There is nothing more important than knowing God— to understand who He is, what He is like, and what He wants of us. But truly knowing God means more than merely knowing about Him, or who you might imagine Him to be. Charles Spurgeon, the renowned 19th Century pastor, offers straightforward and helpful advice for anyone who really wants to know God:
"If you wish to know God, you must know His Word. If you wish to perceive His power, you must see how He works by His Word. If you wish to know His purpose before it comes to pass, you can only discover it by His Word."
Spurgeon’s point is clear; God has revealed Himself to us through His Word. Therefore, knowing God must begin by understanding what the Scriptures say about Him. Below, we have summarized some important truths about God from the Bible so that you might know Him through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
God is Holy, Sovereign, and Just
We were created by the eternal and sovereign God to love, serve, and glorify Him. God is all-knowing and all-powerful, and He is perfectly holy, just, and loving. First John 1:5 explains God’s holiness— He is light (perfectly good and perfectly righteous) and in Him there is no darkness at all. As a holy God, He cannot tolerate sin. His very nature demands justice (Romans 1:18), and because God is just, sin carries an eternal penalty (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).
Man’s Sin Has Separated Him from God
Scripture explains in the book of Genesis that God created man sinless, but that Adam fell because of one act of sin and thus brought death and decay to the whole human race. First John 3:4-6 defines sin as disobeying God’s law; His perfect moral standard. Because of Adam's disobedience we are each born with a natural inclination to sin, and every sin we commit— even the smallest “little white lie”— makes us guilty before God (James 2:10-11) and separates us from Him (Isaiah 59:2).
The bad news is that we are powerless to atone for even one of the countless sins we have committed. No virtuous deeds, good intentions, or religious rituals can place us in right standing with God. Therefore, on our own, we have no hope of being reconciled to God because we can do nothing to save ourselves from His righteous wrath against our sin (Romans 3:19). "
Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior
However, the good news is that in His infinite love, God has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him. He sent us a Savior, fully God yet also fully Man, to live the perfect and sinless life that God’s Law demands and that we failed to live, and to pay the penalty that our sin deserves (Philippians 2:5-11, Hebrews 4:14-16, 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus Christ lived and died as our substitute (1 Peter 3:18). When He died on the cross, Jesus took the punishment for sins on Himself, and God exercised His perfect justice against those sins by pouring out His wrath on His Son. Through Jesus' atoning death in the place of sinners, the righteous demands of God's Law were satisfied (Romans 3:23-26). After His death, Jesus rose again to life, demonstrating God's acceptance of His payment for the infinite debt sinners owe. Jesus Christ conquered death, and through faith in Him we can all have hope of eternal life, forever freed from the penalty we were due because of our sin (1 Corinthians 15:12-23).
Salvation is through Jesus Christ Alone
Through faith in Christ and His sacrifice, our sin no longer separates us from God. By God’s grace, we now have fellowship with Him and the forgiveness of our sins (Colossians 1:13-14). How do we come to faith in Jesus? Romans 10:9 says that if we confess and believe that Jesus is Lord and that God has raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. But simply knowing and understanding God’s truth is not enough to save us from our sin— James 2:19 says that even Satan and his demons have that knowledge. We are called to repent and turn away from our sins (Luke 13:3). Repentance is agreeing with God about our sin, confessing our sins to God, and choosing to turn away from our sin and live a life of obedience to God (1 John 2:3). This is how we can have assurance of the forgiveness of our sins and enjoy peace and fellowship with God (1 John 1:9).
The Believer’s Response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
The life of a believer is characterized by outward manifestations of faith and love for God (James 2:18). We are to imitate our perfect example, Jesus Christ, who walked in righteousness (Titus 2:11-14, Ephesians 5:1-2), and to trust in Him alone for eternal life. We are also to pursue growth in our knowledge of God through the study of the Bible, and growth in our faith by submitting to all that He commands. Saving faith always responds to God’s truth in humble obedience.
What is your response to these truths? Have you come to know God through the testimony of His Word, and through saving faith in the life, death, and resurrection of His Son? If you do confess Christ as Savior, are you trusting in Him alone for eternal life and are you walking in obedience to His commands?
If you can examine yourself and be assured by the Spirit of God that you’ve believed the biblical gospel and that your life bears the marks and fruits of love and obedience that the Scriptures command, we rejoice with you! However, if you don’t have that confidence, or if you have questions about the Scriptures, the gospel, or anything of a spiritual nature, we invite you to contact us. We would love to tell you more about the peace, assurance, and abundant life that can only be found by knowing God through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of all who trust in Him.