Knowing God

It is hard to believe in someone you do not know. Many know God by what He does; few know Him for who He is.

Ephesians 1:17
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

2 Peter 1:2-3

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 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,

What He does for you is dictated by your situation; Who He is is not dictated by any situation. What He does varies by your needs. Who He is does not change. To know Him, you have to have a relationship with Him. There is a difference between hearing of somebody and knowing that person. 

If there is any area that we need grace and peace, it is in the area of knowing God. God will not provide; He has already provided (2 Peter 1:3). Healing, provision etc. has already been provided for us. God will not do it; it is already done. You are not going to be blessed; you are already blessed 

Ephesians 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

We have already overcome and are victorious; victory has already been provided. You should not be concentrating on what has been provided, but on the knowledge of God. Knowledge of God is the vehicle through which things have been provided. Your knowledge of God will deliver to you what you need, and make you victorious in every area of life. 

Here are 3 ways you need to know God, in order to be victorious in life:

1. Knowing God in His attribute as a Holy God. People do not know God as a Holy God, in Whom there is no evil. He will never plan any evil to harm you. He is holy. 

Isaiah 6:3

And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!”

Job 34:10

“Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty to commit iniquity.

When you know God as a Holy God, you will understand that His plans for you are to prosper you, not to harm you; His plans for you are to give you a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). You will trust Him if you know that He is holy. When you know you are following a holy God, you will live a holy life. He is so holy as to even think an evil think about you. 

Sickness is an affliction from the devil. The spirit of religion teaches us that God teaches us lessons through afflictions. God is holy, and His work is to deliver us from our afflictions, not into them (Psalm 34:10). He does not afflict us, He delivers us from afflictions. In all His doings, God is holy. We are to be holy, as He is. 

2. Knowing God as an Omniscient God. We need to know God as one who knows all. Instead of declaring what He has said in His word, many of us inform Him of our problems. 

Psalm 139:1-6

O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.

You can hide from everybody else, but not from God. When you know that God knows you, you will never be worried. God knows when your enemies are planning evil, and has hedged you in front and behind; knowing this, you will never be afraid. There will never be a point when God has ceased to have knowledge of us; He is beyond. Fear and worry will flee from yo when you know that God knows your situation. 

3. Knowing God as an Omnipotent God. God does not need any help from any one. He is able and All-powerful. Every power that is needed is with God. God has enough power inside you to defeat whatever is on the outside. If God be for us, no one can be against you. If God be for us, no one can be against us. His power was demonstrated in a furnace, in the den of lions, on the Island of Patmos (John). It is not about what you can do, but what He can do. It has nothing to do with you. You are just a vessel that carries His power. He wants to show HImself strong on your behalf:

2 Chronicles 16:9

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of thosewhose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”

When power comes, power dictates what happens. Power has to be protected. God is all-powerful. Nothing is beyond what He can do. The way you talk, behave etc. should let everyone know that your God is all-powerful. 

Numbers 23:19

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Nothing can frustrate the power of God. 

Job 42:2

“I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.

Nothing can prevent His word from working in your life. Knowing God can even change your dreams and plans. The All-powerful God can deliver and rescue you from any place. 

The most important thing you need to do is not focus on how to get blessings, but rather on getting knowledge on God as this will unlock any victory you need in your life. 

As we began by saying, it is ahrd to believe in someone you do not know. f you have a problem believing God, then make an effort to know Him. Knowledge in God will unlock and give you access to all things that pertain to life and godliness, that have already been granted to us through Jesus Christ.  

Amen. 

-- Apostle Dr. David Karanja. 

(7/4/13 Sunday Service Sermon, Africa Transformation Mission. At Pramukh Plaza, 6th Floor)

Apostle Dr. David Karanja is the Senior Pastor at Africa Transformation Mission, a ministry under Christ Harvesters Ministries.