Knowing about God and knowing God are two different things. Somebody can know about you, but do they really know you? There are a multiplicity of religions around the world, so how do we know which one is true? To answer this latter question, I want to encourage every individual to think about what they believe, why they believe it, and how their views can be justified in light of the world around us. Only Christianity (not nominal Christianity, but uncorrupted Christianity that is in alignment with all of The Words and works of Christ) aligns with reality, and God grounds what reality is. God’s Word is in perfect alignment with this reality: ultimate authority, infallibility, and sufficiency is found in The Word of God (The Bible- from the Greek word Biblos (Βίβλος), meaning “book”). The Bible is so called because it has historically been referred to as “The Book.” To quote Dr. Voddie Baucham, the Bible is a “reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place in the fulfillment of specific prophecies and claimed that their writings are divine rather than human in origin” (1). Yes, there are many denominations, even within Christianity. However, the denominations that are truly Christian will share a common unity on the central doctrines (teachings) of the Faith. These include the Deity of Christ, The Trinity, and belief in God’s Word (which testifies to the two aforementioned doctrines).
“THE TASK OF THINKING OF GOD RIGHTLY IS NOT JUST AN EXERCISE IN WELL-WISHING, WELL-MEANING PHILOSOPHY . . . THEOLOGY MATTERS, AND IT WILL SHAPE HOW YOU APPROACH EVERY AREA OF LIFE.”
Your faith can only be as great as the object of your faith. If a man has faith in money, then if his wallet feels empty, so does he. If a man has faith in technology, then when the power goes out, he knows not what to do with his time. If a man has faith in a false god (though they may give them the supreme title), then they perceive neither the full weight of sin nor the exceedingly beautiful nature of grace. If a man who identifies as a Jehovah’s Witness says that he believes in Jesus, he does not mean the same thing as a Christian (the true substance is different even though the name being spoken is the same). Even someone who identifies as a Christian who has false conceptions about God that are contrary to His Word will be limited in their faith; what they are willing to say (and not say) and do (and not do). God is who He is, and not who we wish Him to be (Exodus 3:14). Though, I will say, who He is is far greater than anything we could wish Him to be (Ephesians 3:20).
You see, the task of thinking of God rightly is not just an exercise of well-wishing, well-meaning philosophy. It’s not something where we can say, “We should get God right, but it’s not too big of a deal if we don’t.” Careful; theology matters, and it will shape how you approach every area of life. This extends not only to one’s own household, but can extend to an entire city, country, and even the whole world. It can lead to significant actions, such as the abolishment of abortion in a country. If the apostles of Jesus did not believe that Jesus is who He has said that He is, how would the proclamation of the Gospel have been carried out in 1st century Palestine (Matthew 28:18-20)? Now we get to enjoy the fruit of that belief. God equips us for what he calls us to do. The Apostles trusted this; so must we…in every season and in every moment.
I watched a clip of a very powerful message given by Paul Washer where he talked about trusting in God despite a lack of feelings. He maintained the Sovereignty of God in all things. God allows even His children to go through tough seasons for a greater purpose (Isaiah 50:10). In times when we feel we are without hope and in times when we feel like we are in darkness, our souls are still sustained. In times such as that, when God feels far off (not that He is, but I am referring to the feeling only), His children can rely on His nature, His character, and His promises in the midst of a lack of feeling or experiences. God can get greater glory in this. When a Christian is seeing no fruit being produced in their life, when they feel trapped in feelings of depression or anxiety, but still trust in God, how powerful is that? As Washer puts it from the perspective of the Lord of Hosts: “Look at my servant who walks in darkness and has no light, but trusts in my name (2).” He goes on to say that, from man’s perspective, “What I thought was a desert because of my sin is actually God getting greater glory from me than he would have if I had all kinds of things around me supporting up my faith (2).” This is theocentric: having God as the central focus.
It is like when I love my siblings not for anything that they do, but for who they are. Sure, it’s great when they help me out with something or give me an uplifting word, but that is not why I love them. Every good gift and every perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17), but those gifts must never be exalted above the giver. We ought to love God because He alone is God (Isaiah 43:10); it is He who has created us and not we ourselves (Psalm 100:3).
God is sovereign (Genesis 1:1, and Proverbs 19:21, and Isaiah 46:10, and Matthew 10:29-30, and Acts 4:27-30, and Romans 8:28-30, and Romans 9:1-33, and Revelation 4:11), and man is responsible (Acts 17:24-31, and Romans 10:9-13, and 1 Samuel 13:13, and John 12:48, and 1 Corinthians 4:1-2). How these two things fit together with perfect cohesion, I do not know. Indeed, as the Apostle Paul wrote, “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Corinthians 4:1-2).”
Even now, as I type these words, I have so many questions. Why this? Why that? If you are a textbook overthinker, you know the feeling. Yet, no matter your personality or season of life, you can trust that God will always be there for those who call upon His name (Romans 10:13). If you are a Christian going through a dark season, know that there must be purpose in its allowance (Romans 8:28). You can trust this because of God’s promises and His character (fulfilling his promises). Everything He has foreordained or allowed, He has done so for a reason; there is no such thing as purposelessness. As the late R.C. Sproul once said, there are no maverick molecules. When one does not believe that there is purpose in even the difficult circumstances, their reaction to it will be different. Thinking of God rightly indeed shows us how there is purpose in everything and what our true task is with this life. We exist to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever (Psalm 145:1-21). May we press on to know more about our Creator, and may we press on to think of Him rightly. This will carry over to every area of life; from household chores to overseas missions, from times of weeping, to times of rejoicing. When it comes down to it, all of our behavior and thinking can be guided by two callings: to love God and to love people (Matthew 22:37-39).
