9.4.24

This week we are beginning our new series on the attributes of God. And we begin by trying to understand the knowability of God. Our God desires to be known by his people - and he goes to great lengths to make himself known to his people.

And so what distinguishes a genuine Christian from a cultural Christian - or from other good and decent moral people - is that a Christian knows God. And we know that we know God. This ability to know God often rubs skeptics the wrong way when they hear about our relationship with God. To the skeptic, it sounds arrogant to presume that you can actually claim to know God. To their way of understanding, it sounds boastful and proud to talk about conversing with God and hearing back from him. For the person who doesn’t know God, there’s nothing more presumptuous and arrogant than for them to hear Christians say things like, “God has been telling me…God has been leading me…God has been working on me.” All the skeptic hears is that you have some special connection with God that they don’t have.

The other skeptical response to the Christian’s claim of knowing God intimately, is fear. Some people say, “I could never know God like that! I’ve done too many bad things. I’m too far away. I could never know God like that!”

But if you truly understand the gospel, all arrogance and pride are automatically eliminated. Because the core message of the gospel is that you’re SO screwed up, that only the life and death of Jesus in your place could make you right with God. So there’s nothing to boast about - except our weakness, our neediness…which leads us to boasting in Jesus and the cross and not in ourselves.

The gospel eliminates both responses of the skeptic. On the one hand, it takes deep humility to know God. You have to admit your absolute need. So there’s no room for pride. But on the other, we have the promise that he gladly met that need for us. So there’s no room for false humility. We are cherished and loved!

Knowing God isn’t just possible. It’s the heart of what Christianity is all about. Deep down, we all know that our hearts were built for something more than anything this world can offer. We’re constantly frustrated that nothing we chase after is able to fill us up. But this is the thing! This is what our hearts were made for! To know God - deeply and intimately. And to be know by God - deeply and intimately. And there to find love and acceptance. There’s nothing more fulfilling or more powerful than that!