In this world, few have a burning desire to really know God. Knowledge about other things seems to be more relevant. In the world of psychology, there is an emphasis on getting to know oneself.
Clyde Pilkington made this wise observation, “The call of the believer’s life is not the human, self-centered psychology of ‘know thyself,’ but the divine, Christ-centered spirituality of ‘know Him’.”* Even in some circles in Christendom, self-analysis programs are promoted to “discover one’s temperament and personality type.” Whilst this, by itself, is not necessarily wrong, there is often a “missing of the mark” (which is what sin is), in that getting to know God is overlooked.
Although we cannot do anything on our own to grow spiritually, Scripture tells us that by fixing our eyes on the glorified Christ (not the traditional picture of Jesus with long flowing hair), we are being transformed into His image.
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding, as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Cor 3:18 – NKJV)
We know that Christ is the exact representation of God (Heb 1:3). When you get to know Christ, you get to know God.
Aspects of God that are generally undervalued are His depth of love, His wisdom, intellect and knowledge, and sovereign authority. What the world does not realize is that knowing God is one of the most precious possessions one can have.
God’s perspective is very different than that of man. What man considers as successful and as achievement, is irrelevant in God’s eyes. Wealth, power, popularity, and worldly wisdom count nothing to God. What counts is to understand who God is and to know Him.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa 55:8-9 – NKJV)
… but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands, and knows Me, that I am the LORD exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth For in these I delight,” says the LORD (Jer 9:24 – NKJV).
Getting to know God does not come automatically and no one can attain to that knowledge by his or her own effort.
The one who really knows the Father is Jesus, His Son. It is the Son who reveals the Father and He does so according to His will and desire, which will be in line with the Father’s will and desire. Without that revelation, a person cannot get to know God. That is why Jesus said.
All was given up to Me by My Father. And no one is recognizing the Son except the Father; neither is anyone recognizing the Father except the Son and he to whom the Son should be intending to unveil Him (Mat 11:27 – CV)
As we grow in our knowledge of Him, our appreciation and love for Him will increase accordingly.
For the Apostle Paul, no knowledge was more important than knowing Christ.
But to be sure, I am also deeming all to be a forfeit because of the superiority of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, because of Whom I forfeited all, and am deeming it to be refuse, that I should be gaining Christ ... (Phil 3:8 – CV)
Paul’s earnest prayer for the Church in Ephesus was
.….that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may be giving you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the realization of Him... (Eph 1:17 – CV)
For us, who are part of the Body of Christ, it is God Himself who opens our hearts and eyes to receive wisdom and revelation to receive knowledge of Him. It is something we cannot generate by ourselves.
In eons to come, that revelation of who, what, and how God is, will be granted to more and more people. For Israel, there is a prophecy that there will be a time when all of them will know God.
Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah –
not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My Law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
No more shall every man teach man 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. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. (Jer 31:33-34 – NKJV).
Part of the new covenant with Israel will be that God will remove the scales from their eyes so that they will get to know God for who He really is. This will apply to all Israel across the board, from the least to the greatest. No one will have to explain God to another, for they will all know Him. This illustrates the fact that God is the one who calls the shots. He is the One who decides when and to whom He will reveal Himself.
This knowledge of God will in time spread over all the earth.
For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea (Hab 2:14 – ASV).
This is what eonian life is all about. It is about getting to know the only true God and His Son, Jesus Christ. It will be the main focus. The focus of this life, whether it be the pursuit of money or wealth or possessions, or the struggle to make a living or to excel in any human endeavor, will in future eons become irrelevant.
Now it is eonian life that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Him Whom Thou dost commission, Jesus Christ. (John 17:3 – CV)
… that now may be made known to the sovereignties and the authorities among the celestials, through the ecclesia, the multifarious wisdom of God, in accord with the purpose of the eons, which He makes in Christ Jesus, our Lord; (Eph 3:10-11 -CV)
There will always be room for growth in the knowledge of God and Christ. One will never reach the point of perfect knowledge – not even after having been in the presence of Christ for thousands of years. As one gains in knowledge of God, the depth of one’s appreciation of Him will be like an ever-rising graph. The desire to give Him glory will never fade. It will rather grow stronger as time passes by.
Yet be growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory now, as well for the day of the eon. Amen! (2 Pet 3:18 – CV)
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*Daily Goodies, July 11