Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 26.04.2004 Last update 22.05.2011
Knowing God
You can come to know God personally. Could your life have any better purpose?
To know someone or only know of him
We only know of many persons but we don't know them. We learn to know those with whom we converse. Even better we learn to know those with whom we live. We receive information from those who we know and adopt their attitudes. Like breeds like.
Everyone knows of God but only a few know Him. All have some observations on Him and therefore everyone has some feeling what kind of person He is. However God can be learned to know only through His sacrifice that He gave in Jesus Christ. Those, who have received God's love, are allowed to live with Him and to know Him. Knowing God is the most valuable thing that we can experience.
We only know of many persons but we don't know them. We learn to know those with whom we converse. Even better we learn to know those with whom we live. We receive information from those who we know and adopt their attitudes. Like breeds like.
Everyone knows of God but only a few know Him. All have some observations on Him and therefore everyone has some feeling what kind of person He is. However God can be learned to know only through His sacrifice that He gave in Jesus Christ. Those, who have received God's love, are allowed to live with Him and to know Him. Knowing God is the most valuable thing that we can experience.
To know God by nature
Things tell us about their makers. Man made things are maker-looking. In the same way we are able to know of God in His deeds of creation. "His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead." Ro.1:20
However everything in nature doesn't convey knowledge of God to us. Do not blame God for the violence seen in nature because it is not from Him, but it is a result of the Fall of Man. If you believed a lie about God you easily abandon the testimony of creation about Him. When you don't honor your Creator you fall into unnatural and depraved thoughts. "As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting." Ro.1:28
You can decide to retain knowledge of God or you can let it go away. By giving thanks and honor to Him about His deeds you stick to the knowledge of God you have. "Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened." Ro.1:21
Darkened hearts serve idols. Because they are not able to worship the true God, they worship as their gods the forces that are greater than they themselves. They ask their gods for health, economic success and all kinds of blessings to their life.
Jesus is a much stronger source of the knowledge of God than nature. In Him we meet God Himself and not only His deeds. If someone sticks to the knowledge of God, he received from nature, God takes care of it that this kind of person will hear about Jesus of the Bible.
Things tell us about their makers. Man made things are maker-looking. In the same way we are able to know of God in His deeds of creation. "His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead." Ro.1:20
However everything in nature doesn't convey knowledge of God to us. Do not blame God for the violence seen in nature because it is not from Him, but it is a result of the Fall of Man. If you believed a lie about God you easily abandon the testimony of creation about Him. When you don't honor your Creator you fall into unnatural and depraved thoughts. "As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting." Ro.1:28
You can decide to retain knowledge of God or you can let it go away. By giving thanks and honor to Him about His deeds you stick to the knowledge of God you have. "Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened." Ro.1:21
Darkened hearts serve idols. Because they are not able to worship the true God, they worship as their gods the forces that are greater than they themselves. They ask their gods for health, economic success and all kinds of blessings to their life.
Jesus is a much stronger source of the knowledge of God than nature. In Him we meet God Himself and not only His deeds. If someone sticks to the knowledge of God, he received from nature, God takes care of it that this kind of person will hear about Jesus of the Bible.
To know Jesus according to man
The Bible speaks about how Jesus can be known either according to the flesh or to the Spirit. Who knows according to the flesh, knows according to man. Who knows according to the Spirit knows according to God. "Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer." 2Co.5:16
When Jesus lived on earth He rejected the faith of those whose motive for faith was human. For instance He rejected the faith that regarded Him as a good man and didn't see God's goodness in Him. "Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." Lu.18:19
Jesus didn't accept honor from men. Also today many have great respect for Him as a good man and a giver of good sayings. However the Spirit of God would like to show them Jesus as the sacrificial lamb of God who takes away their sins.
When Jesus had nourished multitudes with two loaves of bread and with some fish, many soon believed in Him but according to man. Jesus rejected their faith and urged them to work for food that endures to eternal life. With this He meant the faith coming from the Spirit of God. When Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, the great crowd soon learnt to know Him "according to the flesh" and wanted to crown Him the king of Israel.
