How Much Do Need to Know?

How much do we need to know about God to respond to his love invitation in Jesus Christ to life? Do we need to know everything about God to have a personal relationship with Him? We don’t even know everything about ourselves or others we are in a relationship with. (Jeremiah 17:9) Getting to know someone, we get to know the basics, and after a while, we get to know them better. Close friends know each other well and are loyal in friendship and marriage.

Do we need to know everything about God to receive him? The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” We can know much but not everything.

What about the huge issues, like how God came into being? The Bible doesn’t tell us this. Do we need to know this to be in a love relationship with him? No, we do not. God is self-existent, and it makes more sense that God created and is, than that nothing created the world and all that is in it. It is not logical to say that nothing created something, but it is logical to say that a self-existent God created. Besides, there is huge evidence for God in creation and life. For instance, our bodies and the world are fine-tuned to very exact detail. Do you think this all could have come together by chance? Not a chance. Josh McDowell goes into all those details in his book, Evidence that Demands a Verdict.

Moses asked God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”(Exodus 3:13-14). That is what we need to know—God is.

Do you think God is on trial and you are the judge? This is what C.S. Lewis wrote about in his book, God on the Dock. We set ourselves up as judges of God, and God is the one defending himself. Do you also think God is going to share his place as God with you? The devil likes to think this way, but this will not be the case. God doesn’t have to answer every question the way you want. Some things are way too far above us. They are on a need-to-know basis. However, more than enough is revealed about God for us to have a good love relationship in Jesus Christ. God has revealed more than enough.

Consider that God throughout history had a plan to redeem man, even though he doesn’t deserve it. Most awesomely, God stepped down from heaven and divinity took on humanity, and Jesus was 100% human and 100% divine to redeem man from sin—its penalty and power. He let his own creation nail him to the cross to take our place on the cross to bear the penalty of our sin that we might, in a sense, rise from spiritual death to life in Christ—life abundant and eternal. Jesus Christ, in taking our place satisfied divine justice. If this is not love, humility and grandeur, then nothing is. This is God who invites us to life.

Some may say, what about all the natural disasters that occur in life, like hurricanes, where many homes are destroyed and much injury and death occur? What didn’t God stop this? There are many factors, like the God who set the natural laws of the universe, and there are therefore natural disasters. God could have prevented these occurrences, and sometimes he does. Why not all the time? These are in God’s Providence. He does as he chooses for an ultimate good that we may not see now. However, his job is not up for the taking, although many like Satan try. We don’t know why God allows some things and prevents others. However, natural disasters remind us that judgment is coming and that judgment, if it is hell for some people, is far worse than any natural occurrence. When we demand that God do what we want when we want it, we are vying for his job, and this is arrogant to think we can be God better than God. We can trust God because of his revealed goodness, especially in Jesus Christ and the cross.

We all want things to be fair among humans if possible. How about with God? Is God fair, or in other words, just? We all want what we deserve on the human level. How about with God? Do we want what is just with God? The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) Do you want what you deserve? God says you deserve death because sin brings death and brokenness. It also brings a life of emptiness here and in hell for eternity. Shouldn’t God be fair and give us what we deserve? He will if we refuse the remedy in Jesus Christ. God, however, offers us grace. The word grace is undeserved or unmerited favour. Will you receive this grace or go it on your own and take your chances with eternity? The result of our decisions is certain, the Bible says.

What about sick babies? Not easy for anyone to deal with. Sin brought disease into the world, but again, we don’t know why God allows some things and prevents others. God has revealed enough about his goodness, especially in the cross, that we can trust him in the trials of life. As the Bible says, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

To love someone is to want good for them. God wants our temporal good and eternal good. His desire for us is good. He is the author and sustainer of goodness. We don’t have to know the why of everything to trust him, but we can look to the strength of God to live through it all. Often easier said than done. To live to the glory of God is to want the good of God, even before our own good, though our good is wrapped up in his glory.

We don’t have to know everything to receive Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord. More than enough has been revealed and is available to us in God’s word, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit. However, God does require your diligence, for he will not force you into a relationship or into a growing relationship.

Having said all this, knowledge is very important. Our minds should be stretched with God and truth to the uttermost, and the rest left in awe in mystery with God. Jesus said we should love the Lord, among other aspects, with all our minds. (Matthew 22:37) We can know a lot and but what we don’t know we leave as a mystery with God. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32) Wisdom takes knowledge and correctly and timely applies it to life and relationships. Theology is taking the whole truth in the Bible and putting it all together as a complete whole. We must also correctly interpret the Bible and apply it. The Bible says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). However, as A.W. Tozer said, “The Devil is a better Theologian than any of us and is a devil still.” Knowing about the truth is not enough. Even the devil knows about truth. We must enter into truth and experience God.

Many people don’t want to think because it is so difficult. Understanding and entering truth can sometimes feel like a wrestling match. However, the world and our life is shaped by ideas. Hopefully, those ideas are centred in truth, not lies or distortions of the truth. There are many false teachers and prophets today. Only by knowing the truth and walking it will you be able to discern what is truth applied with wisdom. Jesus said, “Then many false prophets will rise and deceive many” (Matthew 24:11) Consider all the places in that false teaching and false prophets is mentioned in the New Testament. How well do you know the truth? People who are trained to spot counterfeit money are very familiar with the real thing. The deceit is often quite subtle. The crooks want the counterfeit to resemble the real thing as closely as possible.

Seek the Lord while you can. “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!” (Psalm 105:4).