What Does it Mean to Know God?

One of the projects my wife and I took on over the course of the past couple of months was turning our basement into a game room.  For years, I used half of the space as an office, and the rest was used for couches and a TV, but since I was able to turn our guest room into an office, that means the basement space was freed up to do something new.

Among the new additions to the basement is a pool table, and I love the fact that generally speaking, our family tends to be competitive.  Even our in-law children have that competitive streak.  Just the other day, Abby and I were playing pool, and in the midst of the competition she said, “I think you need to post the house rules on how this game is played because everyone plays it a little differently.”  I may take her up on that suggestion and post the rules somewhere.

One of the greatest misconceptions about Christianity is that it's primarily about learning a set of beliefs or following a list of rules. Biblical truth and obedience to God’s Word absolutely matter, but there’s more to the Christian life than some people realize. The Christian life isn't just about acquiring information and doing the right things. At its core, it’s about entering into a relationship with the living God.

That's what makes the words of Jesus in John 17 so fascinating.

On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed what has often been called His High Priestly Prayer. As He prepared to bear the sins of the world on the cross, His thoughts weren't centered on escaping suffering. Instead, He prayed for the Father's glory, for His disciples, and for everyone who would one day believe through their message.

In the opening verses of John 17, Jesus reveals something every person longs to know, whether they realize it or not: the purpose of eternal life.  He starts like this:

"When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.’" (John 17:1)

Notice how naturally glory fills this prayer.

Jesus doesn't seek glory apart from the Father. He desires to glorify the Father, and the Father glorifies the Son. This perfect relationship has existed from all eternity within the Trinity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always lived in perfect unity, perfect love, and perfect delight.

Long before the universe existed, God lacked nothing.

He wasn't lonely. He wasn't incomplete. Contrary to what many people seem to believe, He didn't create humanity because He needed someone to admire Him.

God created because He’s overflowing with goodness and love. He chose to create beings who could know Him, reflect His character, and share in His joy.

That reality helps us understand why glorifying God isn't burdensome. We aren’t supplying something God lacks. Rather, we're responding to the beauty and greatness that have always belonged to Him.

"...since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.” (John 17:2)

These words remind us that eternal life is a gift. We don't manufacture it. We don't earn it. We don't preserve it through our own effort. Jesus gives it.

My wife organized a lovely party for me this week to celebrate my 50th birthday.  Even though she told people gifts weren’t necessary, I was blessed with some beautiful things.  Some of the gifts were sweet and sentimental.  Some were practical.  Some will allow our family to enjoy meals together at our favorite restaurants.  And some gifts were completely intended to make fun of me.  Reading glasses.  Prune juice.  Pill organizers.  I got a good laugh out of it all.

Reading the thoughtful cards and opening gifts from friends and family was certainly enjoyable, but as we well know, there is no greater gift-giver than our Lord Himself.  His gift of eternal life flows from His authority as the eternal Son of God. The One who created all things also possesses the authority to redeem fallen humanity. His death wasn't a tragic accident. It was the fulfillment of God's eternal plan to rescue sinners through the sacrifice of His Son.

Yet Jesus immediately defines eternal life in a way that surprises many people.

"And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)

It could be argued that this may be one of the most profound verses in all of Scripture.

Notice what Jesus doesn't say.

He doesn't define eternal life merely as living forever. He doesn't describe it simply as going to heaven after death. He doesn't reduce it to escaping judgment. Instead, He makes it perfectly clear that eternal life is knowing God. 

That word know carries much greater significance than simply possessing information. Throughout Scripture, knowing often describes a close, personal relationship marked by love, trust, and fellowship.

You can know facts about someone without actually knowing the person.

Millions of people know facts about Jesus. They know He lived in first-century Israel. They know He performed miracles. They know He died on a cross. They know Christians believe He rose from the dead.

But knowing facts about Jesus isn't the same as knowing Him.

Imagine studying everything ever written about a famous musician. You might know every album, every interview, every concert date, and every award. Yet you've never actually met that person.

Many people approach God the same way.

They accumulate biblical knowledge. They memorize verses. They attend church. They participate in religious activities. Those things are valuable, but they are not substitutes for a living relationship with Christ.

True Christian faith invites us into something far greater. It invites us to know God personally. This relationship begins because God first reveals Himself.

Left to ourselves, we couldn't discover Him.

Sin has clouded our understanding and distorted our desires. Humanity doesn't naturally seek God as He truly is. Instead, we often create versions of God that reflect our own preferences.

Some imagine a God who never confronts sin. Others picture a harsh judge who delights in condemnation. Still others reduce Him to a distant force with little involvement in daily life.

Jesus corrects every false picture. As the eternal Son, He perfectly reveals the Father.

Earlier in John's Gospel we read,

"No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.” (John 1:18)

If we want to know what God is like, we look at Jesus.