People believed a wrong gospel, although Jesus didn't preach it wrongly. He was able to reject the faith born according to man, but many evangelists and pastors have not been able to do it. Also Paul had great difficulties in this matter. Therefore he wrote: "I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man." Ga.1:11 The human mind doesn't easily accept that man deserves God's wrath and needs to be saved from the eternal punishment.
A sick person became healthy, when an evangelist prayed for him. The healed one was very impressed by what happened and wanted immediately to become a Christian. The evangelist told him that Jesus Christ once died for him so that he could be saved from a worse thing than a sickness. He suffered on the cross our punishment so that He could save us from the eternal punishment.
The healed one replied that he is not so evil person that he deserved a death penalty. For this the evangelist said: Your attitude prevents you from becoming a Christian, because you cannot experience God's love with your attitude.
Although the healed one didn't consider himself as evil as the gospel, he however felt bad conscience about his errors. He wanted to receive forgiveness for them and to become a better person by the help of Jesus. Thus he sought Christians who would have a man made up gospel.
He went to a pastor and told he want to become a Christian. The pastor asked if he believed in Jesus. He declared that he believes. The pastor did not ask more but prayed for him and declared his sins are forgiven. He had good feelings and also the pastor was happy when having a new believer. However this believer didn't cause rejoicing in heaven, because he was born according to the flesh.
Many claim to be new born Christians. Every one of them should examine whether they were born according to the flesh or to the Spirit. Do you know Jesus of the Bible as such person as the Spirit of God testifies of Him or do you see him with human eyes? If someone preaches a different Jesus than the Holy Spirit, he causes knowing Christ according to the flesh.
The Bible speaks about how Jesus can be known either according to the flesh or to the Spirit. Who knows according to the flesh, knows according to man. Who knows according to the Spirit knows according to God. "Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer." 2Co.5:16
When Jesus lived on earth He rejected the faith of those whose motive for faith was human. For instance He rejected the faith that regarded Him as a good man and didn't see God's goodness in Him. "Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." Lu.18:19
Jesus didn't accept honor from men. Also today many have great respect for Him as a good man and a giver of good sayings. However the Spirit of God would like to show them Jesus as the sacrificial lamb of God who takes away their sins.
When Jesus had nourished multitudes with two loaves of bread and with some fish, many soon believed in Him but according to man. Jesus rejected their faith and urged them to work for food that endures to eternal life. With this He meant the faith coming from the Spirit of God. When Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, the great crowd soon learnt to know Him "according to the flesh" and wanted to crown Him the king of Israel.
People believed a wrong gospel, although Jesus didn't preach it wrongly. He was able to reject the faith born according to man, but many evangelists and pastors have not been able to do it. Also Paul had great difficulties in this matter. Therefore he wrote: "I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man." Ga.1:11 The human mind doesn't easily accept that man deserves God's wrath and needs to be saved from the eternal punishment.
A sick person became healthy, when an evangelist prayed for him. The healed one was very impressed by what happened and wanted immediately to become a Christian. The evangelist told him that Jesus Christ once died for him so that he could be saved from a worse thing than a sickness. He suffered on the cross our punishment so that He could save us from the eternal punishment.
The healed one replied that he is not so evil person that he deserved a death penalty. For this the evangelist said: Your attitude prevents you from becoming a Christian, because you cannot experience God's love with your attitude.
Although the healed one didn't consider himself as evil as the gospel, he however felt bad conscience about his errors. He wanted to receive forgiveness for them and to become a better person by the help of Jesus. Thus he sought Christians who would have a man made up gospel.
He went to a pastor and told he want to become a Christian. The pastor asked if he believed in Jesus. He declared that he believes. The pastor did not ask more but prayed for him and declared his sins are forgiven. He had good feelings and also the pastor was happy when having a new believer. However this believer didn't cause rejoicing in heaven, because he was born according to the flesh.
