The greatest privilege for humans is the opportunity to know God, but we neither deem this to be a privilege nor do we find this to be something for which our hearts should yearn. This is on account of two factors: the first is that we have a low view of God, and the second is that we do not find Him to be immeasurably beautiful.
In theory, we might confess to having a high view of God. However, our lives show the opposite. We do not spend time getting to know Him. By knowing, I do not mean that we should merely know some facts about God, but to have a deep-seated experience of who God is.
I love this illustration given by Paul Washer in his sermon entitled “How Much Do You Know God?” He says that “The doctor knows more about my wife than me, but I know my wife more than the doctor”. Considering this illustration, we understand that the knowledge that a doctor possesses of a man’s wife and a man’s knowledge of his wife are very different. A doctor only knows the wife factually, but the husband knows his wife intimately since he has experienced the love and compassion of his spouse. The doctor is unaware of the man’s wife experientially.
There are two extremes required to be mentioned here: the first one is a purely facts-driven knowledge of God, and the second is a mystical sort of Christianity. Both should be avoided. We have spoken about the former, but now we will consider the detriments of the latter.
Today, many Christians seem to think that pursuing knowledge of God is inherently wrong. They believe that knowledge will dull their zeal and that they will only treat God as a test subject in a laboratory if they attain factual knowledge about Him. This attitude can be just as harmful as accruing mere intellectual knowledge of God, as a lack of knowledge may lead to heresy and idolatry. Both extremes have their pitfalls.
We should desire both factual knowledge of God and intimate relational experience of His person. Neither should be denigrated. We can know from the Scriptures the fact that our God is both immanent and transcendent. Immanence means that God is near us: He is present in all of His creation, but His Person is not mixed with the created order, as pantheistic religions claim. God remains in and with His creation (Ps. 139:7-12), but He is distinct in His person from creation.
God is also transcendent, which means that He is above us and is exalted. We can clearly see His transcendence proclaimed in the Scriptures as well (Ps. 97:9). Some agnostics claim to believe God is so transcendent that human reason cannot know His Person and will. Others believe God is so high and lofty that He cannot take on flesh to become human, as Jesus did according to the Scriptures.
Yet God has been revealed to be both immanent and transcendent in the Bible. The presence of one quality in God does not negate the presence of the other. Our God is so glorious and powerful that He can be both simultaneously.
We have embarked and will continue on a journey to behold and know the Glory of God revealed in His attributes. We cannot study all of His excellencies; however, I will endeavor to discuss the following excellencies of His with you.
I want to remind you again as we study all of these attributes to not merely take this as information for the mind but to prayerfully experience these realities about God in your lives. I pray that you may yearn to know Him intimately unto the transformation of your character and desires toward Christlikeness.
In theory, we might confess to having a high view of God. However, our lives show the opposite. We do not spend time getting to know Him. By knowing, I do not mean that we should merely know some facts about God, but to have a deep-seated experience of who God is.
I love this illustration given by Paul Washer in his sermon entitled “How Much Do You Know God?” He says that “The doctor knows more about my wife than me, but I know my wife more than the doctor”. Considering this illustration, we understand that the knowledge that a doctor possesses of a man’s wife and a man’s knowledge of his wife are very different. A doctor only knows the wife factually, but the husband knows his wife intimately since he has experienced the love and compassion of his spouse. The doctor is unaware of the man’s wife experientially.
There are two extremes required to be mentioned here: the first one is a purely facts-driven knowledge of God, and the second is a mystical sort of Christianity. Both should be avoided. We have spoken about the former, but now we will consider the detriments of the latter.
Today, many Christians seem to think that pursuing knowledge of God is inherently wrong. They believe that knowledge will dull their zeal and that they will only treat God as a test subject in a laboratory if they attain factual knowledge about Him. This attitude can be just as harmful as accruing mere intellectual knowledge of God, as a lack of knowledge may lead to heresy and idolatry. Both extremes have their pitfalls.
We should desire both factual knowledge of God and intimate relational experience of His person. Neither should be denigrated. We can know from the Scriptures the fact that our God is both immanent and transcendent. Immanence means that God is near us: He is present in all of His creation, but His Person is not mixed with the created order, as pantheistic religions claim. God remains in and with His creation (Ps. 139:7-12), but He is distinct in His person from creation.
God is also transcendent, which means that He is above us and is exalted. We can clearly see His transcendence proclaimed in the Scriptures as well (Ps. 97:9). Some agnostics claim to believe God is so transcendent that human reason cannot know His Person and will. Others believe God is so high and lofty that He cannot take on flesh to become human, as Jesus did according to the Scriptures.
Yet God has been revealed to be both immanent and transcendent in the Bible. The presence of one quality in God does not negate the presence of the other. Our God is so glorious and powerful that He can be both simultaneously.
We have embarked and will continue on a journey to behold and know the Glory of God revealed in His attributes. We cannot study all of His excellencies; however, I will endeavor to discuss the following excellencies of His with you.
- Trinity
- Goodness
- Omnipresence
- Eternality
- Holiness
- Wisdom
- Omnipotence
- Truth
I want to remind you again as we study all of these attributes to not merely take this as information for the mind but to prayerfully experience these realities about God in your lives. I pray that you may yearn to know Him intimately unto the transformation of your character and desires toward Christlikeness.
About The Author
JOEL RIAZ
1689 Federalism | Amillennialism | General Equity Theonomist
Joel Riaz lives in Abbottabad, Pakistan, with his wife, Irum. Having grown up in a Christian community, Riaz is well-acquainted with the Christian Faith and is the first person in his community to embrace Reformed Baptist Doctrine. He serves as an elder at Jesus The Holy Lamb, a Reformed Baptist Church.
1689 Federalism | Amillennialism | General Equity Theonomist
Joel Riaz lives in Abbottabad, Pakistan, with his wife, Irum. Having grown up in a Christian community, Riaz is well-acquainted with the Christian Faith and is the first person in his community to embrace Reformed Baptist Doctrine. He serves as an elder at Jesus The Holy Lamb, a Reformed Baptist Church.
Posted in Christian Living
Posted in Attributes of God, Knowledge, Understanding, Paul Washer, Mysticism, Transcendence, Character
Posted in Attributes of God, Knowledge, Understanding, Paul Washer, Mysticism, Transcendence, Character
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