Sound The Trumpet : Knowing God

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“Knowing God”
by Art Sadlier
September 19th, 2020

“In the Beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” God brings every man and woman to that understanding. God speaks in the heart of everyone and reveals Himself to them as the creator of the all things. “Because, that which may be known of God is manifest (revealed) in them; for God hath shewed it unto them” (Romans 1:19). God places the knowledge of His existence in every human heart. Every man has an intuitive knowledge of God.

Notice one way that God reveals Himself to all men everywhere. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). No man can say to God, I didn’t know about your existence. I didn’t understand that you created all things. I didn’t understand about your eternal power and Godhead. God says that every man is without excuse for not knowing about Him.

Every man under God’s heaven looks at the sky and at the world around him and he clearly sees and understands there is a creator God who made it all. John says of this creator God, “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John1:9).

Psalm 19:1 further reveals this truth, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”

The acknowledging of the creator God does not bring salvation but it is the starting point of understanding the gospel which alone brings salvation. The gospel is the entry point into a relationship with God. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The problem is that men refuse to embrace the knowledge of God and instead turn away from it. “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Romans 1:21). It is man’s sin against God that condemns him and causes him to turn away from God’s presence and reject God and in some cases even the very existence of God. Like Adam, all men refuse to allow God to tell them what they are to do.

The evolutionist has turned away from the knowledge of God’s existence. “The fool has said in his heart, there is no God…” (Psalm 14:1). It is in the heart that a man first turns away from God and not in the mind. Guilt for sin against God cries out in the heart for the denial of God. The mind then proceeds to justify that denial.

My friend, at some point in your life you have entered into an understanding that there is a sovereign God and that He created the heaven and the earth. Have you turned away from that intuitive understanding of God you once had?

God has spoken in His Word to enable men to make the transition from knowing about God to a relationship with Him. Man has lost his relationship with God through his sin and by the fact that he was born in sin and alienated from God.

God has said, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2).

Paul says that instead of a loving relationship with God, man is under the wrath of God because of his sin. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).

All men are born estranged from God with a fallen sin nature inherited from Adam. The natural man is estranged from God and is the enemy of God with a sin nature. “Because the carnal (natural) mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:7).

The Bible tells us the good news that Christ has died to take away our sin and bring us into a wonderful relationship with God. Christ crucified for our sins is the remedy for removing the wrath of God from us because of our sins. “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18).

Today God is striving with men in order to bring them into a relationship with Himself. Jesus said, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost“(Luke 19:10).

Peter said in second Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

The Lord through the Holy Spirit is seeking to draw all men to Christ for salvation. Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32). Christ died an atoning death on the cross and He is seeking by His Spirit to draw you to Himself for salvation.

During WW 2, a US aircraft ditched in the Pacific Ocean, many of the crew drowned. Five managed to scramble onto a life raft. They drifted for twelve days in the burning sun, their skin was scorched by the burning sun and their rations were exhausted. Their lips were cracked, their tongues were swollen and they shrank into living skeletons. Two went mad and leaped overboard. Another died in the night and they rolled his body into the sea.

There were two left, when the rescue aircraft found the raft only one was alive. The survivor wept as he told of his companion’s death.

He said, “The night before you found me it rained, the raft caught a pail of fresh water. I tried to give some to my buddy; it would have saved his life. He fought me; he thought I was trying to poison him with sea water.”

My unsaved friend that is your condition, Christ died to save you and he is earnestly reaching out to you. He is offering you salvation full and free, but you think that He is trying to hurt you. You are turning away from the water of life and you will die and go to hell forever. Come to Christ in repentance and faith right now before it is forever too late.

Do not turn away from the offer of life. The Lord has said, “…My spirit shall not always strive with man…” You must choose eternal life or eternal torment. If you refuse God’s offer of salvation there will come a time when God will refuse you. Choose now, to delay or to say no is a choice.

Jesus said, “…Except you repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).

“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” (John 3:16)

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Galatians 2:16).

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

There is a line that is crossed by rejecting our Lord where the call of His Spirit is lost. Have you counted the cost if your soul should be lost? Have you counted the cost?

The door of salvation is open for you to walk through it in repentance and faith.

Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13