May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. —2 Peter 1:2
What does it mean to “know God”? It’s clear in Scripture that it’s more than an intellectual knowledge. It’s not just knowing facts about God.
The word know in the Greek and Hebrew languages has to do with an intimate, experiential knowledge. It’s to know something by personal experience. The knowledge of God suggests a relationship between the person who’s doing the knowing and the person who’s being known.
However, this relationship isn’t a casual one. It’s a thorough participation with the object of your knowledge. There’s a oneness, a union, and an intimacy with the person that you’re knowing.
To know God, to know Christ, is to be one with Him, to have an intimate union with Him. And this intimate relationship is one that exerts a powerful influence. You can’t say, “I know God,” and have it not make a difference. When you truly know the Lord, it changes your life.
Make it Personal
How has knowing God made a difference in how you live?