… growing in the knowledge of God …
Summary: Knowing “about” someone and knowing them personally are two different things. It is good to understand the difference.
When we talk about the “knowledge of God,” what do you think of?
Well? … What comes to mind?
Are you thinking about what you learned in church as a kid? Does your knowledge of God come from watching preachers on television or online? How about the Bible? Is that where you get the real stuff?
If we look at what Paul wrote in this passage, we begin to understand when we notice what he does not say.
Paul doesn’t say, “growing in knowledge about God.”
Do you see the difference?
As people, we often fall into the habit of “filling in the blanks” when we read something we don’t fully understand. We do the same thing when someone is talking, and they are reaching for a word they can’t quite remember. We think nothing of offering up the word because we see where they are going with their thought. (My wife does this all the time to me!)
When we read Paul’s words, it is easy to assume he is talking about things we know about God. But that is not what he says. He says, “growing in the knowledge of God.”
The difference is simple. James points to this difference when he writes:
“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” (James 2:19)
The demons know about God, but they don’t “know” God in the sense of having a relationship with him.
When people know each other the way Paul uses the word “know,” they actually know each other. They might not know all there is to know about the other person, but they know them enough to recognize them when they see them. They know the sound of their voice, how they look, and how their mind works. Again, they might not know everything about the person, but they know them the same way we know a rose when we see one.
How do we “know” this?
Greek is an amazingly detailed language.
One of the root words Paul used is “ginōskō.” The word describes a level of knowledge that is even used to describe sexual intercourse between a man and a woman.* This suggests an intimate knowledge that only comes from being in a relationship with the other person.
When we are in a relationship with God, we are growing in the knowledge of God.
Application: Get to know God personally!
Food for Thought: How does the kind of knowledge Paul refers to impact our faith in God?
*”G1097 – ginōskō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (niv).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 5 Oct, 2024. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1097/niv/mgnt/0-1/.
Faith is like a muscle, the more you use it the more you have. It grows. Acting on faith through a relationship with God allows us to know Him more and more. The more we trust Him and we see He is trustworthy., the more we get to understand Who He is.
An example would be Abraham. He walked with God for decades and got to know God as a friend. After walking with God, exercising his faith for many years, God asked him to sacrifice Isaac. He was willing to do so because He had learned God was faithful and had promised Isaac biological descendants. Isaac had not had children, so Abraham reasoned that if necessary, God would raise Isaac from the dead.
Hebrews 11: 17 – 19: By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
God did not start the relationship by asking Abraham to do this. This came after years of knowing God and acting on that faith relationship. We also need to know God and act on faith to see that relationship grow.
Thank you, Rich!
Abraham is a great example in many ways. He was able to recognize God’s voice whenever he spoke, and to his credit, he responded in faith.
How does the kind of knowledge Paul refers to impact our faith in God?
We come to learn God is not a stone statue in a room, or a God we cannot approach, He is not sitting on a throne in heaven, simply observing the foolish actions of His creation as we live lives according to our own limited understanding.
He is our Creator, our Omnipresent Father, who loves all mankind, is calling to each individual of His creation, the power causing our hearts to beat and life to exist in these bodies as we live within Him. It is His love for us that draws us to Him, His power in our lives is purpose and the joy of life freely given to us.
Jesus teaches, God has taken the time to give all mankind knowledge of right, wrong, and judgement to come, John 16:8
We are asked if we are trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or who are we trying to please? If we are still trying to please people, we are not a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10
We must only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all our heart; as we consider what great things He has done for us. 1 Samuel 12:24
Believers worship the Lord our God and serve Him only. Luke 4:8,
We are not to forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:16,
And we are to be the minister He has made us, according to the gift of God’s grace given to me according to the working of His power. Ephesians 3:7
Our creator God knows every intimate detail of our true being, and for our good, will when necessary open our eyes to reality. It’s called conviction, down into the deepest, darkest crevices of our being. God knows it all, we must know He knows it all, we cannot fool God. Then comes His mercy as we are shown where our actions are taking us, and He provides the alternatives to us. Life with Him, or eternal separation from Him in solitary confinement.
This revelation of intimate knowledge of God, turns lives around as God shows the path to salvation and will faithfully accompany turned people during their years as His servant, seeking His will over their own.
Thank you, Ron!
I love the contrast between a “stone statue” and our Living Father. Well said! 🙂