So That You May Know

There are times when God seems so mysterious to me. The Bible tells us that there are some mysteries that we will never know, mainly because they would be too much for our minds to process. Notwithstanding, God has made Himself known in many ways.

We can look at nature and see the hand of God. I have travelled through the Alpine region of Europe, beholding the majestic mountains and emerald green lakes. When your eyes feast upon those sights you know that this earth was not created by chance. There is a heavenly artist who has painted the beauty of nature for us to enjoy.

You can look at and study the universe and know that what secular science tries to reconcile to random chance is impossible. The mathematical impossibility of the orbits of the planets and placement of the stars being accidentally settled into precise existence proves something other than chance created them.

However, we can look at Jesus Christ and understand God. We can understand God through His son because Jesus is Immanuel, God Incarnate. When Jesus was preaching at a Capernaum home, four friends of a paralytic tore open the roof to get close to Jesus. They wanted Christ to heal their friend.

Imagine their disappointment when Jesus said to their friend, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” We don’t need to imagine how the religious thought of Jesus’ words; they considered it blasphemy. And because Jesus is God in the flesh, He knew what the scribes were thinking and said these amazing words:

    “‘Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven you,” or to say, “Arise, take up your bed and walk”? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins’—He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’” (Mark 2:9-11)

There is an old saying that seeing is believing, but the Bible proves that is not always true. When you read Mark 2:12 you will see that all were amazed and even glorified God because they had never seen such a miracle; however not all of them believed.

We read in the Old Testament of how Joshua was preparing to finally lead the Israelites across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. God stopped the waters upstream so that they could carry the Ark of the Covenant and all of Israel could safely cross the Jordan. Why did God do this? It wasn’t just for their safety; the Jordan River was flooded this time of year. Joshua tells us why:

    “And Joshua said, ‘By this you shall know that the living God is among you.’” (Joshua 3:10a)

Jesus used miracles to help the Jews believe. Jews did and still do believe strongly in the providence of miracles. Many Jews in Jesus’ time called for Him to perform miracles. Our Lord at times became weary of such requests because He knew they would not believe in Him. When Jesus pointed it out to them, their response was to stone Him:

    “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” (John 10:37-38)

What is your response to Christ? Was His dying on the cross enough for you to believe that He is Jesus Messiah? When you read in the Bible of the miracles Jesus performed, do you consider them impossible fairy tales, or are they real?

God can indeed be a mystery who is difficult to solve. It is difficult because we can never know everything about God. We are to have faith in God. However, we can look at the life of Christ and know all we need to know about God.

We can know that He loves us.

We can know that He died for us.

We can know that He wants to forgive and restore us.

We can know that we can trust Christ to save us from an eternal hell.

God has made all of this known through His holy word.

He has done this so that we may know…

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2015 David Jeffers

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