What it is to know God and where that leads
By the knowledge of God, I mean the way we are not only understand that there is a God, but also grasp what this means to us personally, leading to our glorifying him: in short, what we really need to know about him. For we cannot say truthfully that God is known where there is no evidence in believe or practice. I am not referring here to the particular knowledge by which people, lost and condemned, lay hold of God as their redeemer, in Christ the Mediator. I speak of the simple and basic knowledge to which we have been naturally led, if Adam had stayed sinless. For although no none in our fallen human race will recognise God as Father or the Author of salvation or favourable in any way until Christ steps in to make our peace, nevertheless it is one thing to grasp that God our Maker supports us by his power, rules us by his good Providence and showers us with every kind of blessing; it is another to lay hold of the gift of reconciliation offered to us in Christ. So, as the Lord is seen in the creation of the world and in the general teaching of Scripture, first simply as the Creator and only then as a redeemer in Christ, a dual knowledge of him appears. We will now look at these in order.
Although our minds cannot conceive of God without worhsipping him, it is not enough to believe simply that he is the only being everyone ought to worship and adore, unless we are also convinced that he is the source of all goodness, and that we must seek for everything in him alone. I am trying to say that we must be convinced not only that he created the world, sustains it by the boundless power, governs it by his wisdom, keeps it going by his goodness, rules the human race with justice, puts up with it in his love and shields it with his protection, but also that there is not an atom of light, wisdom or justice, power, integrity or truth to be found anywhere but flowing from him and generated by him. obviously, then, we must learn to expect everything from him and ask for it, gratefully acknowledging him as the giver of all we receive. This awareness of divine perfection is the best way to learn piety from which true religion springs. By “piety” I mean the blend of reverence and love to God which realising his blessings inspires. Until people feel that they owe everything to God, that they are protected by his fatherly care and that he is the Author of all their blessings, so that nothing should be sought apart from him, they will never submit to him voluntarily. Indeed, unless they put their complete happiness in his hands, they will never truly have their lives under his control.
Those who try to discover what the essence of God is, only lead us astray with fruitless speculation. It is much more in our interest to know what kind of being God is, and what things are in line with his nature. What is the point of believing with Epicurus in a god who takes no interests in the world and loves to indulge himself? What is the point of knowing as god to whom we cannot relate? The result of our knowledge ought to be first, that we learn reverence and awe and second, that we should be led under its guidance to ask for every good thing from him, and when we receive it to give thanks to him. How can the idea of God come to mind without immediately making us think since he made us, we are bound by the law of creation itself to submit to his authority—that we owe our lives to him and that we should refer everything we do to him? Otherwise it surely follows that our lives are spoilt, if they are not planned in obedience to him, since our lives should be ruled by his will. Our grasp of his nature is not clear unless we acknowledge him to be the origin and fount of all goodness. This would always lead to confidence in him and a longing to stay close to him, and if the depravity of man’s mind did not lead it away from the right approach.
First of all, the “pious” mind does not create its own good, but looks only to the one true God. Nor does it imagine any trait it likes for him, but is happy to have him as his guardian and protection and throws himself completely on his faithfulness, realising that he is the source of all blessing. If he has a problem or need, he immediately turns to God for protection and help; sure that he is good and kind, he can rest confidently in him and does not doubt that in his great goodness an answer will be found for every need. He acknowledges God as Father and Lord, and knows he must have respect for his authority, worship his majesty in everything, try to further his glory and and obey his orders, reckoning him to be a fair Judge, heving the right to punish crimes severely, never forgetting the judgment seat. Rightly afraid of it, he controls himself, reluctant to incur God’s wrath. Nevertheless, he is not so terified by the awareness of judgment that he tries to escape, even if he could. Indeed he holds on to God as the avenger of sin as much as the rewarder of good, because he realises that both are part of his glory: he reserves punishment for one and eternal life for the other. Anyway, it is not simply fear of punishment that keeps him from sin. Even if there was no hell, because he loves and reveres God as his Father and honours and obeys him as his Master, he would spurn the very idea of offending him. So this is pure and true religion: it is confidence in God coupled with genuine fear. This fear comprises willing reverence and true worship as God has commanded. All men give indiscriminate homage to God, but very few truly worship him. There are plenty of pretentious rituals but little sincerity of heart.
