As human beings, we are wired to seek knowledge and understanding of the world around us. We want to know how things work, why they exist, and what their purpose is. When it comes to the concept of God, this innate desire for understanding can be both a blessing and a challenge.
On the one hand, seeking to understand God can deepen our relationship with Him and increase our appreciation of His nature. On the other hand, God is by definition beyond our human understanding, and our attempts to comprehend Him can lead to frustration and confusion.The Bible teaches us that God is both knowable and unknowable.
On the one hand, God has revealed Himself to us through His Word, through creation, and through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We can know about God's attributes and characteristics, such as His omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, eternality, and holiness. However, at the same time, God's ways are beyond our human comprehension. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."This paradox of God's knowability and unknowability can be difficult to reconcile, especially for Christians who seek to deepen their relationship with Him.
We want to know God more intimately, but we are also aware that our finite minds are incapable of comprehending the infinite nature of God. So how can we seek to understand God while also acknowledging His incomprehensibility?One approach is to look to biblical examples of the unknowable nature of God.
Throughout the Bible, we see examples of people who struggled to understand God's ways. For example, in the book of Job, Job suffered greatly and questioned why God had allowed such suffering to come upon him. His friends tried to explain his suffering by suggesting that he had sinned, but Job maintained his innocence and demanded an explanation from God.
When God finally spoke to Job, He did not answer Job's questions directly but instead reminded him of His power and sovereignty. In the end, Job repented of his questioning and acknowledged that God's ways were beyond his understanding.
Another example is King David, who was known as a man after God's own heart. Even David, who had a close relationship with God, struggled to understand Him at times. In Psalm 139, David marvels at God's intimate knowledge of him, saying, "You have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar." Yet in the same psalm, David acknowledges that God's thoughts are too high for him to comprehend: "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you."These biblical examples remind us that even those who are close to God struggle to understand His ways.
Yet, as Christians, we are called to seek understanding of God despite His incomprehensibility. Why is this important? For one, seeking to understand God can deepen our relationship with Him. As we learn more about God's attributes and characteristics, we can grow in our appreciation of who He is and what He has done for us. We can also learn to trust Him more fully, even when we don't understand what He is doing.
So how can we seek to understand God while acknowledging His incomprehensibility? One approach is to cultivate a posture of humility and reverence. We must recognize that God is infinitely greater than us and that our attempts to understand Him will always fall short. We must approach God with a sense of awe and wonder, recognizing that He is beyond our comprehension. As the psalmist writes in Psalm 111:10, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding."
Another approach is to use the tools that God has given us to know Him. The Bible is the primary means by which God has revealed Himself to us, and studying it can help us to know more about His nature and character. Prayer is another essential tool for seeking understanding of God, as it allows us to communicate with Him directly and seek His guidance and wisdom.
Community is also crucial in seeking understanding of God. We can learn from other believers who have walked with God longer than we have or who have had different experiences with Him. We can encourage one another in our faith and hold each other accountable in our pursuit of understanding.
However, it's important to recognize that even with these tools, we will never fully comprehend God. As the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:12, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." Our understanding of God will always be limited by our human perspective, and there will always be aspects of His nature that are beyond our comprehension.
So how do we reconcile the tension between seeking understanding of God and acknowledging His incomprehensibility? Ultimately, it comes down to faith. We must trust that God has revealed Himself to us in the ways that He has and that what we do know about Him is true. We must also trust that there are aspects of His nature that are beyond our understanding, and that's okay. As Christians, our ultimate goal is not to fully comprehend God but to worship Him and obey Him in faith.
In conclusion, the unknowable nature of God can be a challenging concept for Christians to grapple with. On the one hand, we want to know God more intimately and understand His ways. On the other hand, God is beyond our human comprehension, and our attempts to understand Him can lead to frustration and confusion. However, by looking to biblical examples, cultivating a posture of humility and reverence, using the tools God has given us, and trusting in Him through faith, we can seek to understand God while acknowledging His incomprehensibility. Ultimately, our goal is not to fully comprehend God but to worship Him and obey Him in faith.
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