I WISH I KNEW GOD BETTER

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     We can ask this question to many people:  “Do you believe in God?’ and they will answer in the affirmative.  However, they do not truly “know” God.

 

B.      The same could be said of some Christians.  They believe in God, but they do not really know Him.

 

C.     Perhaps you may have said:  “I Wish I Knew God Better.”

 

D.     This is a wonderful desire.  And, it is possible for all of us to know God better even though we have never met Him face-to-face.  Let’s examine some things we can do to become better acquainted with God.

 

I.                    WE CAN STUDY NATURE TO KNOW GOD

 

A.     It is God who created the heavens and the earth.

1.       Exodus 20:11a

 

For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is…

 

2.       Psalm 33:6

 

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

 

3.       Revelation 4:11

 

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power:  for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they were created.

 

B.      As we view the Creation, there are several things that we can come to know about God.

1.       He exists.

2.       He is a powerful God.

3.       He is deity.  He is on a higher plain than man.

4.       Romans 1:19-20

 

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.

 

C.     Man has been hindered from knowing God from this avenue due to two things.

1.       Man is so caught up in other things, he has never taken the time to contemplate the God of nature.

2.       Man has been convinced by false doctrine that God did not create these things.  Instead, we are told that all things have evolved over eons and eons of time.  They are the result of time, natural selection, the survival of the fittest, and mutations.

 

 

 

II.                 WE CAN STUDY THE BIBLE

 

A.     The Bible is God’s revelation to man.

 

B.      In this book, He manifests information about a multitude of subjects. 

 

C.     One of those subjects is “God.”

1.       He exists (Gen. 1:1).

2.       He is a living, personal being (Matt. 7:11).

3.       He is composed of three beings:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (John 15:26).

4.       He possesses wonder qualities.  A website entitled:  www.theattributesofgod.org, there is a list of 33 traits God possesses that are revealed to us in the pages of the Bible.

a.       He is immaterial, that is, He is a spirit being (John 4:24).

b.      He is infinite, that is, limitless in all the attributes He possesses (1 Kings 8:27; Job 11:7).

c.       He is self-existent, that is, He did not have a beginning (Exo. 3:14; John 5:26).

d.      He is eternal, that is, without beginning and without end (Deut. 33:27; Ps. 90:2.

e.       He is self-sufficient, that is, God does not need anything provide to exist (Ps. 24:1).

f.        He is perfect, that is, He possesses no moral flaws (1 Sam. 2:2; Jms. 1:15).

g.      He is life, that is, He is the very source of life itself (Job 12:10; Acts 17:25).

h.      He is immutable, that is, He never changes (Mal. 3:6; James 1:17).

i.        He is love (1 John 4:8, 16).

j.         He is omnipotent, that is, all powerful (Jer. 32:17, 27; Luke 1:37).

k.      He is omniscient, that is, He has all knowledge (Rom. 11:33).

l.        He is omnipresent, that is, He is in all places at all times (Ps. 139:7-10; Heb. 4:13).

 

III.              WE CAN EXAMINE JESUS CHRIST

 

A.     Jesus was God in the flesh.

1.       John 1:1, 14

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 

2.       In Isaiah’s prophecy regarding the virgin birth, he notes that the name of the child born of a virgin is Emmanuel, “which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matt. 1:22-23).

 

B.      Jesus came to show us the Father.

1.       John 14:7

 

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also:  and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

 

2.       Three times in the New Testament Jesus is called the “image” of God.

a.       “…who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4).

b.      “Who is the image of the invisible God…” (Col. 1:15).

c.       “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person…” (Heb. 1:3).

C.     Whatever traits we find Jesus, we know that they also exist in the Father.

1.       Life (John 1:4; 14:6)

2.       Immutability, that is, He changes not (Heb. 13:8)

3.       Perfection, that is, sinlessness (Heb. 4:15; 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 3:5)

4.       Self-existence (John 1:1; 8:58)

5.       Omniscience (John 2:24-25)

 

IV.              WE CAN OBEY THE COMMANDS OF GOD

 

A.     I John 2:3

 

And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

 

B.      Every command of God is embedded with some aspect of the nature of God.

1.       1 Peter 1:14

 

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.

 

2.       The more of God’s commands we obey, the more we conform to His nature.  In other words, the more we obey the more like Him we become.

3.       The more like Him we become, the more we know about Him because we are literally experiencing Him in our lives.

a.       We manifest His kindness.

b.      We show His love.

c.       We display His goodness.

d.      We reveal His holiness.

e.       We evidence His trustworthiness.

f.        We make plain the truth.

g.      We unveil justice.

 

V.                 WE CAN TRY GOD

 

A.     When we say that we can “try” God in order to learn about Him, we mean that we can put Him to the test.

 

B.      There are two verses that immediately came to mind as I contemplated this point.

1.       Psalm 34:8

 

O taste and see that the Lord is good:  blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

 

a.       Sometimes we go into stores and they offer us sample of food.

1)      Those who are advertising will say:  “Taste and see if it is good.”

2)      They are putting their food to the test.

b.      The same is true with God.  Test.  Try him on.  See if He is all that He says that He is.

1)      Does He bring peace?

2)      Does He answer our prayers?

3)      Does He comfort?

4)      Does He give us hope.

2.       Malachi 3:10

 

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

 

a.       The children of Israel were robbing God of his tithes and offerings (Mal. 3:8).

b.      Thus, He challenges them to prove Him.  Bring the tithes into the storehouse and see what I will do for you.

1)      Is the Christian life a life of happiness?

2)      Is the Christian life a life of purpose?

3)      Is the Christian life a life of deep satisfaction?

 

C.     When we challenge God and He comes forth and proves Himself to us, we learn about this God whom we serve.

 

VI.              WE CAN LEARN FROM GODLY FATHERS

 

A.     Children are born into this world with no knowledge of God at all.

 

B.      If they have godly fathers, they can learn much about God.

1.       A father provides for his children.

2.       A father protects his children.

3.       A father seeks to fulfill the desires of his children.

4.       A father sacrifices for his children.

5.       A father has compassion on his children when they suffer.

6.       A father teaches, trains, and chastises his children.

7.       A father is willing to give his life for his children.

 

C.     Everyone of these labors of an earthly father are things God does for His children.

1.       When a child of a godly father reaches an age of understanding, he has a picture of God before him.  It is easy for him to love and appreciate the heavenly Father because his earthly father has tried to display God before his children.

2.       No, the picture is not perfect, but the child can understand God and know God because an earthly father has lived before him.

 

D.     Matthew 7:11

 

If ye then, being, evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     We have examined six (6) ways that a person can know God better:  nature, the Scriptures, Jesus Christ, the commands of God, testing God, and godly fathers.

 

B.      There is no reason for any individual to fail to know the God of heaven. 

 

C.     John 17:3

 

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.