Is it possible to know God? Well, who, or what, is God? The ultimate reality of Hinduism or Buddhism
is infinite, but not personal. And the gods of the Greeks and Romans were personal, but not infinite.
But the Bible describes God as both infinite and personal. When we say God is infinite,
we mean for example that God is eternal, he never began to exist, and he'll never cease to exist.
He transcends time and space, bringing time and space into being at the moment of creation.
He is not physical or material. Rather, he's an infinite, uncreated mind with unlimited power.
But while God is infinite, he's also personal. He has mind, emotions, will, and moral agency,
all the qualities essential to personhood, and he has them to an infinite degree.
For example, he is all-knowing, he knows all facts and truths. He's also morally perfect, so not only
is he without any trace of evil, but he himself is the source and standard of moral goodness.
What connection could there possibly be between this infinite personal God and you? Here are four
truths to consider. God loves you and created you to know him personally. It's God's nature to love
infinitely and unconditionally. But since love desires the highest good of its object,
God desires your highest good. But God is your highest good. So he wants you
to have a personal relationship with him. In fact, this is why you exist. But there's a problem;
man is sinful and separated from God. The Bible describes our predicament like this;
"Ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky through everything God
has made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities, his eternal power, and divine nature.
So they have no excuse for not knowing God." Yes they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him
as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like.
As a result, their minds became dark and confused. We've all done things we know are wrong.
It's not just that we feel guilty; we actually are guilty. But since God is morally perfect,
sinful beings cannot draw near to him. Thus God is faced with a dilemma. Because he is just, the
demands of his justice must be satisfied. In our case, that means death. But because he is love,
he has compassion on us. He wants each of us to be reconciled with him. God's solution
is Jesus Christ. In the greatest invasion of all time, God entered human history.
Though he was God, Jesus Christ was like us in every way, except he was without sin.
He lived a perfect life, which meant he didn't have to pay a penalty for his own
sin. Nevertheless he voluntarily chose to die in our place, to pay the death penalty we deserve for
the sins we've committed. What happened at the cross was the greatest transaction in history.
My sin was placed on Christ. He suffered the death penalty in my place. In return, Christ's
righteousness, his moral perfection was placed on us. Then when Jesus rose from the dead, he broke
the power of sin, death, and hell once and for all. God has moved heaven and earth to restore
your relationship with him. Now it's your turn. We must personally receive Christ as our Savior
and Lord. There's a difference between believing "that" and believing "in." It's not enough to
believe that these facts are true; you must take the next step and believe in Jesus Christ.
That means committing your life to him as your Savior and your Lord. We can't be good enough
to earn God's pardon. All we can do is humbly agree with God that yes, we are sinful
and cannot save ourselves, and gratefully receive the gift of God's forgiveness in Jesus Christ.
God wants to transform your life, to make you into the kind of person that you were meant to be.
This involves following Jesus as your Lord.
It is possible to know God as a personal reality in your life. Why let anything stand in the way?
Right now he is ready and willing to give you the gift of forgiveness and new life
in Jesus Christ. Are you willing to receive it? If so, pray with me now.
God, please forgive me for all the things I've done wrong. I turn away from my sin,
and I turn to you, my only hope. I invite you into my life as my Savior and my Lord.
I am yours. Fill me with your Spirit and empower me to live a new life in Jesus Christ. Amen.