This is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. –– John 17:3
Do we know God, or do we simply know about God? There is quite a difference. We may know Him as the Creator. We see the wonders of his creation and think: What a magnificent, mighty person He is. We see Him as the Architect of The Plan, and we see the beauty He has outlined for the entire human race. All of this is important, but these are observations about Him. How do we know Him?
Do we know God personally? Do we know Him as a friend, as one we can talk to? as one we can relate to? as one who can relate to us? After all, He is unsearchable. The Psalmist says, “Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.”(Psalms 145:3) How do we search the unsearchable? How can we hope to know God? We will try to answer these questions by considering eleven steps we can take to get to know God –– who He is and what He means is to us.
The first step is to obtain God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:11).
Obtaining God’s spirit is a costly proposition. We need to make a full consecration, meaning completely devote our lives to Him. We are to follow the Apostle Paul’s instructions in Romans 12:1: “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” To know God, we must give ourselves to Him, so that He may pour out His spirit on us and use us for His purposes.
The second step is to say to God, “I give you my will, and I will surrender it.”
It is common for us to question what God’s will is for our lives, or to go through life telling God what we think His will is for us. Instead, we need to get rid of our sinful human will. We must follow the teachings of the Apostle Paul when he tells us to “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). To “renew your mind” means to adopt a new way of thinking. Instead of following the desires of the imperfect, human nature, we must follow the desires and ways of one who is striving to live a godly life. It is essential to “set your minds on things above, not on earthly things, for you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:2-3). If we are to have a new way of thinking, then our old way of thinking must be completely removed. It does not matter how other people view us, but it is important how God views us and if He is pleased with our thoughts and actions.
The third step is to set our treasures in heaven so our hearts will be in heaven.
In the Book of Matthew, Jesus instructed us saying, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). An effective way to do this is to think about the Lord immediately when we wake up each morning so that we form our thoughts and attitudes for the day around Him. If our aim is a spiritual reward, our hearts will be set on spiritual things, rather than on earthly things.
The fourth step is to study the Bible.
The Bible is the Word of God. It is where His thoughts and instructions for us are established. We need to be diligent to “show thyself approved by God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). To be diligent, we must study. We should know the words of the Lord so we can follow them. Acts 17:11 gives the example of the Bereans who were “examining the scriptures daily” to see whether the things they heard were so. We, too, need to read the scriptures for ourselves and not simply accept the teachings we hear but to make sure they agree with the Word of God. There are three points to remember while studying: the first is to study with an open mind. Ask, “What is the Lord really saying?” Do not come with preconceived ideas of what He is saying, do not come to prove a point but come to learn a point. The second point is to study the life of Christ. He set an astounding example of how we should live, and there are many lessons we can learn from his life. The final point is to study the teachings, or doctrines, in the Bible. Study them so you can understand them; use them to change your life and to learn the mind of God.
The fifth step to truly knowing God is to simplify our life.
Eliminate the clutter of possessions, noise, activities, and other things that distract us from God. Matthew 6:29-34 gives wise instructions to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” If we strive toward God above all things, He will provide all the physical things we need. The simpler our lives, the more time and energy we can devote to the spiritual things that truly matter.
The sixth step is meditation.
Think on and consider the wonderful things God has promised and on the things, He has done for us in the past. Remembering the things the Lord has done for us in the past will give us strength and courage to trust Him for the future. Philippians 4:8 says, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything, worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Focusing our thoughts on righteous, pure, and honorable things will enable us to avoid filling our minds with sinful thoughts and will draw us closer to God.
The seventh step is to talk with God.
To become closer to Him we must talk to Him. Speak to God like He is your friend. Share your feelings, emotions, wants, disappointments, and plans with Him. Share everything. If we share with Him, He will share with us!
The eighth step is to worship God.
Lift up your hands to the Most Holy God. Praise His name with singing and dancing! Be joyful and worship the Lord. David said in Psalms 145:2, “Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.” There are three aspects of praise. The first is to extol or profess and proclaim His name. The second aspect is to bless and be thankful for what He has done for us. Lastly, praise Him; be grateful for who God is, not merely for what He has done.
The ninth step is to testify.
Talk about God to others. As you develop a closer walk with God, share that walk. Witness to the world and share your experiences with your brethren. Share what God means to you and what He has done for you. We should be excited to share the most optimistic and beautiful plan known–salvation for All. Testify about the plan of God as well as what our relationship with God means to us personally.
The tenth step is to practice.
Practice, practice, practice. Put the principles of the Bible into action in your life. “Be doers of the word, not hearers only”(James 1:22). Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:2, “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men.” You are the only Bible some people will ever read. Are you a good translation? Our translation should translate the words of the Bible into the deeds of Christ.
The eleventh step to becoming closer to God is to let your light shine.
Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” It is not the words we speak; it is the acts we live. Our lives have been changed by Christ and the transforming power of knowing God –– this is the testimony that we give before men.
The more time we spend with God, and the more time we spend learning His Word, the better we will know Him. If we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us.
–– Notes from his Discourse, “A Closer Walk”