KNOWING GOD....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Jeremiah 31:34  NKJV

  

Christians of all persuasions have come to recognize that we are “new covenant” children of God.  And that is good.

Paul in II Corinthians and in Hebrews makes this covenant central in our relationship to God.  In the Lord’s Supper the cup is called “the new covenant” by Jesus.  The importance of the New Covenant can hardly be over-emphasized.

The interesting point in this covenant is the place of the knowledge of God.  It is placed in the context of the covenant in such a way as to make it the identifying feature of those who are included under its provisions, “for they shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord.”

The “least to the greatest” makes this an inclusive classification.  It is a clear statement of identification, “each and every one of them shall know me”.  None who are included under this covenant are outside the description.  They will “each and every one of them” know the Lord.

A clear illustration of the opposite is Pharaoh in Exodus 5:2 And Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.”  In this statement of confession of Pharaoh there is the status of every unbeliever, “I do not know the Lord.”  I Cor. 1:21A For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 

There is a division.  Clearly there are two categories given to us.  In one, those favored by God, know Him.  Those estranged from Him do not know Him. Men are  ignorant of God as it says in Eph. 4:18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

Knowing all this and knowing that it is common truth to Evangelical Christianity, how can there be Christians who do not know God?  Is that not a contradiction?

They are skeptics about the most basic truths.  They do not believe He is Creator.  They do not believe He can be the author of miracles such as Jonah, or Christ’s miracles, or Christ’s resurrection.  They do not believe that He alone is the Savior of sinners.  They do not believe He is the inspired author of Scripture.  If you get down to the bottom line they do not really believe God is necessary.

Why are they received into and continue as members of churches?  One, they are moral.  Two, they can be depended on for necessary tasks.  And three, the most important, they give.

These are not Pharisees, they are Sadducees.  And while they cannot be expected to be sanctified, we will try to educate them into knowing God.