Many claim to be new born Christians. Every one of them should examine whether they were born according to the flesh or to the Spirit. Do you know Jesus of the Bible as such person as the Spirit of God testifies of Him or do you see him with human eyes? If someone preaches a different Jesus than the Holy Spirit, he causes knowing Christ according to the flesh.
To know Jesus according to the Spirit of God
God promised the Israelite the new covenant, where "no more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord', for they all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord..." Jer.31:34 At what point is the promised knowing of God given? "... for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." Jer.31:34
Jesus came and atoned our sins so that we would learn to know God. We understand that knowing God is a greater gift than the forgiveness of sins! "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." 1Co.1:21 The knowledge of God is received when receiving forgiveness.
The message of the cross offends some and makes others laugh. Even so many of them both see in Jesus something worthy of believing. They may honor Him, because He healed their disease or helped them in some troubles. They adopt the same attitude towards Jesus as they have towards an idol. They have used to ask an idol for blessings on their life. Although they say that they believe in Jesus, they don't know Him, because they have not experienced God's love in the forgiveness of their sins.
Did you believe that it makes you saved if you have the faith, did you? The faith is not the end in itself, but knowing God. Knowing Jesus makes you saved. You got the faith for the purpose of getting to know God. If you experienced how God gave you the forgiveness, remember be thankful to Him for it so that you would not lose the knowledge of God you have. Let your gratitude grow into deeds so that your knowledge of God would be increased.
Peter expresses it like this: "Add to your faith virtue." If our faith and our actions are working together it produces knowledge of God. "If these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2Pe.1:8
Paul says to the Galatians: "In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love." Ga.5:6 God appreciates the motives of deeds. Love for God is the right motive for our deeds. To know God is to love Him. Therefore we understand that without knowing God our motives stay wrong.
If Jesus is your dearest person because He died for you, it is obvious you know Him according to the Spirit of God.
God promised the Israelite the new covenant, where "no more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord', for they all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord..." Jer.31:34 At what point is the promised knowing of God given? "... for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." Jer.31:34
Jesus came and atoned our sins so that we would learn to know God. We understand that knowing God is a greater gift than the forgiveness of sins! "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." 1Co.1:21 The knowledge of God is received when receiving forgiveness.
The message of the cross offends some and makes others laugh. Even so many of them both see in Jesus something worthy of believing. They may honor Him, because He healed their disease or helped them in some troubles. They adopt the same attitude towards Jesus as they have towards an idol. They have used to ask an idol for blessings on their life. Although they say that they believe in Jesus, they don't know Him, because they have not experienced God's love in the forgiveness of their sins.
Did you believe that it makes you saved if you have the faith, did you? The faith is not the end in itself, but knowing God. Knowing Jesus makes you saved. You got the faith for the purpose of getting to know God. If you experienced how God gave you the forgiveness, remember be thankful to Him for it so that you would not lose the knowledge of God you have. Let your gratitude grow into deeds so that your knowledge of God would be increased.
Peter expresses it like this: "Add to your faith virtue." If our faith and our actions are working together it produces knowledge of God. "If these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2Pe.1:8
Paul says to the Galatians: "In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love." Ga.5:6 God appreciates the motives of deeds. Love for God is the right motive for our deeds. To know God is to love Him. Therefore we understand that without knowing God our motives stay wrong.
If Jesus is your dearest person because He died for you, it is obvious you know Him according to the Spirit of God.
Receiving the knowledge of God
Repent your evilness when listening to the gospel of Jesus who was crucified for your sins, and pray to Him until the Holy Spirit gives you the testimony that you are His.
