Knowledge of God is important! Check out what Jesus says in John 17:3: "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." He totally equates eternal life with knowledge of God.
Plenty of other examples abound. Paul prays in Colossians 1 that the believers there would "walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." Peter's prayer in his second epistle is that "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."
Then there's one of my personal favorites: "The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits" (Daniel 11:32).
Knowledge of God isn't something we need just so we can win a religious trivia quiz. It's knowledge that has a direct impact on who we are and how we live our lives. Below is a list of God's attributes, along with the reasons why those attributes of of critical importance to us. We hope this blesses you!
Love
I John 4:16, Psalm 136:2
Everybody needs love. It's a proven fact. God is the one source of love that everybody can count on all the time.
Grace
Ephesians 2:8, I Corinthians 1:3
God gives not because He is obligated to, but because He chooses to. He is in the blessing business!
Patience, longsuffering
II Peter 3:9, Exodus 34:6
This is really important to remember at those times when you're absolutely sure God is ready to give up on you. He isn't!
Power, ability
Matthew 19:26, Job 42:2
If you don't thnk God has the power to change hearts, cure diseases and shape history, you're probably going to lose hope. Don't! He is totally able.
Authority
Matthew 28:18, Revelation 19:6
God is the boss. That's why we call Him "Lord." People who don't submit to His authority and keep trying to run their own lives can never know the peace and security that comes when you stop rebelling and enter the Kingdom -- where He is the King!
Goodness
Psalm 145:9, Romans 2:4
If you don't know that God is 100% good, you'll never be able to fully trust Him. So pray that you would have a revelation of His absolute, total goodness.
Holiness
Exodus 15:11, Isaiah 6:3
The word "holy" means set apart. God is with us in this world, but He is not of this world. He is supernatural. That is why we worship Him and Him alone!
Eternal
Revelation 1:4, Isaiah 57:15
We don't have to worry about God disappearing on us. Long after this world we value so highly is dead and gone, God will still be on His throne!
Jealous
Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 4:24
Some people think jealousy is automatically bad. But God is "jealous" in the sense that He wants to have the exclusive relationship with you that He is entitled to by virtue of the fact that He is Creator and Lord. That's why the Bible so often compares our unfaithfulness to God with adultery.
Omniscience
Proverbs 15:3, I Corinthians 3:20
God sees everything. That's why there's no use trying to hide from Him!
Mercy
James 5:11, Ephesians 2:4
Wish you could get a break? You already have! God has given us many breaks -- including providing a way for us to obtain forgiveness despite the fact that we don't deserve it.
Fatherhood
I Corinthians 8:6, Ephesians 4:6
Everyone needs a father to nurture, protect and teach them. Our natural fathers are only human, so they sometimes fall short in one or more of these areas. But our heavenly Father never fails us.
There are also things God likes and doesn't like. It's good to learn what those are if you want to please Him and help fulfill His will. Can you think of some things God likes and doesn't like? Can you come up with scriptures from the Bible to back up your claims?
One of the great things about being a Christian is how rich your knowledge of God becomes. In fact, it always amuses me when a skeptic says something about Christianity offering only a limited, narrow view of God. I usually ask people like that to enlighten me about God, since apparently their God-concept is much broader than mine. Invariably, they stumble through some vague statements about some cosmic force permeating the universe. That's when I thank them for their insight and share with them my own "narrow" view of God -- which includes His greatness, His holiness, His mercy, His love, His mighty deeds, His plan of salvation, His glorious creation, His wonderful Fatherhood, and more.
Now you tell me -- whose view of God is the narrow one???
If you want to know more about God, come on out to one of our worship services or Bible studies. It may be the most important thing you ever do!
