“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20).
WE CAN’T KNOW ALL OF GOD, BUT WE CAN STRIVE TO KNOW MORE OF HIM THAN WE KNOW AT PRESENT. The fact that we are limited in our ability to comprehend God shouldn’t keep us from learning as much as we can. And we shouldn’t underestimate how much of God can be learned by a human being. God created us in His image, He designed us for fellowship with Him, and He intends us to know Him deeply and joyously. It would be a mistake to be content with anything less.
In any realm of human activity, it’s important to remember that the value of our work does not depend upon total perfection. Just because a thing is imperfect doesn’t mean that it has no significance at all, and this is certainly true of our knowledge of God. Some things about God can be known truly, even though He can’t be known completely. And whatever the limits may be on our knowledge of God, we need to be eagerly trying to reach those limits. We ought to want to know all that we can know of God.
At the practical level, of course, learning more of God comes down to learning more of Jesus Christ, in whose life God illustrated Himself in ways we can understand. It was to one of His disciples that Jesus said, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9). If we wish to know more of God, we must saturate our minds with the Scriptures which tell us of Jesus Christ.
Coming to a greater knowledge of God is a thing we would have no right to do if it weren’t for God’s grace. But because of grace, knowing God is a goal that deserves the very best of our courage, our diligence, and above all, our love. “Eternity will not be long enough to learn all he is, or to praise him for all he has done, but then, that matters not; for we shall be always with him, and we desire nothing more” (Frederick William Faber).
“Is there any greater need than that we get to grips with the living God, that we understand the discipline of God, that we learn the truth of God, that we accept the will of God, that we fulfill the purpose of God, that we know the resources of God, that we realize the power of God, and that we radiate the peace and love of God?” (Travers V. Jeffers).
Gary Henry — WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com
