Can We Know God?

"God is a Spirit. Like the wind, His powers can be felt but remains invisible."

Isaiah 12:2-3  

Isaiah 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.   

Isaiah 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.  

The majority of people are not concerned over the question of God and whether He can be known. Only during moments of sickness, mental anguish or bereavement, most would consider life's purpose. Their thinking inevitably revolves around the subject of God. Why do I exist in this brief period of time? Is there a God and can He be known?

An atheist's shifting position  

An atheist is someone who does not believe that God or gods exist. The person probably believes that when death takes place, the body annihilates from this world. Oftentimes, when we hear the statement, “He is an atheist”, is there a person who is truly an atheist? 

  

Embracing this position presents many weaknesses. First, if this is true, we might as well disregard all forms of goodness or chivalries. It would be best to practise the law of the jungle. When confronted with such scenarios, the most self-proclaimed atheist would say that they believe in goodness and kindness towards humankind. Some might move their beliefs to that of an agnostic. Agnostics believe in God or some good higher power but they believe that God cannot be known by man.  

What does God look like? 

The subject of God cannot be denied even in a communist country. The people always call upon ‘heaven’ as their judge, even though they do not know who he is. Somehow, Adam’s descendants are aware of the existence of a higher power.  

The ‘higher power’, which most of us call God, indeed wants to reveal Himself to the people He created. In His creations, he left many visible and invisible perspicuous articles for us to know that He exists and cares for us. If you look up to heaven, you’ll see the innumerable stars and if you look down on earth, you see the majestic seas. When we look at our body, we see the perfection of each part of our body working in unison with one another. Indeed, when we just leave our pride behind, we can truly see His handiwork and goodness (Psalm 8:3).  

Deep in our hearts, all of us wish to see God in person and ask Him many questions. However, God is a Spirit. Like the wind, His powers can be felt but remains invisible. In the account of the gospels, the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ also wanted to see Him.  

  

(John 14:8) Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 

  

The Lord Jesus replied, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”  

We may think of Philip as an impetuous man, but we should thank him for his frankness as he finally got the answer which helps us to know who God is. 

God’s revelation in person to mankind! 

God has manifested Himself in the plainest method possible, and much more when the Lord Jesus Christ manifested himself in history, proving to us in many miracles that He is God. Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection after 3 days are indeed the most miraculous deeds and signs ever performed. In the plainest of language, the Lord Jesus shows us that He is God and we can have a part in His glories. The only condition is that we must believe in Him (John 3:16). This condition is truly reasonable.  

Consider the following scenario. If I were to give you a free voucher for a sumptuous meal at a five-star hotel, how do you cash the offer? The only way to enjoy the meal is to go to the hotel at the appointed time and date. Your actions in fulfilling the conditions indicate your belief! Similarly, you must believe the promises given by the Lord Jesus to appropriate the gift of eternal life.

 

God’s eternal plan for every person 

When we know God, He reveals His plans for us. His holistic plan revolves around the Lord Jesus Christ. Firstly, like the good doctor, He gives us an accurate diagnosis of our spiritual health. Our spiritual health is bad because of sin and all have sinned and come short of the expectation of God (Rom 3:23). You can blame your ancestor Adam who caused you to be in this bad state, but this does not resolve the sin in all of us. 

The good news is that you can be restored to the best of health. This is the subject of salvation. In 1 John 4:10, we learn that God sent His Son (the Lord Jesus Christ) in the form of a man to become the propitiation for our sins. When he offered His sinless body on the cross for us, the way to salvation was made available to mankind. Death, which is the penalty for sin as pronounced in Ezekiel 18:20, is fully atoned for us by Jesus Christ. Therefore, those who accept Him as their Saviour can confidently declare that ‘God is my strength, my song and my salvation’.  

 

The living water  

(John 4: 14) But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 

God has made the ‘wells of salvation’ and each of us must draw water out of it to drink. Sadly, some people want salvation to be an involuntary affair. They expect salvation to be given freely without expending any effort to secure their own salvation through repentance, renewal of character and obedience to God’s words. I leave it to the reader to debate in their own minds the reasonableness of such expectations. Should God carry the ‘living water’ to our lips and force down its contents to our mouths after making the offer of salvation available to us?  

The goodness of God 

The following verses highlight the goodness of God. The sin problem for you has been settled when you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s benevolent plan for you is further revealed below:

Jer 29:11    For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  

John 14:1-3    Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.  

Act 16:31    And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.  

Please draw the ‘living water’ from the wells of salvation. God will only help those who willingly help themselves. 

With God’s blessings,  

CL