Welcome to our 8-week study series on theology, titled “Knowing God.” In this journey, we will explore the essential aspects of understanding and deepening our relationship with God. Our aim is not merely to acquire information but to foster intimacy with the divine. Here’s an overview of the foundational elements we’ll cover, each anchored in Scripture:
Knowing God is Knowing His Word
The Scriptures are the primary means by which God reveals Himself to humanity. By studying the Bible, we come to understand His will, His promises, and His interactions with His people throughout history. The essential problems of mankind can be put into 3 categories. Man has a sin problem, a sorrow problem, and a death problem, the bible is the only place we find an answer for all three. Through His Word, we gain insight into God’s plan for salvation and His guidance for living a faithful life.
2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
Knowing God is Knowing His Character
To truly know God, we must understand His attributes and nature. God is loving, holy, just, merciful, and sovereign. He does not change! By studying these characteristics, we learn to trust and adore Him more deeply. Knowing God’s character shapes our worship and informs our daily decisions.
Psalm 145:8: “The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy.”
Knowing God is Knowing Jesus
Jesus Christ is the ultimate revelation of God to us. Through His life, teachings, death, and resurrection, Jesus demonstrates the fullness of God’s love and the means of our redemption. Understanding who Jesus is and what He accomplished is central to our faith and our relationship with God.
John 1:1, 14: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Knowing God is Knowing His Spirit
The Holy Spirit is God’s presence with us, guiding, comforting, and empowering believers. By learning about the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives, we can experience God’s nearness and support in our spiritual growth and everyday challenges.
John 14:26: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
Knowing God is Knowing His Salvation
Salvation is God’s gift to humanity, achieved through Jesus Christ. It encompasses forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, and the promise of eternal life. By understanding the depths of God’s saving work, we can live in gratitude and assurance of His grace.
Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”
Knowing God is Knowing His Church
The Church is the community of believers, called to worship God, grow in faith, and serve the world. Understanding the Church’s mission and our role within it helps us to live out our faith in community and contribute to God’s redemptive work in the world.
Hebrews 10:24-25: “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Over the next eight weeks, we will delve into each of these topics, seeking to know God more intimately and to experience the transformative power of His presence in our lives. Join us as we embark on this spiritual journey together, deepening our knowledge and love for the One who created, redeemed, and sustains us.
Select Scriptures
1. Jeremiah 9:23-24
Essence: True glory is in knowing and understanding God. “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.”
2. John 17:3
Essence: Eternal life is knowing the true God and Jesus Christ. “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
3. Philippians 3:10
Essence: To know Christ and His resurrection power. “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”
4. Psalm 46:10
Essence: Be still and acknowledge God’s sovereignty. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
5. Hosea 6:6
Essence: God desires the knowledge of Him more than ritual sacrifice. “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
6. 1 John 2:3-4
Essence: Knowing God is evidenced by keeping His commandments. “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
7. James 4:8
Essence: Draw near to God and purify your heart. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
8. Psalm 63:1
Essence: Earnestly seek God, thirsting for His presence. “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.”
9. Colossians 1:10
Essence: Walk worthy of the Lord, increasing in the knowledge of God. “That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
10. 2 Peter 1:2-3
Essence: Grace and peace through the knowledge of God and Jesus. “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.”