Know God or Known of God
Galatians 4:8-11 corrects over emphasis on knowing God rather than Him knowing you. Paul knew this and put God higher. God and His Son have known and foreknown the elect from eternity, far different from the reprobates that will be cast into hellfire by these terrifying words: I never knew you.
And then will I profess unto them,
I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7:23
But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God,
how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements,
whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Galatians 4:9
Introduction:
- Today we get to keep the Lord’s Supper, and we want to glory in some refreshing aspect of it.
- Expository preaching of I John has shown us that God sending His Son for us is ultimate love.
- Jesus’ death on the cross is not mere religious tradition, dry theology, but personal substitution.
- He died a totally focused and intentional death for very specific persons that He knew by name.
- Communion is not merely an ancient rite, a church duty, but a joyful privilege to honor Him.
- Expository preaching of I John also taught us to be assured, bold, and confident for Judgment.
- One of the ways for assurance of eternal life is to know God, but rather to be known by Him.
Most Christians emphasize a question, Do you know God? … Do You Know Jesus?
It is not a bad question, but it is inferior to a better question we will consider today.
We gladly share S.M. Lockridge’s sermon, That’s My King, Do You Know Him?
Judgment is terrible by Jesus not knowing many, rather than them not knowing Him.
Matthew 7:21-23 … Jesus will say to many, I never knew you: depart from me.
It does not matter whether you know God or not as much as whether God knows you.
The reprobates claim to know Jesus well, but He only values His knowledge of them.
This is one of the most terrifying scenes in the Bible, but there is a great cure for it.
Jesus also preached this scenario pertaining to foolish virgins (Matthew 25:11-13).
A believing child of God need not fear verses for selfish, proud, boasting reprobates.
Galatians 4:8-11 … Paul exalted God’s knowledge of us over our knowledge of Him.
English verbs have voice … either the subject of the sentence is acting or acted upon.
A verb has active voice … if the subject of the sentence does or performs the action.
A verb has passive voice … if the subject is acted upon or receives the verb’s action.
To write a sentence in the passive voice, you must use an auxiliary or helping verb.
Active voice … I know Frank/Sophia. Passive voice … I am known by Frank/Sophia.
Galatians 4:8-11 … Paul exalted God’s knowledge of us over our knowledge of Him.
We love our word-perfect Bibles that make doctrinal arguments or appeals by words.
We love God warning us against the best O.T. days, months, times, years as bondage!
Galatians 4:8-11 … silences Matt 7:21-23 … God and Jesus know us and died for us.
If you love God and His Son – by faith and love of brethren – they both know you!
They have known you from eternity, when God decreed the everlasting covenant.
They have known you from eternity, when Jesus was foreordained to die for you.
They know you from eternity, when you were chosen in Christ for spiritual blessings.
They know you from eternity, when your name was put in the Lamb’s book of life.
They know you from eternity, when eternal life was promised and heaven was made.
Romans 8:29 … He foreknew us … determined our destiny in eternity … glorified us.
Romans 11:2 … Once He foreknows us from eternity, there is no casting us away.
Ephesians 1:5-6 … He predestinated us to adoption by making us acceptable in Jesus.
I John 4:19 … we love Him, because He first loved us … more than just knowing us.
Jeremiah 31:3 … He loved us with an everlasting love, proving knowledge of us.
Isaiah 49:14-16 … God cannot forget us, better than a mother, graven on His hands.
Isaiah 53:10 … Jesus always knew you, those given in eternity, even on the cross.
Revelation 3:9 … includes Jesus rubbing in His knowledge of Gentiles to the Jews.
John 10:14,27-29 … Jesus knows His sheep, guarantees His sheep, and so does God.
II Thess 1:9 … Jesus will destroy all that know not God, so believe and obey (1:8,10).
Hebrews 2:13 … Jesus will declare to God and the universe that you are His child.
I Cor 8:3 … how can I know God knows me? Love Him and others like I John 3-4!
Nahum 1:7 … God is good and knows those that trust in Him. So easy! Just do it!
II Timothy 2:19 … salvation’s foundation is that God knows His own – live like it!
Conclusion:
- He died a totally focused and intentional death for very specific persons that He knew by name.
- God chose you and assigned you to Jesus in His eternal covenant before the creation of earth.
- Your name was written in the Book of Life. Your name is engraved on the palms of His hands.
- When my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I told her on several occasions that she would forget us and even God and her salvation, but I promised her God could not forget her.
- Communion is the time for us to remember His death and appreciate how well He knows us.
- God and Jesus knew you by name when He was on the cross, for He died specifically for you.
- Jesus will welcome you into heaven with an abundance entrance (Matt 25:21,23; II Peter 1:11).
For Further Study:
- The Cross at Judgment Day … here.
- Before the World Began … here.
- The Book of Life … here.
- A Lake, A Book, A Lamb … here.
- Assurance of Eternal Life … here.