The Purpose Of Knowing God
For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. John 5:26
God has created many kinds of life, but there is one kind of life that he has purposed for us- and it can only be found through a right relationship with Him.
Have you ever tried talking to a cow? We lived for a few years in dairy farming country. Dairy cows are beautiful animals. One thing about dairy cows is they will stare at anything new. If you pull up beside a paddock and get out, they're likely to come over and stand there looking at you. You can say hello- but they will only look at you. You may think you know what they're thinking- but you don't. They are a cow. They are not human. Cows have one type of life, and we have a different kind of life. They eat grass all day and swat flies. That's about it.
We can't understand the life that God has destined for us, by comparing it with menial human existence. God has another life for us, that can only be found in a right relationship with our Heavenly Father.
The Bible uses several different words to describe life.
Firstly there is 'bios', which refers to everyday, mundane life. It's nothing special really; it's just about existing. In the parable of The Sower, Jesus refers to as the kind of life that can get chocked with worries and worldly pleasures and in doing so, miss out on what God has for us (Luke 8:14). Another expression for life is 'anastophe', which refers to our behaviour and conduct (1 Peter 1:15).
Most people define themselves by how they get by in life and their conduct. Defining our existence by what we do, is not the meaningful life that God has destined for us. God has another form of life.
The life that God has for us is called 'Zoe' and is often translated 'eternal life'. Weymouth translates it as 'Life of the Ages' and Young's translates it as 'life age-during'. It refers to life absolutely, in the purest form, from which issues the real existence that God has for us, and that we will enjoy for eternity. John 5:26 says it is the type of life that God has and that Jesus had (has).
You could say that 'Zoe' is the 'God kind of life'. You often hear people say, "I wish I had his life.' Imagine the kind of life that God has, and that is what he has planned for you. Jesus said in John 17:3, "this is life (Zoe), that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent."
Does God have love, purpose and fulfilment in His life, if so, then that is the kind of life God has planned for us. Is God beaten down by circumstance, condemnation and opposition? Of course not, and neither should we. Does God live a life of love? Yes, and so should we.
Jesus defined in the simplest terms how we get the God kind of life- through knowing God the Father and the Son whom he sent.
The root cause of Christians not experiencing the 'God' life, is we don't really know God. We may know a bit about God, but in particular, we aren't practising a 'right' relationship with God. We can have a genuine zeal for God- but not know Him. At least not know Him in the way He wants us to know Him (Romans 10:1-4, Galatians 3:21).
The serious purpose of know God is so we may have the life that comes through a relationship with Him. True life, the life that God wants for us comes through a right relationship and true knowledge of Him.
