"...Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself" (Gal. 4:14).
"But we do see Jesus..." (Heb. 2:9).
"...[T]his mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27).
This is a loaded question and depends upon your definition of terms. One may know a lot about God by virtue of doctrinal acquaintance, but be wet behind the ears or very naive in his experiential knowledge. The Bible does say that in the age to come, no one will say, "Know the Lord," for everyone will know Him. They will know the rules or the ways of the Lord and actively put them into practice. Jesus is the Way and they will know Him. This obviously refers to having a relationship with the living God and growing and or maturing in it--faith is not static, but alive.
"We walk by faith, and not by sight," (2 Cor. 5:7). This means we have to venture out in step and take that leap of faith like Abraham did, even not knowing where he was going. No one gets saved without taking this journey of faith. Paul said to the Galatians that it was like this: "And now that you know God--or rather are known by God" (Gal. 4:9). It is much more vital that God knows us! Anyone who loves God is known by God (cf. 1 Cor. 8:2). Those who God doesn't know will be cast into the lake of fire and are cursed: Jesus will say unto them, "I never knew you." This kind of knowledge is of having a personal relationship with the Almighty. The elect are known by God for sure: "For whom He foreknew [in the sense of having a relationship with and loving], He predestined..." (Rom. 8:29).
No one should want Christ to pronounce this to them at the judgment--to make sure that God knows you! (cf. Gal. 4:9) By this I mean make sure you are saved! This is not to satisfy idle curiosity, but a command in 2 Pet. 1:10 says: "...make every effort to confirm your calling and election." Your spiritual growth is stunted without 100 percent assurance. You can't just hope you are saved, but must know it. "For know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:12). "...whoever comes to me I will never drive away" (John 6:37). Eternal security is not a biblical term, but eternal salvation is: see Heb. 5:9 talking about God giving eternal salvation (not provisional or temporary salvation) to all who obey Him. Heb. 9:12 says that we obtained eternal redemption by His blood.
Knowing you are saved is the first step to making sure you know God because everyone who is saved knows God--some just have a childlike familiarity with Him and haven't reached maturity yet. Be assured of this: If you are saved, you do know God--it is just a matter of how well. Now that you know God (or rather that God knows you, cf. Gal. 4:9) you are to grow in the knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18). "Bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col. 1:l0). This is a mandate in the Word--to grow--it is not an option for so-called Jesus freaks or fanatics: Jesus has little tolerance for lukewarm Christians who have lost their first love or are indifferent or disinterested in spiritual matters.
To know Him is to love Him. "Acquaint now thyself with Him and be at peace, and thereby good shall come unto thee" (Job 22:21). God hides Himself: "Truly, you are a God who hides yourself" (Isa. 45:15). Job wondered: "Oh, that I knew where I might find him" (Job 23:3). He will be found by those who diligently seek Him, not triflers. He finds us first: "I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me" (Isa. 65:1). The trouble with the world is that no one is looking for God--"There is none that seeks God" (Rom. 3:11). They are seeking the gifts without the Giver, the benefits without the Benefactor. Pascal said that he would not have found God, had not God first found Him. "I was lost but now am found!" This is the beginning of our relationship with God: The main business of the Christian life is to seek God and His face.
God's pet peeve or controversy with Israel is that they don't know Him. (Hos. 4:1) "There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land." The exhortation to Israel: "Let us know, let us press on to know the LORD" (Hos. 6:3). God wants a relationship with Him: "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice [religiosity], and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings [going through the motions]" (Hos. 6:6). Psalm 14:3 and Rom. 3:11 say that no one seeks God--they seek the benefits, not the Benefactor; the gifts, not the Giver. Knowing God is the business of the Christian life a well as always seeking Him. "And this is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3). If you want to boast, do so about knowing God! "But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD ..." (Jer. 9:24).
The book of Daniel is a good example for us. Daniel dared do great things in God's name, he demonstrated great energy for God, he had great thoughts of God. What will the people who know their God be like? "But the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action" ["shall firmly resist him" (the enemy), or "be strong and do exploits"] (Dan. 11:32). In other words, spiritual strength and boldness come from knowing the Lord. We are commanded to "grow in the grace and in the knowledge of the Lord" (2 Pet. 3:18). Col. 1:10 says, "Bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God."
Even Paul didn't claim to have laid hold of it yet and to have arrived: "I want to know Him and the power of His resurrection" (Phil. 3:10). We never stop learning and growing in our knowledge of God and the finite cannot grasp the infinite as they say. But we have the mind of Christ and have the unique capacity to have a relationship with God. We have the mind to know Him, the heart to love Him, and the will to obey Him, because we are in the image of God (imago Dei). We are the literal ikons of God and reflect His glory: we are made to glorify Him (Isa. 43:7).
The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) says that "the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." We are unique creatures and living beings: Animals are oblivious to God and have no capacity to know Him--they are indifferent to spiritual things and don't even wonder if there is a God--you will never see a simian building a chapel, even in a trillion years of so-called evolution! Soli Deo Gloria!
