Do You Really Know Him?

References:
• RC Sproul “In the Presence of God” for the week of March 14, 2016
• Genesis 3:6-10 NAS
• Matthew 25:31-46 NAS
• Arminian Theology
• Calvinism Theology

Every week, I receive an E-mail devotional from RC Sproul called, “In the Presence of God.” It is written from a conservative theologian writing from a very strong Reformed perspective. Having grown up Presbyterian, it is like a drink from a cool, clear stream for me spiritually. Several of the devotionals that RC Sproul has written have touched me. But, this one did so in a way that was a bit different.

I have had numerous discussions over the years about the fallen nature of mankind and whether or not we, as a fallen being, can seek to know God or not. I must confess, this is something that I have really wrestled with over the years. My wife grew up in the United Methodist Church (UMC) and has a strong Arminian background. Needless to say, this makes for some interest discussions!
This short paper will in no way thoroughly look at this issue. Numerous theologians, not just Arminius and John Calvin, have greatly wrestled with this concept. Many, many books have been written on this theological concept alone. Books written by people a lot more intelligent than myself, and a lot more time to thoroughly research. And both sides use numerous Scripture passages to support ‘their side.’

The thing is, according to Scripture, God is the one who is at work in our lives, doing things and guiding us. As Followers of Christ, we have to choose each day, on a minute-by-minute basis, really, with whether we will be obedient to Christ or not. But, what about non-Christians? Do they have such a choice? Sometimes I really wonder… Almost like the question, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”

No matter how one sorts all of this out in their mind, there is something that we have to take ahold of. Our relationship with God. Whether our understand is that God called us onto Salvation (Calvinism) or that we felt a longing and chose to follow Him (Arminianism), the core issue is, “Do you really know God?” Not just know ‘of God’ with purely an intellectual understanding of Him. But to truly know Him in a personal way. Confused? Allow me to try and help you understand.
If I simply have ‘head knowledge’ of someone, it means that I know of him or her. A good example is studying a large amount of information on the subject of incarceration and its impact on a person who has committed a crime. I can read all of the books and study all sorts of statistics, and come to some very education conclusions. But, it is all ‘head knowledge’ of the subject, all academic, nothing practical or personal.

Now, lets say I take a job as Custody Staff in a state prison or as a jailer in a county jail. Over the many months and years, through personal observation, listening to stories, and my own interactions, I learn first hand how prison life can impact a person. Since everyone is different, how prison impacts a person will vary greatly from person to person. However, if I pay attention to things around me, I will be able to draw education conclusion as to how prison life at that particular prison impacts the people incarcerated there.

With that in mind, let’s go back to our spiritual lives. How well do we know God? As finite beings, we cannot fully understand an infinite God. But, we can know Him to some degree. But, is it all purely academic? That is, are all we know about God are theological concepts and various Scripture verses that one might have memorized? How is this different from ‘heart knowledge?’ A lot, really… If I have ‘heart knowledge’ of a person, then I knew what he or she likes, what they dislike, how they act in certain situations, that kind of environments help them relax, or what kind of situations stress them out. Most importantly, what I say and do has a direct impact on them and what they say and do have a direct impact on me.

That is to say, when someone that I have ‘heart knowledge of’ is having a difficult time with something, it directly impacts how I feel. For example, if someone that I care about is having a very difficult day and struggling with their emotions, it will have a direct effect on my thoughts and feelings. Now, there are times where things that I am wrestling with may blunt the impact of their struggles to me. But, this is only a situational situation where their struggles might not impact me as much as another time. But, typically, how things are going with me will affect them, and visa versa.

Back in the Garden of Eden, God created us to have a personal and intimate relationship with Him. It was a deeply personal one where God, Adam, and Eve walked together and talked with each other. But, due to Adam and Eve’s disobedience, that unique and awesome relationship was destroyed. Since then, we are limited to how well we know God. And, like any kind of relationship, it is an on-going one that takes time and energy to enable it to grow.

What is the depth of your relationship with God? Have you even thought about it? How you live your life and the choices that you make can give others indicators as to what kind of relationship you might have with God. But, in reality, only God truly knows. We can wrestle with where our relationship with God is, but due to our finite and sinful nature, our understanding is limited. However, God is gracious and He will help us know. How He expresses His love to us will vary from person to person. How God helps me to know that He is in my heart and life will be a bit different with someone else. But, if you are a Follower of Christ, He will make His presence known in your life. Are we willing to listen? Are we willing to be obedient?