires to be my friend, and has given his Son to die for me in order to realize this purpose.
Quotes taken from J.I. Packer, Knowing God pages 37 & 38
(I highly recommend J.I. Packer's book Knowing God - it is a great place for you to continue this study)
