Knowing God

I remember being in youth group when I was younger and learning from the pastor about being able to drop your head knowledge of God to your heart. He called it the "12 inch drop" or something like that.

To be honest, I don't think I really understood that concept until much later in my life. I probably didn't get it until these last few years. It is one thing to have head knowledge of God, but it is something completely different to know Him in your heart. I mean, really know Him.

So let's take a look at the word "know" (Compliments of dictionary.com)

-Verb (used with object)

1. To perceive or understand as fact or truth: to apprehend clearly and with certainty: I know the situation fully.

2. To have established or fixed in the mind or memory: to know a poem by heart; Do you know the way to the park from here?

3. To be cognizant or aware of: I know it.

4. Be acquainted with (a thing, place, person) as by sight, experience, or report: to know the mayor.

5. To understand from experience or attainment

6. To be able to distinguish, as one from another: to know right from wrong

Many times I have heard Christians speculating on who God really is and how He operates. It seems like they really don't know Him. They are never certain about His character. They aren't certain if he is still hiding Himself from them or if He is still angry with them. Let me say right now that God isn't anymore mad at you than He is at Jesus. And God really loves Jesus.

Let me take you through a bit of scripture. Hebrews 8:10-12

¹⁰This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people. ¹¹No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,'
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest. ¹²For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.

It says that everyone from the least to the greatest will know God. That means that the most average person who thinks they can never have the same spiritual gifts and relationship with God as the high and mighty pastor can/does/should.

Now the word "know" is used twice in this passage. It is actually a different definition both times it is used.

The first time "Know the Lord", the Greek word is Ginosko -

To learn to know, come to know, get knowledge of.

This is the head knowledge I was talking about earlier. This is what people try to attain by their works and feeble understanding of God because they often don't rely on the relationship they have with Him by the Holy Spirit. They just try to gain knowledge of Him through doctrines and by what other people tell them to believe.

The second 'know' in this passage "they will all know me", the Greek word is Eido -

To see, to perceive with the eyes

To perceive by any of the senses

To notice, discern, and discover

To turn eyes, mind, and attention to

To look at, behold

To know, have regard for one, cherish and pay attention to

You see this is the relationship you have in your heart with God. It is being certain of who He is and knowing without a doubt that He is good. You can now look at God without fear. Before people would fall down dead in His presence, now because of this New Covenant, you can look at Him and behold His beauty, goodness and grace.

Do you see the difference?

¹¹No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, 'Ginosko the Lord,'
because they will all Eido me,
from the least of them to the greatest.

Before you had to try to gain knowledge so that you could eventually have a glimpse of who He was. But now You can see Him through Jesus Christ because He has forgiven and forgotten your sins. There is nothing that can keep you out of His presence.

What can separate you from God now?