Knowing the LORD

God has revealed Himself to the world in the person of Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)  There is no person in the history of this world other than God who can legitimately make that claim, and if the Bible is true it reveals the true identity of Jesus without doubt.  John 1:11-13 says of Jesus, "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."  Through faith in Jesus all people can know God through this new and living way.

Throughout history there have been many people who have refused to place their faith in the God who created the sun that shines, plants, animals and people.  Some have claimed the multitudes of gods and beliefs makes it unlikely or impossible to know which deity is real.  Many self-serving excuses have been drummed up to attempt in vain to elude acknowledgement of the God who created us and before we all will appear.  Based on the truth of God's unchanging scripture we can be assured the most stubborn skeptic and avowed atheist will one day know God.  Those who know God through faith in Jesus Christ are assured of His forgiveness, salvation and eternal life, and those who refuse to respond to His gracious invitation will know Him according to His justice.

The prophet Ezekiel had many strong words to say both to the children of Israel as well as the foreign nations who served idols.  Consider the repetition as God through Ezekiel spoke to the people of Ammon, Moab, Seir, Edom and Philistia respectively in Ezekiel 25:7, 11, 14 & 17:  "...I will stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations; I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish from the countries; I will destroy you, and you shall know that I am the LORD...¹¹ And I will execute judgments upon Moab, and they shall know that I am the LORD...¹⁴ I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance," says the Lord GOD...¹⁷  I will execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I lay My vengeance upon them."  The nations who warred against Israel, instruments God used to chasten His people to repentance, would know God is the LORD when they were judged and destroyed by Him.

This is a most sobering revelation to those who fear the LORD while the unbelieving will shrug it off, content with their own idols.  No idol or man can stand before the living God who will dole out judgment with vengeance upon all who die in their sins.  It is entirely in the character of a God who has revealed His love to all mankind by the humble sacrifice of Jesus to judge eternally proud men who spurn Him as Satan.  In the eternal administration of divine justice all will bow before Jesus Christ and acknowledge Him as divine sovereign in Philippians 2:9-11:  "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  Sin is so grotesque and eternally binding Jesus died to save us, and commands all men everywhere to repent because a day is coming when the world will be judged in righteousness by Christ (Acts 17:31).

Dear friends, do you know the LORD God?  How blessed are those whose eyes are opened and hearts are humbled to receive Jesus Christ by faith today.  Hear the words of God in Revelation 21:6-8:  "And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. ⁷ He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. ⁸ But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."  Believers bow their knee before God today as their LORD and Father, having been born again by faith in Jesus, and those in eternal torment will bow the knee because they know God is the LORD.  Don't wait to know God after judgment for your sin when we can know Him today as the God who has forgiven all our sin at His own expense.