If you believe the gospel, you confess your sins to Jesus and seek fellowship with Him in order to be His. Then you will be allowed to experience how He manifests His love to you and forgive your sins. There you will fall in love to Jesus, when you experience His love. Your love to Him is His commandments in you. He says: "He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." Joh.14:21
Knowing Jesus personally as one's own Saviour means that He makes home with us. "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him." Joh.14:23
Paul refers to this living of Jesus in us when he urges the Corinthians to examine are they in the faith: "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?" 2Co.13:5
You don't examine how well you know Him, but does He dwell in you or not. Do you find Jesus in your heart? There are all persons you love. If Jesus is your dearest person because He died for you, your heart tells you it. You don't observe your feelings but the testimony given by your spirit. Your feelings are not the point but whether the Spirit of Jesus Christ is living in your spirit or not. "And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us." 1Jo.3:24 "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." Ro.8:9
If the Spirit of Jesus is living in your spirit your spirit experiences it. Thoughts originated by the Spirit of God rise from your heart. You experience their power and purity. Your own spirit testifies to your understanding that these thoughts are coming from the Spirit of God. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." Ro.8:16
One result of the presence of God's Spirit in a believer is more important than the others. Usually it is also the first sign proving that the Spirit of God has come into the heart of a person. Our heart confesses that man Jesus Christ is God. "No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit." 1Co.12:3 "The Son of God has come and has given us 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." 1Jo.5:20
Knowing Jesus changes our attitudes, thoughts, words and deeds. Always there have been those who claim to know God, although it is not true in their life. "By this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, 'I know Him', and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him." 1Jo.2:3-5
If the gospel of God has fused with you it has produced love towards God. "We love Him because He first loved us." 1 Jo.4:19 Who came to the faith can notice in himself how the Spirit of Jesus is affecting in him. We can obey His proposals or leave them without attention. He doesn't press us. However a believer obeys Him through the power of God's love.
When you obey the gospel of God, you start knowing God. Completely you will know Him on that day when you are allowed to see Him from face to face.
Repent your evilness when listening to the gospel of Jesus who was crucified for your sins, and pray to Him until the Holy Spirit gives you the testimony that you are His.
If you believe the gospel, you confess your sins to Jesus and seek fellowship with Him in order to be His. Then you will be allowed to experience how He manifests His love to you and forgive your sins. There you will fall in love to Jesus, when you experience His love. Your love to Him is His commandments in you. He says: "He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." Joh.14:21
Knowing Jesus personally as one's own Saviour means that He makes home with us. "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him." Joh.14:23
Paul refers to this living of Jesus in us when he urges the Corinthians to examine are they in the faith: "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?" 2Co.13:5
You don't examine how well you know Him, but does He dwell in you or not. Do you find Jesus in your heart? There are all persons you love. If Jesus is your dearest person because He died for you, your heart tells you it. You don't observe your feelings but the testimony given by your spirit. Your feelings are not the point but whether the Spirit of Jesus Christ is living in your spirit or not. "And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us." 1Jo.3:24 "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." Ro.8:9
If the Spirit of Jesus is living in your spirit your spirit experiences it. Thoughts originated by the Spirit of God rise from your heart. You experience their power and purity. Your own spirit testifies to your understanding that these thoughts are coming from the Spirit of God. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." Ro.8:16
One result of the presence of God's Spirit in a believer is more important than the others. Usually it is also the first sign proving that the Spirit of God has come into the heart of a person. Our heart confesses that man Jesus Christ is God. "No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit." 1Co.12:3 "The Son of God has come and has given us 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." 1Jo.5:20
Knowing Jesus changes our attitudes, thoughts, words and deeds. Always there have been those who claim to know God, although it is not true in their life. "By this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, 'I know Him', and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him." 1Jo.2:3-5
If the gospel of God has fused with you it has produced love towards God. "We love Him because He first loved us." 1 Jo.4:19 Who came to the faith can notice in himself how the Spirit of Jesus is affecting in him. We can obey His proposals or leave them without attention. He doesn't press us. However a believer obeys Him through the power of God's love.
When you obey the gospel of God, you start knowing God. Completely you will know Him on that day when you are allowed to see Him from face to face.
The Bible version used in references is NKJV