The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Titus 1:16,
"They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him."
"They" in this passage refers to folks Paul observes as "detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good." Let's call them the folks from the "DDU" bench. I know the DDU bench all too well as this is the very place from which I heard the gospel message. I too was "detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good." (Some may say I still am!) And, I have to say, by my actions, even though I may have claimed to know God, I didn't. However, the gospel did make it's way to me, and having responded to God's invitation, I am now headed in a new direction. In this new direction, can I now know God... truly know God?
Since the fall of man in the garden, mankind has been estranged from God. A simple review of the world's religions precludes the notion that many in the world really know God well at all, given so many different perspectives and teachings. We don't have to go further than that to see man's separation from God and a literal ignorance of him. The Scriptures, however, tell us we can know God.
Paul's prayer for the believers in Ephesus acknowledges they knew God, "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." Ephesians 1:17. It was Paul's prayer that these believers would know God better. To this same church, Paul prayed they might know the full dimension of the love of Jesus Christ, 3:17-19. Paul prayed the Colossians would grow in their knowledge of God and God's will in matters, Colossians 1:9-10.
Peter speaks of grace and peace that believers can experience by their knowledge of God, 2 Peter 1:2. Peter points out that it is through our knowledge of God that we can live a godly life, participate in "the divine nature" and escape the corruption of the world. 2 Peter 1:3-4. John tells us that those who truly love have been born of God and know God, 1 John 4:7.
The Scriptures are clear that we can, indeed, know God. Listen to this fascinating passage, "We declare God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: 'What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived'— the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, 'Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:6-16.
It all begins with placing our trust in Jesus Christ through the gospel message and then availing ourselves of God's revelation to us through the Scriptures with the wisdom the Holy Spirit provides. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him."
"They" in this passage refers to folks Paul observes as "detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good." Let's call them the folks from the "DDU" bench. I know the DDU bench all too well as this is the very place from which I heard the gospel message. I too was "detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good." (Some may say I still am!) And, I have to say, by my actions, even though I may have claimed to know God, I didn't. However, the gospel did make it's way to me, and having responded to God's invitation, I am now headed in a new direction. In this new direction, can I now know God... truly know God?
Since the fall of man in the garden, mankind has been estranged from God. A simple review of the world's religions precludes the notion that many in the world really know God well at all, given so many different perspectives and teachings. We don't have to go further than that to see man's separation from God and a literal ignorance of him. The Scriptures, however, tell us we can know God.
Paul's prayer for the believers in Ephesus acknowledges they knew God, "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." Ephesians 1:17. It was Paul's prayer that these believers would know God better. To this same church, Paul prayed they might know the full dimension of the love of Jesus Christ, 3:17-19. Paul prayed the Colossians would grow in their knowledge of God and God's will in matters, Colossians 1:9-10.
Peter speaks of grace and peace that believers can experience by their knowledge of God, 2 Peter 1:2. Peter points out that it is through our knowledge of God that we can live a godly life, participate in "the divine nature" and escape the corruption of the world. 2 Peter 1:3-4. John tells us that those who truly love have been born of God and know God, 1 John 4:7.
The Scriptures are clear that we can, indeed, know God. Listen to this fascinating passage, "We declare God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: 'What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived'— the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, 'Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:6-16.
It all begins with placing our trust in Jesus Christ through the gospel message and then availing ourselves of God's revelation to us through the Scriptures with the wisdom the Holy Spirit provides. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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