Why are we here on this earth? That is a question that has been asked more times than I can possibly know and there have probably been as many answers as there have been questions. According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which is considered by many to be one of the grandest doctrinal statements to come out of the English Reformation, this question is restated and answered as follows:” What is the chief end of man? Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever."
Author and Pastor, John Piper said that he thinks the Bible translators got this line wrong by one word and that it should say, “We are here to love God by enjoying Him forever.” Delighting in Him is our privilege.
How could we delight in someone we do not know? We cannot. Therefore, it is reasonable that we will have to spend time with Him, if we want to get to know Him. This statement then brings about the question "How can we know God?" The answer to this question greater minds than mine have tried to answer, some more successfully than others. Over time on this blog I will attempt to give answers to that question that are theologically sound, academically accurate, and experientially applicable.
The key here is that on this side of heaven we are in the continual process of "learning." There is more to knowing God than simple head knowledge. In the New Testament Jesus tells us to learn to live in Him and he does not ask us to live for Him. There is a world of difference in how those two small words are lived out.
2 comments:
I think one of the reasons we struggle to know God is that we tend to pigeon-hole Him when we use human terms to describe Him.
Truly, He is our father, but so many of us have such a damaged-view of fathers that we automatically cringe when the idea comes up that God is also a father.
If we can remember that God is the perfect version of all of these things; father, judge, counselor, etc. we can then begin to have a deeper relationship with Him.
But then, we're also told that it's impossible to know the Father without knowing the son. So maybe we get ahead of ourselves when we try and describe the God of the universe without first introducing people to His son.
Thank you, I truly agree with all you have stated. That is why I wanted to work within Christian culture as too many of us have skewed images of a father and/or mother and it is very difficult to make that jump in our understanding of the God of the universe as a personal, perfect parent. I love the fact that Jesus came not to condemn the world, but that it might be saved. Personally, it is because of Jesus that I am learning to know our heavenly Father as my only parent.
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