Written by Paul J Bucknell on May, 26, 2026

Knowing God and Its Importance

Do You Know God - or Only Know About Him? 

It is possible to know religious words, sing Christian songs, and even study theology - yet never truly know God. This message presses past outward religion to the searching question of John 3: Have you been born of the Spirit? From Nicodemus to Psalm 89, it calls readers to move from mere knowledge about God to a living, worshipful relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.

One might think that after his disciples returned from their mission trips—healing people, casting out demons, and teaching about the kingdom of God—Jesus would have complimented them on their success or at least expressed excitement that so many were helped. But Jesus stated only one thing, “Be glad that your names are written in the book of life.” A main theme of the Bible is distinguishing between God's people and the world—those who believe in God and those who do not. 

In a sense, our lives on earth revolve around this distinction. During our brief time here, we discover and affirm whether we belong to those who believe in God or to those who do not. Our temporary lives will influence us forever. My hope is that everyone here comes to know God, and through that, deepens their relationship with Him. That is why I am speaking on this vital subject of knowing God.

Two Main Counterarguments

We encounter two main arguments against seeking to know God.  

1) Some people simply say that one cannot know God. If it weren’t for numerous scripture verses, I would find his argument quite convincing. How can mere man know such an awesome God? However, Jesus did say that if you have known Him, then you have also known the Father. God is not beyond our ability to know but expected and demanded. All mankind is commanded to know, worship, and serve God (Rom 1:16-18).

2) Others are wrongly convinced that, as they dive into their studies, they can know everything about God through research. We must, however, not assume that knowing about God is the same as knowing God personally. Satan knows many things about God but does not trust Him. He thinks much of his scheming but stands condemned. We cannot study God as if He were just something to be studied, but rather as Someone to get to know. The Bible clearly states that if our beliefs do not align with our knowledge, then our knowledge will be a witness against us on Judgment Day.

Everyone here ought to consider whether you truly know God. If we believe knowing God as a preference or a set of opinions, like in the study of comparative religions, we are completely out of touch with the truth. Moreover, we need to recognize that our view of God is very limited. Even as Christians, we cannot fully understand God. We are too limited by our created nature to derive convincing faith. 

Only our conversion introduces us to God, and we will need eternity to grow in this wonderful knowledge of Him. So now, let’s explore these two ways of knowing God.

1. Apart from God as Unbelievers

The real discovery of God begins not in our early life but at our conversion. 

• Romans 3 clearly says that no man searches for God.  
• John 3 says that man intentionally hides himself from God’s light.  
• Ephesians 2:1 says man is spiritually dead.  
• I Corinthians 2 says that the unbeliever does not have the Spirit of God to communicate with God. 

All of these verses clearly demonstrate a significant difference between believers and unbelievers. The difference isn't about how good one person is compared to another, nor whether the church they attend is highly regarded, but solely whether they have the Spirit of God by being born of God. Do you truly know God? 

We might assume that the categories of a Christian and a non-Christian are clear and straightforward, but when our judgment comes into play, we realize that this separation from our perspective isn’t as simple as we think. In Jesus’ teachings, we find many references, such as the parable of the wheat and the tares (Mat 13:24), that teach us that people, even believers, cannot accurately distinguish between truly saved individuals and the lost. Only at the end will we know, because God will reveal it to us. Jesus meant this teaching to shake our confidence and lead us to honestly question whether we truly know and love God.

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again” (John 3:4-6 NASB).

You might wonder, “Why would some people fake being a true Christian?” Besides obvious reasons like finding a life partner or overcoming loneliness, we must remember that our enemy can disguise himself as an angel of light. As the Accuser, he not only tries to lead believers to think they belong to him to undermine God’s work, but he also influences many non-believers around them to mistakenly believe they are truly saved. Religiosity does not equate to genuine conversion. Furthermore, the evil one busily tempts people to reason that their good works and character will outweigh any threat of judgment. They feel good being around other good people, concluding they must be good. They can say many good things, but they don't genuinely know God. Knowing facts about God or earning an advanced degree in theology falls far short of truly knowing Him.

In Psalm 89:1, the Psalmist sings of the Lord's lovingkindness. There can be similarities between how unbelievers and believers sing. Unbelievers can sing the same songs as believers and sometimes even sound better! They can join the choir and sing with believers. Some of these unbelievers are baptized and are firmly convinced they are believers. But the truth is, they are not. Are you? You may get excited about singing and participating in Christian activities, but you are not truly praising God from your heart. You may suppose God just accepts your songs, prayers, and offerings, never coming to grips with the curse of death over your life.

Others believe that believing in God’s existence is the same as truly trusting in Him. Satan believes in God’s existence but does not truly believe in God. What is the difference? It’s difficult to explain. It’s like trying to describe light to someone who is blind. The unpersuaded, professing Christian has no real desire to worship God. They have not faced the holy God, so they do not genuinely fear Him or recognize the horror of their sins from His perspective, nor appreciate His grace and mercy. They suspect God exists, but that doesn’t produce in them a deep sense of dependence or awe. They are on the sidelines, not actively involved. The unpersuaded professing Christian is like a person opening a parachute underwater. They can perform the same actions, but the situation, timing, and purpose don’t align. Praising God without the Spirit of God feels dull and flat.

We are not meant to set up rules to determine who the true Christians are. We couldn’t do it, even if we tried, because the evil one would use it to confuse and divide us further. Instead, I encourage you to examine your own life and ask whether church feels like just going through the motions or a vibrant experience where you sense the presence of Almighty God—you meet and respond to Him.

