To Know God

            First ask yourself the ultimate question?  Do you know God?  Remember, God has a being. God has a person.  God is a living God.  We can Know God.  In fact, we must know God!

            We want to start by visiting two texts.  One text is in the Old Testament scriptures, and the other text is in the New Testament scriptures.  Let's view Jer 9:23, 24 in the Old Testament first.  We read, "Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:  But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord."             There is one thing that is blatantly clear in these passages of scripture, and that is, out of all things to be desired in this life, none are to be compared with knowing God.  One who is mighty, wise, and rich, yet does not know God is like a man sinking in quicksand - His complete end will soon come.  However, conversely, if one knows God he has the only genuine reason for celebrating and boasting.              The same principle is found in the New Testament.  We find recorded the words of Jesus, in the gospel of John chapter 17 verse 3, these clearly stated words, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."  What a revelation!  God while walking upon the earth in a human body declared that to know God is eternal life.  Or we may say it this way, to know God is to know and possess eternal life.  There is little wonder why Jeremiah said this is the only genuine reason for celebrating and boasting.          Now before we go further it is worthy to note the following reality.  Beloved, we all must be aware of the fact that God has a first concern when it comes to His lost sin-stained children.  That first concern, above wealth or health, poverty or even over death, is that our soul is saved.  For wealth, health, poverty and death in this life are but temporary conditions.  God's first concern is for our eternal destiny.  This is unmistakably proven by the fact that God in the flesh paid for His first concern with the money of His own blood, and at the cost of His own life.  The word of truth declares that we receive that which God is most concerned with, and shed His blood for, by simply knowing Him.   It is necessary to understand that there is a world of difference between knowing God and knowing about God!  Knowing God is experienced, and knowing about God are theories.  I may know about Adam, the Father of all mankind, but there is one thing that is certain, I don't know Adam personally, and intimately.  I don't know Adam experientially.  I only know a lot of facts about him.  Too many of us only know God in this way, and to this degree.  We only know about God.  We do not know God in the Biblical context of intimacy as spoken of in Gen 4:1, where it is recorded "And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bare Cain", and further in Gen 4; 25 we read, "And Adam knew his wife again, and she bare a son, and called his name Seth."  So, clearly, the Bible is talking about a supremely personal and intimate intercourse.  To know one in this respect is to be joined as one, the fruit of which is a new life.  We must know God in the same personal and intimate way.  It is spiritual intercourse, and it cannot fail of producing new life.  So to be clear, in conclusion on this point, be it known that when one knows God, or allows God to enter them spiritually, they are a new creation.  They literally are a newborn child of God, who has been born again.  To accomplish this transformation or regeneration is the first and main concern of God towards all humanity.  To accomplish this end is the whole point of all true religion.  To accomplish this position and condition in man is the whole point of the Bible.  This is the supreme purpose for life, to know God.  And this is eternal life, to know God.

             If you gain the whole world and do not know God you have still missed the whole reason for existing, and your end will be an eternal death.  But, if in all your getting, you genuinely get to know God, you have all things, and all power, in heaven and in earth, for eternity.