We're Missing The God Behind The Word: Who Are You Really God?

The thing we need to discover is this: Who is God, really? That is the chief question. Nothing else really matters. We've been in evangelical Christianity, and the apologetics movement, ever focused on a list of things we ought to believe. It's very informational. This is all exceedingly useful. We need this information. We need theology, apologetics, and study of the word. We also need to staunchly defend the truth from false teachers. But the head (brain) knowledge is not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is heart knowledge of God, which is to know God truly.

The goal of all scripture and apologetics, and all the theology we've developed is that we would know the God behind all this data. The real God, who is really there, that's who we want to know. We need to encounter the God who can actually be encountered. The living God. Then it goes from head knowledge (useful) to heart knowledge (essential).

As it says in Romans, if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 8:37). Knowledge is king in some circles, head knowledge. But, the heart is different. God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). We're also told to forgive from the heart (Matthew 18:35).

It's astonishing how we can miss this simple connection. We can get so focused on belief in scripture, a worldview, a depiction of reality, which is all good stuff, that we can all together miss that the goal is to know the real God who behind all this information. All the information is in fact meant to point to the living God who is reaching out to us.

Now don't get me wrong either, a progressive would say, 'get rid of the knowledge all together and just seek the god' that is not what we're arguing for. Two things can be true at the same time, head knowledge is not enough, but it's also important. Heart knowledge is enough, but it must be accompanied by focused biblical interpretation.

Many within evangelicalism have a form of godliness, but seem to deny it's power. They have a detailed structure setup, with all the key doctrines, apologetics, and perspectives, but it stops there. There is no actual divine encounter with the living God. And yes, we as Christians can indeed encounter the living God.

Can you believe a simple truth? As simple as this: I can really encounter the God of the Bible. I can have a vibrant living relationship with that God. I can come to commune with that God in deep and meaningful ways.

Do you actively seek to know that God? Not just the theology, the scripture, but the God who is present when we read and study it?

We could miss that, if we aren't careful. Seek the living God. Seek to Know Him. And wonder at Him. He's really there. Imagine the horror of coming so close, but failing to know God almighty because we stopped short at knowledge, and didn't go into experience.

This is a journey we can take. We can know the living God, from the heart. Begin here, go out into the darkness tonight and ask God: Who are you, really? Make the request of Moses who cried out: God, show me your glory.