How can I know God better?

 

Knowing God begins with having a personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Apart from salvation in Jesus, we are enemies of God. But in Christ we are made children of God (Romans 8:14–17; Ephesians 1:3–14). We are also sealed with the Holy Spirit and indwelt by Him. The Holy Spirit helps us come to know God better and makes us more like Jesus. Once we are saved, we get to know God in a way very similar to getting to know any other person. We spend time with Him, listen to Him, talk to Him, and spend time with others who also know Him.

 

We get to know God by reading His Word—the Bible. The Bible is God's "special revelation" to us. We know much about God through nature (Romans 1:20) and the things we observe on the earth. But God has told us specific things about Himself through His Word. When we read the Bible, we understand more who God is and what His plans are. When we look at Jesus, in whom "the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily" (Colossians 2:9), we can learn a lot about God.

 

We also get to know God by praying. In prayer, we share our hearts with God and we also listen to Him. We learn to recognize the Holy Spirit within us and be filled by Him. As we are filled with the Holy Spirit we come to know God more.

 

Another important aspect of getting to know God is interacting with others who know God. We get to know God by listening to sound instruction from biblical teachers. We also get to know Him when we talk about Him with others. As we share in the lives of other Christians, we see how God works, can learn about Him from one another, and can give Him praise together. Fellowship with other believers also encourages us in our walk with God.

 

Knowing God is an incredible privilege of salvation. God not only rescues us from the penalty and power of sin, He invites us into a personal relationship with Him. We are made His children. In John 15, Jesus talks about abiding in Him. When we do, we are fruitful for God and our joy is made complete. Jesus came not only to rescue us from sin (John 3:16), but to bring fullness of life (John 10:10). Knowing God is a significant part of what it means to have fullness of life in Christ.