The lack of this sense of God’s majesty is reflected in our irresponsible, mindless, and unholy approach to God. There is no fear of God. We come in body, but our spirits are absent. We arrive late, totally unprepared (Mat 25:3). We don’t enjoy reading and meditating on His Word. Deep down, we love the things of the world more than God—whether it’s money, fame, or status because we are of the world.

1 John 2:3-6

And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.

Application

If you find that you’re just praying or singing but not doing so with love for God, then you probably need to be saved. Beg God for mercy so you can truly know Him. You don’t want to stand outside His people and perish. You want life. You need His grace. Plead for His mercy so you can cry out for salvation. Together, let’s confess that we are sinners and in need of Jesus. Ask Him to help us.

Do you truly know the Lord, or do you only know about Him? If your time on earth is mainly to decide whether to believe or not, don’t you think it’s time to get serious and pray to God for His grace and mercy—to draw near to Him and let your life reflect your genuine confession?

2. Near as Christian Believers

Our journey to know God begins with our new birth, not our physical birth. Before that moment, we ignored God and even hid from Him. At our new birth, God has set His new life in us and provided a new way to communicate to us through the Holy Spirit. God is very close to us—Immanuel: God is with us. I’m not saying we should be prideful about those who do not know God. The evil one will try to tempt you, but in reality, our pasts are equally shameful. We were born sinners, and over time, we've shown that rebellious nature in many ways. We must not look down on unbelievers as if they are inferior. Instead, we are humbled by drawing nearer to God and consistently being aware of our sinful nature. 

As the Psalmist states in Psalm 89:1, we stand before the Lord with awe. We worship Him because He is utterly lovable. 

“I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever;
To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth” (Psalm 89:1).

We praise Him because He alone is worthy. Just as someone might open a parachute in the air and safely glide down, it’s not intellectual knowledge of God that gives us life, but heartfelt knowledge. I’m not trying to suggest that the mind is unimportant; it’s true that it doesn’t take much knowledge to become a Christian. However, understanding the gospel correctly is essential for spiritual rebirth. The new birth occurs when God's Spirit awakens new life within us, and becoming acquainted with God's holiness is vital to being a Christian.  The Spirit first convinces us of our sin and then shows us the mercy of God found in Jesus Christ, His Son, who died in our stead. 

Our task as believers is to more deeply know and love God. Some pride themselves on knowing God, but they hardly know Him at all. Attending church doesn’t automatically increase our knowledge of God. We are not just looking for knowledge but greater faith. In the believer, the evil one promotes confidence in how well he is doing as a Christian, but in reality, many still live on baby food. How many mature believers are there in the church? A. W. Tozer says that the modern church has lost the sense of the majesty of God. 

“The Church has surrendered her once lofty concept of God and has substituted for it one so low, so ignoble, as to be utterly unworthy of thinking, worshiping men.  This she has done not deliberately, but little by little and without her knowledge; and her very unawareness only makes her situation all the more tragic.  ... A whole new philosophy of the Christian life has resulted from this one basic error in our religious thinking.” 

Being saved is only the beginning. Babies are adorable, but no one wants to stay a baby forever. Babies can’t move well because they lack strength and experience. They lie there. It even takes them time to learn to roll over. Someone must dress them, change them, bathe them, and feed them. Someone also must burp them. If you believe that the new birth is the peak of your spiritual journey, you are truly mistaken. If the new birth remains the greatest spiritual experience you refer to, then you are truly off course. Birth—whether physical or spiritual—is significant because it marks the start of a new life, a new identity. However, we should not confuse the existence of life with its purpose. Birth, though invaluable, begins a process; life develops it.

Today’s evangelism often leads people to conclude that the only importance of the gospel is whether we believe it. I agree that our belief has eternal consequences. However, we have not done a good job if we have not discipled others. The Lord never told us to just go out and evangelize; He commanded us to make disciples. Many people think they are saved just by signing a confession card. It's absurd to believe that filling out an assurance card means one has personally met the eternal God. While it's true that sometimes a person has truly met God and that these forms can help encourage new believers, we tend to treat salvation as our main goal rather than discipleship. Jesus told us to make disciples, not just save souls. Modern evangelicalism has allowed a childish view of the Christian experience.   

Believing in God is just the start. We don’t get married just to hang a certificate on the wall. No! We marry because we're entering a special bond where two become one. If you think the depth of this bond is summed up by the wedding night, you're really misunderstanding what marriage is all about.

In Psalm 89, we will see a man who loves God. God is an important part of his life. The relationship, the friendship, has started and continues. His faith in God is shown by his current need for God. His relationship with God has changed his way of life.

Conclusion 

The Psalmist knew God. If we confess our unruly lives and ignorant hearts, then we will have hope. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Mat 5:6). But he who believes everything is just right will one day realize he never made the roll call. They say we sang in this choir. We gave this much money to the church. We even got baptized. But the Lord will never be swayed in His judgment of you because you never truly knew Him. Devotion cannot earn forgiveness. Great works cannot cover over our sins. Only by humbling our hearts and pleading for the mercy of God in Christ Jesus can we be saved from our sins.

We have walked through two steps today. We would all be wise to regularly examine our hearts to see if we are truly saved. 

Can you see the need for faith in Christ because you are a sinner? Do you indeed believe in Jesus for that forgiveness? If so, take joy with the psalmist that you know God and have eternal life. But treat this as a foundation for the rest of your lives to get to know and serve God more faithfully. Let’s join the Psalmist in singing of the Lord’s lovingkindness forever. Let’s join the Psalmist in declaring the Lord’s faithfulness to all generations with our mouths.