Knowing God

by Chris Simmons

A lack of spiritual knowledge will bring about spiritual destruction. Hosea wrote, “For the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land…My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:1,6). Rather than vain worship, God desires that man have a knowledge of God as Hosea records in Hosea 6:6, “For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” What type of knowledge does God seek that we have of Him? Mere cognizance of His being and belief that He exists is not enough. James cites how that even Satan’s demons “also believe, and shudder” (James 2:19). The depth of knowledge God desires is to include our response of reverence, love, obedience and thanksgiving. The depth of knowledge we are to have is to include the breadth of all that God has revealed of Himself to us. Consider what God’s own revelation has to say about Himself.

God is one. Contrary to what many have believed over the years, there is not a multiplicity of gods. The people of Athens that we read of in Acts 17:16-23 had so many gods that they were concerned about “missing” one and thus created an idol to the “unknown god” (verse 23). As God prepared to bring His people into the promised land which was overrun with idolatry, He reminded them in Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” We must know God as THE one and only God of all.

God is the creator of ALL things. After commenting on his observance of the Athenians idol to the “unknown God”, Paul instructs them about the one true God. It’s interesting that his first point that he wanted them to know about the one true God, is that it is He “who made the world and all things in it” (Acts 17:24). All that we see, touch, hear and smell in this life originated from God. John succinctly makes this point in Revelation 4:11, “Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created.” All things came into existence simply by His word (II Peter 3:5) and we must hold fast to such knowledge in the face of those who propose otherwise.

God is eternal. The one God who created all has no beginning and has no end. We read in Psalms 90:2, “Before the mountains were born, or Thou didst give birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.” He is the “King eternal” who is not bound by time as man is, as we read in II Peter 3:8, “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

God is spirit. God does not have flesh and blood as his created beings do. In directing us to worship God “in spirit and in truth”, Jesus instructs us that Him whom we worship is a spirit (John 4:24). As a spirit, God does not have flesh and bones as we have (Luke 24:39).

God is unchangeable. Though all else may change, God will not. There is “no variation” in the “Father of lights” (James 1:17) as He says of Himself, “For I, the LORD, do not change” (Malachi 3:6). Many presume that God will change as the standards of men change, but such an attitude expresses an ignorance of God.

God is omniscient. This means that God possesses infinite knowledge. Job correctly observed in his discourse with his friends, “Can anyone teach God knowledge, In that He judges those on high?” (Job 21:22). In God’s response to Job, He rhetorically asks him about the knowledge required to create all that He did. “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me! Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements, since you know? Or who stretched the line on it?’” (Job 38:1-5) God has such infinite knowledge that He even knows what we need before we ask (Matthew 6:8).

God is omnipotent. This means that God has infinite power. He has power to create and power to destroy. He has power to resurrect from the dead, providentially control nations and answer prayers. God’s “eternal power” is evidenced by what He created (Romans 1:20). Indeed, just as God has stated, “I am God Almighty” (Genesis 17:1).

God is omnipresent. Just as God is not bound by time, He is neither bound by space. There isn’t anywhere that we can go to escape from the presence of God. David wrote of this in Psalms 139:7-8, “Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there.” Jeremiah also recorded the words of God in Jeremiah 23:23-24, “‘Am I a God who is near,’ declares the LORD, ‘And not a God far off? Can a man hide himself in hiding places, So I do not see him?’ declares the LORD. ‘Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?’ declares the LORD.”

God is unceasing love. God has not only demonstrated the ultimate expression of love (cf. John 3:16), He has also defined what true love is. John wrote in I John 4:16, “And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

God is infinitely just. God cannot set aside His justice because of His love and mercy for man. Justice is a fundamental characteristic of God. We read in Psalms 89:14, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Thy throne; lovingkindness and truth go before Thee.” It was the justice of God that demanded that the penalty be paid for the sins that man has committed. It was God’s love and mercy that sent His Son to pay the price in our stead and be the “propitiation for our sins” (I John 2:2) that God might be “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).

There is so much more to say about what we need to know about God based on what He has revealed to us. Great diligence and effort is required on our part (II Timothy 2:15) if we wish to come to know Him, as He would have us.