IT'S WHO YOU KNOW NOT WHAT YOU KNOW - TO KNOW GOD IS TO LOVE HIM - PART 3

Have you ever been invited to a royal wedding ? Chances are, if you are like most people, an invitation to a royal wedding being held somewhere on planet earth has never reached your eyes or ears. Usually, those who are invited must know the bride and/or groom or be known by them in some way. The most brilliant mind, the wealthiest businessman may be absent from the guest list because in the case of a royal wedding it is not a matter of what one knows; it is a matter of who you know. It doesn't matter what you know if you don't know or are not known by the hosts of the wedding.

In a spiritual sense, there is a royal wedding to which all are invited. The king gives the invitation in the Bible(1) and an opportunity to become acquainted with Him before the marriage supper of the Lamb is a matter of eternal urgency.

-- "Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that gloriet~ glory in this, that he understandeth. and knoweth ME, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness, in the earth..." Jeremiah 9:23,24

THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW GOD

In the Bible, the characters of those who do not know God are vividly portrayed for all to see. The subduing influence of Christ at the center of one's thoughts and feelings is absent from each person who chooses not to gain an experimental knowledge of God. One's knowledge of God or lack thereof is directly related to the measure of Christ-likeness in one's character. To not know God is to grow to become the opposite of Him in character.(2)

"And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey HIS voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go." Exodus 5:2

"For MY people is foolish, they have not known ME..." 

Jeremiah 4:22

"They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth GOD service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the FATHER, nor ME." John 16:2,3

"And even as they did not like to retain GOD in their knowledge, GOD gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient..." Romans 1:28

"Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of GOD: I speak this to your shame." 

1 Corinthians 15:34

"... the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy,. nor knowledge of GOD in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood." Hosea 4: 1,2

The climax of history and the end of the reign of sin occurs when Jesus Christ returns to this earth the second time and to those who do not know Him, He appears as a flame of fire. The principles that have become a part of their character have so changed them that the very appearance of Christ burns the sin within them which they have chosen to cling to rather than Christ. It will be a sad end indeed for these poor misguided souls who have not grown accustomed to the light of His countenance and the sense of His presence(3).

"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the LORD JESUS shall be revealed from heaven with HIS mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not GOD..." 

2 Thessalonians 1:7,8

This is not God's desire for anyone and He earnestly appeals to every human heart right now to be reconciled with Him while there is still time. What will you do ? Do you have an experimental knowledge of God and Jesus Christ ?

(1) Matthew 22:2-14/Isaiah 55:1,2/Revelation 22:17
(2) 1 John 4:8
(3) 2 Thessalonians 2:8

You have just been reading from a study entitled, "To Know God Is To Love Him." Look for more pages from this study in future blog posts...

© 2011 Tyrone Keels

www.issues-of-life.com