When Jesus shows compassion to the broken, we see God’s compassion. When Jesus welcomes repentant sinners, we see God’s mercy. When Jesus confronts hypocrisy, we see God’s holiness. When Jesus willingly goes to the cross, we see God’s love.

Christ isn't just a messenger pointing toward God. He’s God the Son, revealing God’s nature perfectly.

This is why we glorify the Father by knowing Him through Christ. There is no other path. This is why the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to understand the truth of the Gospel.

Jesus also says in John's Gospel,

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Those words may seem exclusive in a culture that celebrates many spiritual paths, and they are exclusive in the best way possible. Yet they're also wonderfully hopeful.

Jesus doesn't just point the way. He is the way.

He doesn't simply teach truth. He is the truth.

He doesn't just offer life. He is the life.

The God we long to know has come near in the person of His Son.

Knowing Christ transforms every part of life. It reshapes how we understand ourselves. Our identity no longer depends upon our accomplishments or failures. We become beloved children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

It reshapes our understanding of suffering. Trials don't become evidence that God has abandoned us. Instead, they become opportunities to experience His sustaining grace.

It reshapes our priorities. Success becomes less about building our own reputation and more about reflecting God's character.

It reshapes our relationships. As we experience God's forgiveness, we're empowered to forgive others. As we receive His patience, we learn to extend patience ourselves. As we enjoy His love, we become more loving people.

Knowing God also fuels worship. Think about any relationship you value. The more you truly know someone's character, the more your appreciation grows. Superficial relationships produce limited affection. Deep relationships produce genuine love.

The same is true spiritually.

The more we know God's holiness, the more we stand in awe. The more we know His mercy, the more we're grateful. The more we know His sovereignty, the more we trust Him. The more we know His faithfulness, the less we're controlled by fear.

Worship isn't something we manufacture. It grows naturally as we behold who God truly is.

That's one reason Scripture continually calls believers to remember God's works and meditate on His Word. These practices aren't empty religious exercises. They're ways God deepens our knowledge of Himself.

The apostle Paul expressed this desire near the end of his life. Even though he had walked with Christ for many years, he still longed to know Him more fully.

"...that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death..."
(Philippians 3:10)

Think about that. Paul planted churches. He preached throughout the Roman world. He wrote much of the New Testament. Yet his greatest desire remained the same:

"I want to know Christ."

Spiritual maturity doesn't eliminate our hunger for God. It increases it.

The more we know Him, the more we realize there's infinitely more to discover. That's because God is infinite. We'll spend eternity delighting in His greatness without ever exhausting His beauty or wisdom.

This truth also protects us from reducing Christianity to mere obligation.

Far too often, I have witnessed people turn their faith into a checklist that depends more on their faith in their own abilities than an abiding trust in the work Christ has done on their behalf.

If our faith becomes only a checklist of spiritual disciplines, we'll eventually become discouraged or self-righteous. But when those same disciplines become opportunities to know God more intimately, they take on new meaning.

We read Scripture because we want to hear His voice. We pray because we delight in speaking with our Father. We gather with other believers because together we celebrate His goodness. We serve because we've experienced His grace. Everything flows from relationship.

This brings us back to the larger theme of this series. We are called to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Those aren't competing goals. Knowing God unites them.

The more we know Him, the more we glorify Him because our lives increasingly reflect His character.

The more we know Him, the more we enjoy Him because we discover that He alone satisfies the deepest longings of the human heart.

No earthly achievement can accomplish that. No possession can provide that. No career can sustain that. Only Christ can.

Jesus concludes this portion of His prayer by saying,

"I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” (John 17:4–5)

These verses point directly toward the cross.

Jesus would glorify the Father by completing the work of redemption. His suffering wasn't a defeat. It was His triumph.

At the cross, God's holiness, justice, mercy, and love were displayed together with absolute clarity.

There, Jesus bore the penalty our sins deserved. There, He opened the way for sinners to become children of God. There, He made it possible for us not merely to know about God but to know Him forever. 

That's why the Christian life begins and ends with Jesus. He reveals the Father. He accomplishes our redemption. He gives eternal life. He welcomes us into fellowship with God. He transforms us from the inside out.

If you've ever wondered what your life is ultimately about, Jesus gives the answer.

You were created to know God, not casually, occasionally, or in just an intellectual way.  You were created to know Him personally, daily, and forever.

As you grow in that relationship, something beautiful begins to happen. Your life begins to fulfill the purpose for which it was created. You glorify God because your heart increasingly treasures Him above everything else.

“There's a difference between knowing God and knowing about God. When you truly know God, you have energy to serve Him, boldness to share Him, and contentment in Him.” -J.I. Packer

And as you glorify Him, you'll discover that knowing Christ isn't just your highest calling. It's also your greatest joy.

© John Stange, 2026