Who Do We Think We Are (Part 1)?
Knowing of is not the same as knowing about, which itself is only a few short steps down the path toward knowing something or someone intimately. For example, I know of Tibet, and I know a little about Tibet, but there’s no way I know Tibet like the people who live there. And I certainly don’t love Tibet like the Tibetan people.
In a similar but much greater way, to know of God is merely the first step in knowing about Him, which is only a few steps down the path of knowing Him the way He desires: the intimate knowing we regrettably allow to drift down our priority list.
God desires for His children to know Him in an intimate, loving way. Before you accept the “of course” that so quickly comes to your mind, read that sentence again and allow the magnitude of its meaning to expand in your heart. Let faith grow.
Mankind has known of outer space since our creation. We have sought to know about it for millennia. In all that time of observation and study – actually living in the midst of it – we hardly know about our solar system. Indeed, we know comparatively little about Earth, the continent we live on, or even the neighborhood in which we currently reside.
The One who created – no, is creating – the universe, spoke it into creation. He holds it together in the palm of His hand. He knows about all of it! In fact, He knows it intimately, and He intimately loves all of it that is not opposed to Him (yes, He hates the wicked).
And here we are, invited and encouraged to intimately know Him, the One who is love – to know and love Him with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, and with all our strength.
Here’s the kicker: We cannot know of Him or about Him – much less know Him as we were created to know Him – without His manifest presence and His grace. We are completely at His mercy.
This merciful and gracious God has created His children to be a special and privileged people. Jesus said so:
He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. Matthew 13:11, 16-17
Peter adds:
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light… 1Peter 2:9
These truths make a tragedy of our failure to know God as He desires, encourages, and empowers. We are missing so, so much.
Be careful to understand: The tragedy is about us. We (i.e., Christians) have traded knowing God for lesser pursuits. This raises a few sobering questions:
- Why do we waste so much time with our minds set on the things of this world?
- Why do we neglect knowing Him with all of our being: our heart, mind, soul, and strength?
- Why do we think so much of ourselves and this world?
- Why do we spend so little time with Him?
Attempting to live in relationship with God through the logical (and limited) abilities of our carnal mind is the greatest tragedy of this age. We’ve become enamored with our ability to analyze everything (even God). The sciences and the scientific method have become our savior. Why? Because we have deceived ourselves to think (even believe) they will make us gods. This is a societal and generational phenomenon that has leached its way into the church, and into the subconscious mind of most Christians, since the Enlightenment began.
Consider if you will how little our abilities and advances in the sciences (i.e., our analysis of creation) have enabled us to know about our own little planet. Scientists are still arguing over the existence of water on Mars.
And we think of ourselves as gods? Is there a greater deception? Have we lost all concept of just how little we are, and how unimportant we are without the LORD?
Now, consider the One who actually created the sciences, not for our glory, but for His. Not that we would know all there is to know about ourselves and creation, but that we would ultimately know Him intimately – that we would love Him with all of our heart, with all of our mind, with all of our soul, and with all of our strength.
This fullness of love for the LORD is the chief purpose of man, and what He requires of those who desire to know the One who is wholly and holy love. To know the One who is “other than”, we must become “other than” ourselves.
…but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1Peter 1:15-16
Only God can do such a thing. We are totally at His mercy. He is willing to work in us to will and to do to His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13), but He will not if we refuse to participate, or have disabled ourselves through distraction, self-deception, and/or disobedience.
So, what are we to do? It is with the heart that man believes. This is where we must begin – not with our minds. Our only hope is God’s way for faith in this matter of holiness: the hearing of faith, obedience to the faith, and the work of faith.
Yes, yes, yes! We must humble ourselves, participate with the Holy Spirit in overcoming our carnal mind, submit our thinking to the obedience of Christ, and turn to our heart – the new (i.e., not corrupt) heart given to us by God – for the faith God has put there, that we might lay hold of the grace to love the Creator with all of our heart, with all of our mind, with all of our soul, and with all of our strength.
The grace that saves us is the same grace that will make us “other than” citizens of God’s kingdom.
God bless you with grace for both.
Humbly yours and forever His,
Rob
#iamjustthepen
P.S. The carnal mind is subtle and sinister at every turn to separate us from the truth, its conviction, and the freedom it provides. This pen risks the finished product being enough – subconsciously falling into the “it’s for them” trap. So please be careful, and pray the same for me.