Knowing God

John 16:1-2 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.

(2) They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service

John 16:3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

In our last ‘Reflecting the Son’ post, we examined verses 1-2. We came to understand that as a true followers of God, we will be hated and even persecuted by the world. But not only that, much of our persecution will come from those that “think that he doeth God service” (John 16:2)

In our focus today, we will look at verse 3. We learn WHY religious people will be willing to persecute us. JESUS says .....

John 16:3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

Jesus says that these religious people, who are persecuting us, thinking they are doing it in God’s service, are doing it because they have not KNOWN the Father nor have they KNOWN him! Here is the point that Jesus is trying to make that all of us need to understand: We can be deeply religious, we can be immensely dedicated to a religious belief, we can go about serving, acting, and behaving in a religious manner and doing it all in a fashion without God’s approval or endorsement! Why? Because they are doing it without the proper UNDERSTANDING of what God desires.

Matthew 15:8-9 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. (9) But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Knowing that God exists is NOT knowing God! Knowing OF God is NOT the same as knowing God! Being religious is NOT knowing God! Knowing some of the Bible stories is NOT knowing God. Even being able to quotes some scripture is NOT knowing God.

Knowing God is a comprehensive understanding of what his will for mankind and for each of us is.

Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Jesus said here that we MUST understand and DO the WILL of the Father in order to be pleasing to him.

Ephesians 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

May we all truly Know God by searching the scriptures diligently to come to the proper understanding of God’s will and then may we have the courage to DO it!