Knowing God

Each semester the EMI interns are part of a bible study led by staff. The intern coordinators are Phil and Emily and so every Thursday night they have over for dinner and we have a nice evening of fellowship, worship, prayer, and study. Together we are studying the book of 1 John. So far I have really enjoyed our conversations. One thing that has really stuck out to me so far is the idea of what it means to know God. John puts it this way:

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected By this we know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. -1 John 2:3-6

Sounds simple right? John says that if we have to do is keep his commandments and then we will know him. It seems like it should be much more complicated. It seems like it should be more involved than just following a few commandments. And just what are the commandments he is talking about? I am reminded of Jesus’ response to the Pharisees questions about the greatest commandment.

And he said to them, “You shall love the Lord you God with all your hear and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. -Matthew 22:37-39

So to know God is to keep his commandments and to keep his commandments is to love God and his people. But what does it mean to love God? And will loving him more really help me know him more? Don’t I have to know him first before I can love him? It all seems circular.

All of these questions circling in my mind lead me to pick up a book that I started reading a while ago but never finished. The book is Knowing God by J.I. Packer. I am not very far, but in it he outlines what knowing God actually involves. First of all, knowing God is more than knowing about him. One can know all the bible stories and learn difficult theological concepts, but God is much more complex than a few stories or ideas. God is a real and active God with personality traits and moral character. We can learn more by spending quality time with him. Like every relationship, we need communication. He has given us such wonderful tools to do this. We have open communication with the creator of the universe all the time. He speaks to us through his word and we can respond in prayer. All we have to do is be willing. God is already willing and waiting for that relationship with you.

On starting a relationship with God, Packer uses this illustration:

Imagine, now, that we are going to be introduced to someone whom we feel to be “above” us – whether in rank, or intellectual distinction, or personal sanctity, or in some other respect. The more conscious we are of our own inferiority, the more we shall feel that our part is simply to attend to this person respectfully and let him take the initiative in the conversation. (Think about meeting the queen of England or the president of the United States.) We would like to get to know this exalted person, but we fully realize that this is a matter for him to decide, not us. If he confines himself to courteous formalities with us, we may be disappointed, but we do not feel able to complain; after all, we had no claim on his friendship.

But if instead he starts at one to take us into his confidence, and tells us frankly what is in his mind on matters of common concern, and if he goes on to invite him in particular undertakings he has planned, and asks us to make ourselves permanently available for this kind of collaboration whenever he needs us, then we shall feel enormously privileged, and it will make a world of difference to our general outlook. If life seemed unimportant and dreary hitherto, it will not seem so anymore, now that the great man has enrolled us among his personal assistants.

Isn’t this exactly what God has done for us? And he is even greater that the queen or the president. Even though we don’t deserve his love because our sin had separated us from himself, he made a way that we might come back to him and enter into this special relationship. What's even better than the above illustration is that the God of the universe already knows you. He wants you to know him. That is truly an amazing thought.

All of my questions about what it means to know God may not have been answered, but I rest comfortably in the fact that he knows me and paid the greatest sacrifice so that I can know him. My only response can be to continue to search the scriptures to learn his character and follow in his ways. I know this was a long post, but for those of you still reading I hope this has been a blessing.