“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” (A.W. Tozer)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Given the information age that we live in, we have been inundated with facts, news, and videos that stimulate and dull the mind. With the advent of the smartphone, we literally have the world available to us at our fingertips. We can easily receive the latest updates on earthquakes, traffic, celebrity gossip, political events, fitness tips, sales, and so on. The instant availability of data can be overwhelming, and learning something new can be exhausting. The pace at which modern life operates seems to be more rapid in times past, and many are trying to catch up.

Enter the believer. On top of living in this technology craze is the constant call to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Christianity is a knowledge-revealed religion, and can be difficult for a new believer to become knowledgeable about their faith, especially when so many other sources vie for our attention.

How can we be discerning about what we spend our time doing? What does Scripture place as a priority in terms of knowledge? Is it a deeper understanding of the events leading up to the second coming of Christ? Is it the historical and scientific evidence for creation? Is it a more developed method of apologetics? What should be prominent in our study?

From the perspective of Scripture, God is identified as the being we are instructed to know above all others and above all things. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7), which implies a right understanding of the God whom one is to fear (LORD = Yahweh), and the appropriate stance required to gain true knowledge (fear). In contrast, the fool has a bad relationship with both wisdom and instruction. He is the antithesis to the wise, who correctly identifies the God of Israel as the One to whom he should look to attain real, and not false, wisdom and insight (Proverbs 9:10). Christ Himself is identified as the source of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3), wisdom identified as “skill in the art of godly living.” Pursuit of this is designed to guide “the way of the saints” (Proverbs 2:3-8). Jesus Christ identifies eternal life with knowing God and Christ, not just intellectually, but relationally.

From this very brief look at Scripture, it’s incumbent upon us to seek knowing God for the sake of our salvation (knowing God as He has revealed Himself and not a god of our own choosing), as well as the sake of our growth in godliness. When we learn more about the life of a painter or musician, there is an increased appreciation not only for that painter or musician, but also the work that initially drew your interest to them. Knowing God is foundational to growing deeper in our relationship with Him, but the main difference between knowing God and knowing a painter or musician is that God radically changes us to become more like God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Christian faith does not rule out knowledge; it forms the basis for true knowledge, because faith given by God to His people is directed to the source of true knowledge.

For this and many other reasons, Single Life has been going through a series of understanding God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture. We have been going over a number of God’s attributes that gives us a clearer picture of whom we are worshipping. It’s been a very helpful series to stop and focus on the character of God and think through the implications of the fact that God has spoken much about who He is, and how that should affect our daily lives. Some of His attributes thus far covered include His glory, holiness, omnipotence, omniscience, eternity, immutability, love, along with His triune nature. Each character reveals truths that have everything to do with how we live our lives on a daily basis, from making big decisions to the most mundane, from taking out the trash to the glory of God to knowing God as triune affect your prayer life.

Though we have a few messages left on this theme, I can personally testify that my love for God and appreciation of His character and work has only increased. To know God as eternal is mind-blowing in and of itself, but to know that He knows everything, can do anything that is consistent with His character, is immutably loving and holy, and is absolutely unique in His triune nature can humble the proud, comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. We need to know this God to avoid putting ourselves as the center of the universe and acknowledge the glorious God of Scripture as the One worth centering and focusing our lives upon. We need to know this God because the church is in dire need of replacing the immediacy that this culture inculcates with the steadfastness of our Holy Creator. We need to know this God because the Gospel needs to be proclaimed with such clarity that those who hear will have such an awe-filled portrait of God that they will be drawn to knowing Him for all of eternity. We need to know this God to replace our affections with lesser things which can only frustrate and disappoint.

May we all attain to the unity of the faith which is founded upon a deep knowledge of the One who has not only made us, but has saved us.