"But we do see Jesus..." (Heb. 2:9).
"...[T]his mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27).
This is a loaded question and depends upon your definition of terms. One may know a lot about God by virtue of doctrinal acquaintance, but be wet behind the ears or very naive in his experiential knowledge. The Bible does say that in the age to come, no one will say, "Know the Lord," for everyone will know Him. They will know the rules or the ways of the Lord and actively put them into practice. Jesus is the Way and they will know Him. This obviously refers to having a relationship with the living God and growing and or maturing in it--faith is not static, but alive.
"We walk by faith, and not by sight," (2 Cor. 5:7). This means we have to venture out in step and take that leap of faith like Abraham did, even not knowing where he was going. No one gets saved without taking this journey of faith. Paul said to the Galatians that it was like this: "And now that you know God--or rather are known by God" (Gal. 4:9). It is much more vital that God knows us! Anyone who loves God is known by God (cf. 1 Cor. 8:2). Those who God doesn't know will be cast into the lake of fire and are cursed: Jesus will say unto them, "I never knew you." This kind of knowledge is of having a personal relationship with the Almighty. The elect are known by God for sure: "For whom He foreknew [in the sense of having a relationship with and loving], He predestined..." (Rom. 8:29).
No one should want Christ to pronounce this to them at the judgment--to make sure that God knows you! (cf. Gal. 4:9) By this I mean make sure you are saved! This is not to satisfy idle curiosity, but a command in 2 Pet. 1:10 says: "...make every effort to confirm your calling and election." Your spiritual growth is stunted without 100 percent assurance. You can't just hope you are saved, but must know it. "For know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:12). "...whoever comes to me I will never drive away" (John 6:37). Eternal security is not a biblical term, but eternal salvation is: see Heb. 5:9 talking about God giving eternal salvation (not provisional or temporary salvation) to all who obey Him. Heb. 9:12 says that we obtained eternal redemption by His blood.
Knowing you are saved is the first step to making sure you know God because everyone who is saved knows God--some just have a childlike familiarity with Him and haven't reached maturity yet. Be assured of this: If you are saved, you do know God--it is just a matter of how well. Now that you know God (or rather that God knows you, cf. Gal. 4:9) you are to grow in the knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18). "Bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col. 1:l0). This is a mandate in the Word--to grow--it is not an option for so-called Jesus freaks or fanatics: Jesus has little tolerance for lukewarm Christians who have lost their first love or are indifferent or disinterested in spiritual matters.
To know Him is to love Him. "Acquaint now thyself with Him and be at peace, and thereby good shall come unto thee" (Job 22:21). God hides Himself: "Truly, you are a God who hides yourself" (Isa. 45:15). Job wondered: "Oh, that I knew where I might find him" (Job 23:3). He will be found by those who diligently seek Him, not triflers. He finds us first: "I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me" (Isa. 65:1). The trouble with the world is that no one is looking for God--"There is none that seeks God" (Rom. 3:11). They are seeking the gifts without the Giver, the benefits without the Benefactor. Pascal said that he would not have found God, had not God first found Him. "I was lost but now am found!" This is the beginning of our relationship with God: The main business of the Christian life is to seek God and His face.
God's pet peeve or controversy with Israel is that they don't know Him. (Hos. 4:1) "There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land." The exhortation to Israel: "Let us know, let us press on to know the LORD" (Hos. 6:3). God wants a relationship with Him: "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice [religiosity], and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings [going through the motions]" (Hos. 6:6). Psalm 14:3 and Rom. 3:11 say that no one seeks God--they seek the benefits, not the Benefactor; the gifts, not the Giver. Knowing God is the business of the Christian life a well as always seeking Him. "And this is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3). If you want to boast, do so about knowing God! "But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD ..." (Jer. 9:24).
The book of Daniel is a good example for us. Daniel dared do great things in God's name, he demonstrated great energy for God, he had great thoughts of God. What will the people who know their God be like? "But the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action" ["shall firmly resist him" (the enemy), or "be strong and do exploits"] (Dan. 11:32). In other words, spiritual strength and boldness come from knowing the Lord. We are commanded to "grow in the grace and in the knowledge of the Lord" (2 Pet. 3:18). Col. 1:10 says, "Bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God."
Even Paul didn't claim to have laid hold of it yet and to have arrived: "I want to know Him and the power of His resurrection" (Phil. 3:10). We never stop learning and growing in our knowledge of God and the finite cannot grasp the infinite as they say. But we have the mind of Christ and have the unique capacity to have a relationship with God. We have the mind to know Him, the heart to love Him, and the will to obey Him, because we are in the image of God (imago Dei). We are the literal ikons of God and reflect His glory: we are made to glorify Him (Isa. 43:7).
The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) says that "the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." We are unique creatures and living beings: Animals are oblivious to God and have no capacity to know Him--they are indifferent to spiritual things and don't even wonder if there is a God--you will never see a simian building a chapel, even in a trillion years of so-called evolution! Soli Deo Gloria!
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