Can we know God exists? If so, can we know what He expects of us and how to be pleasing to Him? To know is to “be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information; have knowledge or information concerning; be absolutely certain or sure about something” (Online Dictionary). We can “know” something by either or both of two ways.
One way is by “Empirical Knowledge”. To know in this way is to “know” something by the five senses. For example: I know my neighbor (I can see, touch, hear them); I know that is a skunk (see, smell). God has given us empirical evidence that we can know He exists. Psalm 19:1-6, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.” Looking into the sky and at the world around us, they are delivering a message to mankind – God Is! Cf. Romans 1:20. The world and the universe show remarkable design. It is an established truth that a poem demands a poet, a painting demands a painter, and design demands a Designer. See Hebrews 3:4. Clearly, God does exist.
The second way we can “know” is knowledge based on the Truthfulness of the one giving the information. This can be affected by the character of the individual (are they deceitful) and the accuracy of the information being given to one (misdiagnosed illness). We do not have to be concerned about these when it comes to God because God cannot lie, Titus 1:2. Because of the character of God, it is in fact “impossible for God to lie”, Hebrews 6:18. God is also omniscient, that is, all knowing. Psalm 147:5, “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.” This being the case, we need never be concerned with God lying to us or being wrong.
Based on the character of God, we can know what sin is and its consequences. God has told us sin separates man from Him, Isaiah 59:2, and God has identified sin in Scripture so we can know if an action is sin or not. We can know whether we have been saved, by the things God has revealed in His Word. 1 John 5:13, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” We can know the reality of Heaven, Hell, or Judgment. Why? Because God has told us they exist and will occur. Matthew 25:31-34, 41, 46, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:…Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels… And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”
Now that you know, what will you do about it? Matthew 7:21.
– Jerry D. Sturgill
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