| We have to realize that there is more to knowing God than just becoming a Christian. Multitudes of people have received salvation, and if they were to die, they would go straight into the presence of the Lord. But they don't know God. They don't know that He loves them because He is love and not because they are lovely. They think they have to earn God's favor, and they are needlessly suffering condemnation and lack of fellowship with Him because they feel unworthy. They don't know Him as a loving heavenly Father but see Him as a harsh taskmaster. Much of the blame for this falls on the church. The Bible says in Romans 10:17, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The church, as a whole, has proclaimed that Jesus died for us to keep us from going to hell. Now, that's true and quite a benefit. If that's all there was to salvation, that's more than we deserve. I would preach that message if that was all there was, but that's not all that the Scripture teaches. 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 That verse specifically says the goal of salvation is "everlasting life." And everlasting life was defined by Jesus in John 17:3, which says, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ is eternal life. Eternal life doesn't start when we go to heaven. Knowing God (eternal life) is something we can have right now (John 3:36). The word "know" is used in Scripture to describe the relationship between a man and his wife that produces a child (example: Gen. 4:1). It is speaking of intimacy. So "knowing God" is speaking of intimacy with Him.
Learn more about what it truly means to know God in Andrew's free teaching, "Knowing God." | 
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