Why Should I Know God?
First of all, He created you and loves you fiercely. Second, you were designed to live in fellowship with Him, and without Him, you will never find the highest place designed for you in life.
There is nothing more important or valuable in life than getting to know God personally and intimately. He has the answer to everything we confront in life and desires to help us in all things.
John 17:3 – And this is life eternal, that they might know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You hast sent.
Philippians 3:8-10 – That I may know Him. This is the greatest heart cry a Christian can have. From this cry comes the cry, “that I may make Him known.”
A close relationship with God is the most important thing you can develop in life. Without knowing God personally intimately you will never be fully complete or fulfill the purpose for your life, and you will always have a sense of something missing or lacking.
John 15:4-5 – The degree of abiding will be the degree of fruit bearing. The value and power of what you do in life is dependent on how well you know God and abide in His presence.
How can we know God better?
STUDY THE WORD – God has given us His Word to reveal Himself to us. We get to know God’s character through His Word.
Jesus came to show us God. He is the expression of God’s character. God made Himself a man in Christ so we can see Him. Christ is the revelation of God, the express image of God Himself.
Hebrews 1:1-3 – God spoke in the Old Testament in many portions and ways, but in the New Testament He spoke through the Son, the exact representation of His nature or character. Character is essential qualities, an individual’s pattern of behavior; personality. Jesus came to show us God’s character. Through watching Jesus in the Gospels, we see God’s pattern of behavior.
Matthew 13:35 – Jesus came to show us things about God that had been hidden since the foundation of the world. In the Old Testament God was revealed partly and partially; part of Him was hidden.
Titus 3:4 – The kindness of God and His love for mankind appeared. This is the part of God we see clearly in Jesus.
John 1:14, 16-18 – The Word (Logos – the expression and thoughts of God) became flesh. Jesus has explained God. We beheld His glory.
Colossians 1:15 – Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God.
Matthew 11:27-30 – The Son reveals the Father.
Jesus demonstrated God in the Gospels.
What was His purpose in coming? He came to bring us salvation, but He also came to reveal God to us.
John 10:10 – I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). (AMPLIFIED)
1 John 3:8 – The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done]. (AMPLIFIED)
Acts 10:38 – How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him. (AMPLIFIED)
This is His ministry summarized: He went about doing good (not bad) and healing ALL who were oppressed by the devil. Why did He do this? Because God was with Him and He did what God wanted to do – and still wants to do. Notice He met needs of all who came. He never turned any down or told them to wait. Jesus was the will of God in action. He did ONLY what God, our Father wanted Him to do. (John 5:19; 5:30, 36; 8:26, 28-29, 38; 10:25,32; 12:45; 14:7-9; 17:6)
Renew your mind from a wrong picture of God to a right picture of God by studying Jesus. He is still the same! He is the same towards you!
Accept and appropriate what you see in the word. Purposely reject anything in your beliefs (including Christian tradition) that doesn’t line up with the Word. Replace your thoughts with God’s thoughts concerning what He is like and what He will do.
We learn what He is like through His Word, but to know Him intimately and personally, it will take spending time with Him.
PRAYER AND FELLOWSHIP – Spend time developing your relationship with God; take as much time as it takes – the pursuit of God is more important and more valuable than any other pursuit in life!!!
My next post will give some specific steps you can take in prayer and to near to God effectively.