Reflecting God in the Call to Know

Praise God that he is not far off from his creation. While the gods of many false religions are ones of mystery, confusion, or even contradiction, our God desires to be known by his creation, us, and he has given us the tools to do so.

Throughout the narrative of Scripture, God tells his grand story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. In this story, God is also revealing his character. In his acts of mercy (Exodus 33:19) we see his kindness. In his judgment (Genesis 19:23) we see his perfect righteousness. And in him sending his Son to atone for our sins (John 5:36) we see his great love for us.

God also wants to be known by his creation, so much that he came down to earth to walk alongside us as fully God and fully man. God’s plan for redemption enables us to understand him in a deeper and personal way than ever before. His plan involved the eternal Son of God, walking alongside man, and sharing the truth about himself in the most personal way possible.

When Christians come to know God, that first step of salvation (a turning from sin and towards Christ) is rooted in an understanding of Christ’s atoning work. In this moment, man reflects God’s character in the acutest sense, as he comes to delight in knowledge as the Lord does. Thus, as believers grow in their understanding of God, they further reflect him, as truth is his nature (Isaiah 65:16) and is something he delights in (Psalm 51:6).

In other words, God has made himself known to his creation, and he invites us to know him.

But here’s what we also know about God: He is the ultimate source of truth. He is omniscient, a God of truth and clarity. He not only created human beings; he created all of creation!

As a result, believers can have confidence in all areas of life they seek knowledge in. To be people of Christ is to be people of truth and to seek truth in all things. There isn’t a rock that we could turn over one day that would contradict what God has revealed to us to be true because all truth is rooted in God’s unchanging nature.

So Christians ought to live as Christ did, reflecting God in all aspects of our lives. One of the ways we can reflect the character of God is through the pursuit of knowledge. Because God invites His creation to know him, and because he is the author of all creation, we can reflect the Creator in pursuing knowledge in all things.

Whether you are working in academia, construction, or customer service, you can reflect the character of God by seeking knowledge and understanding in what the Lord has called you to. We can delight in the pursuit of knowledge because it is something that the Lord loves. So the next time you have the opportunity to learn about the solar system, your car’s engine, or quantum physics, reflect the character of God, and know.