God has chosen to reveal Himself to men. Without His light and divine assistance, we could only stumble in the dark. That being said, the ability to know God is only through faith according to knowledge revealed in scripture. Because God is eternal and infinite, He cannot be completely known. His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are His ways our ways. An element of faith is required on every step as our understanding develops and grows.
Take being "born again," for instance. When Jesus told Nicodemus a man must be born again to enter into God's kingdom, the learned man was confused. Was Jesus saying a man must squeeze himself back into his mother's womb to be born a second time? No! Jesus immediately pointed to the wind: the effect of the wind is clearly seen in the trees, but no one knows exactly where it comes from or where it goes. So is the way of the Spirit of God. When a man repents and trusts in Christ as Saviour, the Holy Spirit enters a person and creates a new man. He is given a new living nature, is cleansed from all sin, and is made righteous before God. We cannot explain scientifically how the Holy Spirit does this, but we can know for certain He does through clear evidence.
One sticking point for many is understanding how God is One yet manifested in the Bible in three distinct Persons: God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All creation speaks of the glory of God, and one of the best illustrations to explain the Triune Godhead is our sun. The sun is a ball of gas burning in the heavens which provides light and heat to our world which promotes life, health, and fruitfulness. When we say we are "in the sun" we do not mean we physically are walking on the sun's surface. That would be impossible! God the Father is the eternal spirit, unapproachable in His holiness, and a "consuming fire" (Deut. 4:24, Heb. 12:29). The Father is represented by the sun, the heavenly body.
The sun provides light for the earth. Light has dual properties of being both wave and particle. Jesus is the "Light of the World" with the dual nature of God born in human flesh. Jesus is called Emmanuel in Isaiah 9:6 which means, "God with us." The light of the promised Messiah shone in the darkness, and men did not comprehend it. Though the scripture affirms many times Christ's divinity, many remain in unbelief. John 1:11-14 says, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
John the Baptist prophesied Jesus is the One who would baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Not only does the sun provide light, but it also generates heat. When a person has the light of the sun shining upon them they are warmed. Before Jesus ascended to the Father in heaven, He promised to send the Holy Spirit who would guide His disciples into all truth. The Holy Spirit is represented in the heat of the sun, the one who indwells a man and makes him "on fire" for God. The Holy Spirit came upon the followers of Christ on the Day of Pentecost, and He has been filling and empowering believers in service for God ever since. He helps and comforts us in His warmth, provides gifts and fruit of the Spirit, and causes us to grow and mature like a healthy tree planted by deep springs of water.
We cannot fully comprehend God's thoughts and ways, but we can know Him intimately. All is possible for those who believe, for nothing is too hard for our God! Though it takes faith to know God, I pray this illustration would be useful to better understand the great God who loves us and is worthy of all honour and praise. I conclude with 2 Corinthians 13:11-14: "Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you. 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen."
Take being "born again," for instance. When Jesus told Nicodemus a man must be born again to enter into God's kingdom, the learned man was confused. Was Jesus saying a man must squeeze himself back into his mother's womb to be born a second time? No! Jesus immediately pointed to the wind: the effect of the wind is clearly seen in the trees, but no one knows exactly where it comes from or where it goes. So is the way of the Spirit of God. When a man repents and trusts in Christ as Saviour, the Holy Spirit enters a person and creates a new man. He is given a new living nature, is cleansed from all sin, and is made righteous before God. We cannot explain scientifically how the Holy Spirit does this, but we can know for certain He does through clear evidence.
One sticking point for many is understanding how God is One yet manifested in the Bible in three distinct Persons: God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All creation speaks of the glory of God, and one of the best illustrations to explain the Triune Godhead is our sun. The sun is a ball of gas burning in the heavens which provides light and heat to our world which promotes life, health, and fruitfulness. When we say we are "in the sun" we do not mean we physically are walking on the sun's surface. That would be impossible! God the Father is the eternal spirit, unapproachable in His holiness, and a "consuming fire" (Deut. 4:24, Heb. 12:29). The Father is represented by the sun, the heavenly body.
The sun provides light for the earth. Light has dual properties of being both wave and particle. Jesus is the "Light of the World" with the dual nature of God born in human flesh. Jesus is called Emmanuel in Isaiah 9:6 which means, "God with us." The light of the promised Messiah shone in the darkness, and men did not comprehend it. Though the scripture affirms many times Christ's divinity, many remain in unbelief. John 1:11-14 says, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
John the Baptist prophesied Jesus is the One who would baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Not only does the sun provide light, but it also generates heat. When a person has the light of the sun shining upon them they are warmed. Before Jesus ascended to the Father in heaven, He promised to send the Holy Spirit who would guide His disciples into all truth. The Holy Spirit is represented in the heat of the sun, the one who indwells a man and makes him "on fire" for God. The Holy Spirit came upon the followers of Christ on the Day of Pentecost, and He has been filling and empowering believers in service for God ever since. He helps and comforts us in His warmth, provides gifts and fruit of the Spirit, and causes us to grow and mature like a healthy tree planted by deep springs of water.
We cannot fully comprehend God's thoughts and ways, but we can know Him intimately. All is possible for those who believe, for nothing is too hard for our God! Though it takes faith to know God, I pray this illustration would be useful to better understand the great God who loves us and is worthy of all honour and praise. I conclude with 2 Corinthians 13:11-14: "Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you. 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen."
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