There is a huge difference between knowing God and knowing about God. For the many people that know about God their lifestyles clearly indicate that they truly don’t know God. People that just know about God have little understanding of what holiness is, rarely can forgive their enemies, find regularly attending church unnecessary, and only pray when they are in desperate straits. In addition, they get offended when you tell them that they are sinners in desperate need of salvation, are hypocrites because they say they know God but rarely if ever read the Bible, and have little desire to make worshipping God and advancing His kingdom major priorities.
I think J. I. Packer gave a good summary of what knowing God vs just knowing about God is all about when he said: “There’s a difference between knowing God and knowing about God. When you truly know God, you have energy to serve him, boldness to share him, and contentment in him.”1
I like this quote for the three reason’s Packer shares.
First, we have energy to serve Jesus! For those who only know about God, they often don’t know anything about who the true God, Jesus Christ, is. Most people, who only know about God, talk about him as if God is the man upstairs or whatever they conjure up in their minds he is like. For if we know God then not only is He Jesus Christ, but having a personal relationship with Him gives us the energy and the desire to want to serve Him daily!
Second, we have boldness to share Jesus! If we only know about God, and he can be whatever we make him out to be, then it’s not likely we will share him with others since, one, we don’t even know much about him, two, it’s doubtful he has changed your life, and three, how important can a made up, imaginary God really be. But when you know Jesus intimately how can we not want to share Him with all the world!
And third, we have great contentment in Jesus! As a Christian for 43+ years I know deep in my heart and soul that Jesus is real and the one and only true God. He gives me great joy and peace, He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother, He has transformed my life from a sinner to a saint, He has promised to never leave me or forsake me, and He promises me eternal life! I am so content in Christ that my life is just overflowing with peace, joy, and deep meaning. And not to mention He has given me His Holy Bible to meditate on His awesome love for me each and every day. For those who only know about God there can be no such true contentment, peace, or joy since only Jesus can flood our thirsty souls with these three states of being.
Life is a journey and for those who only know about God there can be no answer to life’s most important three questions, which require supernatural knowledge from a holy God, and the book of His divine revelation – the Bible. These three questions are: One, How did I get here? Two, what is my purpose in life? And three, where do I go when I die? We, thankfully, have the answer to these questions when we enter into a personal relationship with the one true God – Jesus Christ, and make the Holy Bible our source book for everything pertaining to Jesus.
My friends, knowing God is the most awesome, wonderful, and enjoyable way to live life. So I ask you do you know about God or do you know God – there is a world of difference between the two!