James 4:8
King James Version
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners;
and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
It is a journey.
This knowing about GOD.
Are you prepared to take the path?
Are you prepared to experience the glorious riches which the world can never offer?
First, desire to really know GOD.
Who is He?
What is He?
What does it take to know the LORD?
Acknowledge what apostle Paul declared:
1 Corinthians 10:21
King James Version
21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord,
and the cup of devils:
ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table,
and of the table of devils.
You must make a decision.
That means you turn away from sin.
That means you will not want to sin anymore.
That means you will want to know GOD's holy ways, and not the world's deceptive ways anymore.
When you do, GOD will show up in His own time, in His own manner, in a way meant solely for you.
Salvation is for our souls.
Thus, our journeys will all be different.
Cherish the journey.
Stay on the path.
Be patient.
Pray to know.
Wait, watch, listen.
Second, become born again.
JESUS commanded we be born again.
John 3:1-8
King James Version
3 There was a man of the Pharisees,
named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night,
and said unto him, Rabbi,
we know that thou art a teacher come from God:
for no man can do these miracles that thou doest,
except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him,
Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him,
How can a man be born when he is old?
can he enter the second time
into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered,
Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh;
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee,
Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth,
and thou hearest the sound thereof,
but canst not tell whence it cometh,
and whither it goeth: so is every one
that is born of the Spirit.
As born again, you become a new person in CHRIST:
2 Corinthians 5:17
King James Version
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature:
old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new.
Why through CHRIST?
John 14:6
King James Version
6 Jesus saith unto him,
I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me.
John 14:7-9
King James Version
7 If ye had known me,
ye should have known my Father also:
and from henceforth ye know him,
and have seen him.
8 Philip saith unto him,
Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him,
Have I been so long time with you,
and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?
he that hath seen me hath seen the Father;
and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
Colossians 2:9
King James Version
9 For in him dwelleth
all the fulness of the Godhead
bodily.
JESUS is the Way back to GOD.
We must take the path JESUS paved.
Matthew 7:13-14
King James Version
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate:
for wide is the gate, and broad is the way,
that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate,
and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life,
and few there be that find it.
And it is not just any "life".
We are talking about ETERNAL LIFE with JESUS.
John 3:16-17
King James Version
16 For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world
to condemn the world; but that the world
through him might be saved.
We are to take up our cross daily.
Matthew 16:24-26
King James Version
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples,
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it:
and whosoever will lose his life for my sake
shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited,
if he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul?
or what shall a man give
in exchange for his soul?
Luke 14:27
King James Version
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross,
and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Third, die to self, Satan, and sin.
Aim for holiness, and perfection.
It's what GOD commanded His people.
Leviticus 19:1-2
King James Version
19 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto all the congregation
of the children of Israel, and say unto them,
Ye shall be holy:
for I the Lord your God am holy.
It's what JESUS commanded all of us.
Matthew 5:48
King James Version
48 Be ye therefore perfect,
even as your Father
which is in heaven
is perfect.
Fourth, repent of your sins.
It's the most painful thing to acknowledge how we've turned away from GOD, and hurt others, and ourselves.
But it's a necessary step to take, in our getting to know GOD.
For He is merciful, and loving.
Shun all sins, known, and unknown.
Ask for forgiveness, and do one last thing:
John 5:12-14
King James Version
12 Then asked they him,
What man is that which said unto thee,
Take up thy bed, and walk?
13 And he that was healed wist not who it was:
for Jesus had conveyed himself away,
a multitude being in that place.
14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple,
and said unto him,
Behold, thou art made whole:
sin no more,
lest a worse thing come unto thee.
John 8:10-11
King James Version
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself,
and saw none but the woman, he said unto her,
Woman, where are those thine accusers?
hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord.
And Jesus said unto her,
Neither do I condemn thee:
go, and sin no more.
Fifth, approach GOD, as a child would.
As this workman keeps saying -- "Knowing nothing, but wanting to know EVERYTHING".
Be hungry for GOD's TRUTH.
Being childlike at heart, makes us "teachable".
Something that surely delights the LORD.
Look at how He considers children:
Mark 10:13-16
King James Version
13 And they brought young children to him,
that he should touch them:
and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased,
and said unto them, Suffer the little children
to come unto me, and forbid them not:
for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say unto you,
Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God
as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
16 And he took them up in his arms,
put his hands upon them,
and blessed them.
To recap:
First, desire to really know GOD.
Second, become born again.
Third, die, to self, Satan, and sin.
Fourth, repent of your sins.
Fifth, approach GOD, as a child would.
There can be no alibis, or excuses, if you really want to know GOD.
We only need to have a real desire to know the LORD.
JESUS declared the FIRST commandment:
Matthew 22:37-38
King James Version
37 Jesus said unto him,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and
great commandment.
If we have the grace, and courage, to want to know GOD, it's because we want to be with Him -- forever.
And that we're deeply disappointed with the world for its lies, and illusions.
Just know that when you're born of the SPIRIT -- as born again -- the HOLY SPIRIT will teach you everything you need to know about the TRIUNE GOD.
All will be made clear.
You will know GOD's TRUTH.
What to rely upon?
Knowing how I love simplicity, precision, and "bullet points" so I may teach as simply, the HOLY SPIRIT led me to a simple "formula/guide" about Who the Triune GOD Is.
This, He made me "stumble" upon, nearly two years after He made me born again:
"GOD for grace,
JESUS for healing, and
SPIRIT for teaching."
-- "SURPRISE from SPIRIT"
Together, They work as ONE.
If it had taken this born again watchman/workman at least thousands of articles, and 113 blogs created through SPIRIT since 2019, then you can imagine the TREASURES from GOD's SPIRIT, which I'm pretty sure I've barely covered.
Proof?
Read what apostle John wrote of JESUS:
John 21:25
King James Version
25 And there are also many other things
which Jesus did, the which,
if they should be written every one,
I suppose that even the world itself
could not contain the books
that should be written. Amen.
The desire to know GOD is the ONLY thing that matters in this world.
The enemy will make sure you stray from that path.
It takes a persistent heart to know ABSOLUTE TRUTH.
If that is your initial search, then you're really looking for GOD.
And when you "find" Him, you will never be the same person again.
You will be a new person in CHRIST.
You will finally begin to know GOD, through CHRIST, the HOLY SPIRIT, and Scripture.
The world cannot offer you anything so majestic.
JESUS did promise:
Matthew 7:7-8
King James Version
7 Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth;
and he that seeketh findeth;
and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Related material:
Related video:
The Cost of Knowing God | A. W. Tozer
Image: Clipart Library