By the knowledge of God, I mean the way we are not only understand that there is a God, but also grasp what this means to us personally, leading to our glorifying him: in short, what we really need to know about him. For we cannot say truthfully that God is known where there is no evidence in believe or practice. I am not referring here to the particular knowledge by which people, lost and condemned, lay hold of God as their redeemer, in Christ the Mediator. I speak of the simple and basic knowledge to which we have been naturally led, if Adam had stayed sinless. For although no none in our fallen human race will recognise God as Father or the Author of salvation or favourable in any way until Christ steps in to make our peace, nevertheless it is one thing to grasp that God our Maker supports us by his power, rules us by his good Providence and showers us with every kind of blessing; it is another to lay hold of the gift of reconciliation offered to us in Christ. So, as the Lord is seen in the creation of the world and in the general teaching of Scripture, first simply as the Creator and only then as a redeemer in Christ, a dual knowledge of him appears. We will now look at these in order.
Although our minds cannot conceive of God without worhsipping him, it is not enough to believe simply that he is the only being everyone ought to worship and adore, unless we are also convinced that he is the source of all goodness, and that we must seek for everything in him alone. I am trying to say that we must be convinced not only that he created the world, sustains it by the boundless power, governs it by his wisdom, keeps it going by his goodness, rules the human race with justice, puts up with it in his love and shields it with his protection, but also that there is not an atom of light, wisdom or justice, power, integrity or truth to be found anywhere but flowing from him and generated by him. obviously, then, we must learn to expect everything from him and ask for it, gratefully acknowledging him as the giver of all we receive. This awareness of divine perfection is the best way to learn piety from which true religion springs. By “piety” I mean the blend of reverence and love to God which realising his blessings inspires. Until people feel that they owe everything to God, that they are protected by his fatherly care and that he is the Author of all their blessings, so that nothing should be sought apart from him, they will never submit to him voluntarily. Indeed, unless they put their complete happiness in his hands, they will never truly have their lives under his control.
Those who try to discover what the essence of God is, only lead us astray with fruitless speculation. It is much more in our interest to know what kind of being God is, and what things are in line with his nature. What is the point of believing with Epicurus in a god who takes no interests in the world and loves to indulge himself? What is the point of knowing as god to whom we cannot relate? The result of our knowledge ought to be first, that we learn reverence and awe and second, that we should be led under its guidance to ask for every good thing from him, and when we receive it to give thanks to him. How can the idea of God come to mind without immediately making us think since he made us, we are bound by the law of creation itself to submit to his authority—that we owe our lives to him and that we should refer everything we do to him? Otherwise it surely follows that our lives are spoilt, if they are not planned in obedience to him, since our lives should be ruled by his will. Our grasp of his nature is not clear unless we acknowledge him to be the origin and fount of all goodness. This would always lead to confidence in him and a longing to stay close to him, and if the depravity of man’s mind did not lead it away from the right approach.
First of all, the “pious” mind does not create its own good, but looks only to the one true God. Nor does it imagine any trait it likes for him, but is happy to have him as his guardian and protection and throws himself completely on his faithfulness, realising that he is the source of all blessing. If he has a problem or need, he immediately turns to God for protection and help; sure that he is good and kind, he can rest confidently in him and does not doubt that in his great goodness an answer will be found for every need. He acknowledges God as Father and Lord, and knows he must have respect for his authority, worship his majesty in everything, try to further his glory and and obey his orders, reckoning him to be a fair Judge, heving the right to punish crimes severely, never forgetting the judgment seat. Rightly afraid of it, he controls himself, reluctant to incur God’s wrath. Nevertheless, he is not so terified by the awareness of judgment that he tries to escape, even if he could. Indeed he holds on to God as the avenger of sin as much as the rewarder of good, because he realises that both are part of his glory: he reserves punishment for one and eternal life for the other. Anyway, it is not simply fear of punishment that keeps him from sin. Even if there was no hell, because he loves and reveres God as his Father and honours and obeys him as his Master, he would spurn the very idea of offending him. So this is pure and true religion: it is confidence in God coupled with genuine fear. This fear comprises willing reverence and true worship as God has commanded. All men give indiscriminate homage to God, but very few truly worship him. There are plenty of pretentious rituals but little sincerity of heart.
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