“Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 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.” – Jeremiah 9:23-24
“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.” – 1 John 2:3
As I focused on knowing God as your strength and joy in our last devotion, I briefly mentioned the importance of not just knowing about God. For many unbelievers, many enemies of Christ know about Him. The demons know who He is and tremble. (James 2:19) Rather, there’s great importance and value in knowing Christ in the light of His saving grace.
Think about it- In many ways, what is the best part of your life? What brings you more comfort and joy that anything else? Knowing Jesus. Knowing your God. Like God said through the prophet Jeremiah, there’s great benefit in knowing Him within a relationship, knowing His lovingkindness (His mercy), judgment, and righteousness, along with His exercise of them, in your covenant relationship with Him. How God words this, beginning in Jeremiah 9:23 is wonderful. Though they be tempted, though many praise them for what they have, the godly who have been blessed with wisdom, power, and wealth shouldn’t boast in their possession, or even abundance of such gifts. Yet, notice what God calls them to boast in- understanding and knowing Him. Indeed, knowing God in Christ is the only legitimate reason for boasting (1 Corinthians 1:19-31). Yes, it’s true that God must reveal Himself to mankind in order for you to know Him. While God is incomprehensible and therefore cannot be known fully, He can be truly known by His image bearers by revealing Himself to you.
As He does so by His Spirit, it’s a beautiful thing being in Christ, knowing Him as Savior and King. For you are now with Christ, adopted sons and daughters in the divine family, members of the covenants of promise, full of hope, God being with you now and forever. (Ephesians 2:12) Thinking about this, you can see the great importance in your knowing God and being known by Him. In his well known book, Knowing God, J.I. Packer writes, “First, knowing God is a matter of personal dealing, as is all direct acquaintance with personal beings. Knowing God is more than knowing about Him; it is a matter of dealing with Him as He opens up to you, and being dealt with by Him as He takes knowledge of you.” (Packer, 34)
As you study the Scriptures, you find that knowing God is the fullness of a personal faith relationship that brings salvation and eternal life, that generates love, hope, obedience, and joy. Let’s consider six things about your knowledge in this covenant relationship with God:
- Your knowledge comes by listening and receiving- You know God more and more by listening to the Word and receiving it as the Holy Spirit applies the truth of it in your life.
- Your knowledge is intellectual- You know the truth about God (Psalm 100:3, Deuteronomy 7:9) You know that He is the Lord and your Lord. You come to a true knowledge of yourself, and godly wisdom, as you come to know and contemplate the face of God.
- Your knowledge isn’t forced or coerced- As the Apostle John teaches you in his first epistle, you can have confidence and assurance that you know Christ as you seek to keep His commands (1 John 2:3), as You trust, obey, and worship Him. (Psalm 9:10, Proverbs 3:5, Romans 8:28, Isaiah 25:1, Psalm 145:3, Romans 14:11)
- Your knowledge is moral- You take notice of and know God and His character in His law. You know God’s justice and love. (Jeremiah 22:16, 1 John 4:7-8)
- Your knowledge in faith is focused on Christ- You know Jesus as the Son of God, the Word who became flesh (John 1:14), the only mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:3-7). As you seek to grow in knowledge, Christ must be at the center. As He is, you desire to grow in the excellent knowledge of Him and His power. (Philippians 3:8-14, John 17:3, Heb. 1:2, 1 John 5:20)
- Your knowledge grows in your recognizing and rejoicing- You recognize and rejoice in the love God has shown you in His works for you in Christ.
It’s so wonderful to know Christ, to know the living God in these ways as He reveals Himself to you by His Spirit’s work in and through the Word. By learning, experiencing, and rejoicing in the knowledge of God, you receive the greatest of blessings and God receives the highest glory.
John Calvin wrote some helpful words in his Institutes regarding true wisdom including both a knowledge of God and ourselves, “Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves . . . in the first place, no man can survey himself without forthwith turning his thoughts towards the God in whom he lives and moves; because it is perfectly obvious, that the endowments which we possess cannot possibly be from ourselves; nay, that our very being is nothing else than subsistence in God alone . . . Every person, therefore, on coming to the knowledge of himself, is not only urged to seek God, but is also led as by the hand to find him . . . On the other hand, it is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he has previously contemplated the face of God and come down after such contemplation to look into himself. For (such is our innate pride) we always seem to ourselves just, and upright, and wise, and holy, until we are convinced, by clear evidence, of our injustice, vileness, folly, and impurity.” (Calvin, 1.1.1)
And therefore, what comfort it also gives you to know that He knows you! Packer once again captures this in a help way, “What matters supremely, therefore, is not in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it- the fact that He knows me. I am graven on the palms of His hands. I am never out of His mind. All my knowledge of Him depends on His sustained initiative in knowing me. I know Him, because He first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when His eye is off me, or His attention distracted from me, and no moment, therefore, when His care falters. This is momentous knowledge. There is unspeakable comfort- the sort of comfort that energizes, be it said, not enervates- in knowing that God is constantly taking knowledge of me in love, and watching over me for my good.” (Packer, 37)
As you go through the rest of your week, when you boast, boast in your understanding and knowing your God. Boast in your knowing that He is the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, knowing also that He delights in them. Rejoice also in your being known by Christ, Beloved! I pray that you know His comforting presence and care for you today.
Works Cited:
1) Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion 1.1.1.
2) Packer, J.I. Knowing God. InterVarsity Press, 1973. pp. 34,37.