Knowing God

 June 1, 2022

What do you know? Sometimes we think we know more than we do, and other times we know more than we care to know. Peter talks a lot about knowing, beginning with knowing Jesus. “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord’  (1 Peter 1:2). The question that comes to my mind is, “What does it mean, to know God?” Some people I imagine would equate knowing God with good feelings in prayer or worship, but knowing someone doesn’t necessarily mean feeling good in their presence. I know people who don’t make me feel good when I’m around them. 

We sing, “I want to know You; I want to see your face; I want to know You more,” but how do we measure our knowledge of God? Peter gives us a few clues.

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.” 2 Peter 1:3 NLT

In other words, a godly life is evidence of knowing God. Verse 4 adds, “escaping the corruption in this world through lust.” Am I escaping it or entangled in it? Verse 8 adds growth in knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love, and fruitfulness. Knowing Christ goes beyond knowing my Bible, attending church, etc. Only if the qualities enumerated above are increasing in me can I say I know God.

I suppose everyone would like some inner witness, some “liver quiver” to assure them that they know Christ, but if that is what I am looking for, I am looking for something outside the witness of the Word of God. Such a quest puts more stock in feelings than faith. Looking to Scripture provides the only reliable assurance, as Jesus himself testified, “If you love Me, keep My commandments…He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

—John 14:15, 21 NKJV