According to the Bible, God is Spirit (John 4:24); therefore, He has no physical form. The Bible also says that God is invisible (I Timothy 1:17) and that no man has seen God at any time (John 1:18). Based on this knowledge alone, how then can we know someone Who is invisible and Whom no man has seen? How can we know God Who is Spirit, having no physical form? We can know God because He made a way for us to know Him—He has revealed Himself by way of His Word and by the life of His Son Jesus Christ.
God’s communication of Himself by way of the spoken and written Word came into manifestation when “…holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (II Peter 1:21). The spirit from God was upon all the prophets who spoke and wrote God’s Word. Not everything that God revealed to the prophets was written, but what was written includes that which is needed for salvation and for our learning.
II Peter 1:3:
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.
The Bible is the revealed Word and will of God in writing. Therefore, as we begin to know what God’s written Word says and see what God’s will is, we begin to know God. Having God’s Word and will in writing allows us to be absolutely clear on what God wanted to communicate to us about Himself. The Bible is like having a window into the very thoughts and heart of God.
Psalms 33:11:
The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
God reveals to us qualities about Himself by way of His Word so that we can know Him. For instance, He makes known that He is good (Psalms 34:8), is kind (Luke 6:35), and has great love for us (John 3:16). He reveals that He is aware of our needs (Philippians 4:19) and is ready, willing, and able to help us in all matters great and small (Romans 4:21; Ephesians 3:20; Matthew 6:25-33). He wants us to know that we can count on Him to do what His Word says He will do.
Numbers 23:19:
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
God has made Himself known to us by way of His Word. Therefore, the “how” of knowing God involves receiving an accurate foundational knowledge of the Word of God found written in the pages of the Bible. This is how we can know God.
Just as we can know God via the Bible, the revealed Word and will of God in writing, we can know Him via the life of Jesus Christ, the revealed Word and will of God in the flesh.
John 1:14:
And the Word [revealed Word, Jesus Christ] was made flesh, and dwelt among us….
Though Jesus Christ is not among us in the flesh now, what we do have now is the Biblical record of his life, written in the pages of the Bible. The life of Jesus Christ is markedly distinct from the lives of all other men. Not only is he a holy man of God to whom God revealed His Word and will, he is also God’s only begotten Son who always did the will of his Father. Therefore, as we see the testimony of his life recorded in the Scriptures, we see the Word and will of God made known by his life.
John 8:28,29:
Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
…I do always those things that please him.
John 12:50:
…whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
Now with this knowledge and understanding, as we read the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we not only see the historical record of the life of Jesus Christ, we see the Word of God and the will of God in action by each word that Jesus Christ spoke and by each act that he did. Therefore, the “how” of knowing God also involves knowing the life of His Son Jesus Christ.
We can know God because God made a way for us to know Him—we can know Him by way of His written Word and by the life of His Son. As we read the Word, we learn of God’s goodness, kindness, and love. We come to know His will and learn that we can count on Him to do what He says He will do. When we read the records of Jesus Christ, we see God’s will in action. Jesus Christ always did the Father’s will—his life declared God. This is how we can know God. Enjoy getting to know God better every day by way of His written Word and His Son Jesus Christ.