“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

(John 17:3)

This is an introduction to, and the first in a series of posts offering answers from scripture to the above questions. To say that they are important questions, questions that deserves serious consideration, is a huge understatement!

I first learned something about God’s glorious attributes years ago from two main sources: Lutheran Catechism and reading the Bible for an “Advanced” English course as a senior in high school. Catechism provided sound doctrine (and large words) to describe characteristics of God found in the Bible. In reading the Bible for itself, I found out that what it said about God matched the big words I learned in Catechism. (As odd as it might sound in today’s scholastic environment, in those days it was permissible to write a paper about The Bible as Literature, my chosen subject.)

In addition to Scripture itself, a source of information for these posts is J.I. Packer’s book, Knowing God.  Scripture references, unless otherwise noted,  are from the NIV and linked to their context in an online Bible. Please read them, read the context around them, and let scripture speak to you. There are of course other, more exhaustive treatments of the attributes of God; one of the most notable being Arthur W. Pink’s work, available online here.

These posts can really only provide a short glimpse into the awesome character of God and will hopefully whet your appetite to learn even more about the Creator of the universe and the One who sent His own Son to die so that you might live. The reason for these posts is two-fold. First, there seems to exist today, in American Christianity, a deplorable lack knowledge concerning what God has revealed about Himself in scripture. Most of what we hear from pulpits stages across the country speaks only of God’s love, and even that, for the most part, is described  according to our concept/definition of love, not His.

The second reason is from Scripture itself. John 17:3 tells us that “eternal life is knowing God“.  That can be a bit difficult to get our heads wrapped around, but it speaks of our eternal life has a  “right here”, “right now” aspect. How do we explain that in more practical, understandable terms? What effect does knowing God have on a person? J.I. Packer suggests four great effects:

1. Those who know God have great energy for God.

2. Those who know God have great thoughts of God.

3. Those who know God have great boldness for God.

4. Those who know God have great contentment in God.

We must ask ourselves, do we desire such knowledge of God?  While you ask yourself this question, remember that it’s not a matter of knowing God so we can “become” great for God, it’s simply that really “knowing” leads to “having”.

And lest I forget, when God sees knowledge of Himself in his children, It gives Him pleasure. 

” For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” – Hosea 6:6 (KJV)

______________________________________

To be continued. . .

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5