The Christian Life Series

What does it take to know God? How we come to know someone often comes down to how we approach him or her. As Christians we must know how to properly approach God to ensure an environment in which we can freely discover and know who He is. The first epistle of John is clear that we must know our God. If we fail to know Him, we will not be able to discern spirit, establish right doctrine, or ultimately display the fruits that will identify us to Him. When you consider knowing someone, you must first consider how to properly approach him or her. Approach is often determined by the person’s position, the type of relationship you may desire with that individual, and the type of investment you are willing to make if a relationship is established with him or her. In many cases people initially will give up on the idea of having any association with someone because there is no familiar ground in which to approach the person. I may respect or want to know someone, but if there is no familiar ground in which to approach that individual, I will reason out that since I do not “run in the same circles” as the person there is no way I am ever going to have such a relationship. There must be some kind of common ground before I can approach anyone in establishing a relationship in which I can know him or her. It might mean having mutual friends, interests, or careers that cross paths to ever have such a ground in which I can meet or approach a person. The truth is, in my limited sphere of relationship with others, I cannot know everybody; therefore, I can only know those who I somehow find common ground with. Scripture is clear, due to sin we have been separated from God. You cannot know someone from a distance. Intimate knowledge requires you to come to a place of familiarity in order to personally know a person. Obviously, we cannot approach God from our fallen state unless we find some common ground. Praise God, He provided the common ground in which each of us can approach Him. However, like King Saul, we need to learn a valuable lesson when approaching God. The king took matters into his own hands when the prophet Samuel did not show up to offer the sacrifice at the appointed time. It was from this premise the king discovered the harsh reality about what it meant to have a common ground in relationship to God. If we try to approach God in any other way than what has been established, our overtures to meet with Him or know Him will be rejected and all attempts cast aside into the utter judgment of damnation.12 The sole common ground in which each of us can approach God is at the point of Christ’s redemption. In spite of the world’s rhetoric and propaganda about tolerance towards other beliefs and religious ways, Christ is the only way to a life with God, as well as serves as the truth about what it means to be reconciled back into a relationship with the Father. There is no other way to God and there is no other ground in which you can meet Him. In spite of the world denouncing, raging against, and persecuting those who refuse to compromise such ground, God will not recognize any other position except the place of redemption. He will never cease to be who He is, regardless of the world’s attempts to redefine Him, enlarge His ways, adjust His truths, and replace His life.