Knowing God has a transforming effect on a person spiritually and morally and makes that person bold in actions for God. Not knowing God in the present will result in dissatisfaction and degeneration into wickedness and in the future will bring eternal alienation from him.
The effects of knowing God
Spiritual transformation: from death to life
Colossians 1:9 See also John 17:3; Galatians 4:8–9; Ephesians 1:17, Ephesians 3:19; Colossians 2:2
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
Moral transformation: from evil to good
Proverbs 2:1–6; 2 Corinthians 10:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 See also Romans 16:26; Ephesians 4:17–24; Philippians 1:9–11; Colossians 1:10; 1 John 3:10, 1 John 4:8
My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you, if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding, if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding, if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure, then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
We demolish arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God;
Boldness of action for God
Jeremiah 32:38–39; Daniel 11:32 See also Psalm 138:3; Proverbs 28:1; Acts 6:8–10; 2 Corinthians 3:12; 1 Peter 1:13
They will be My people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, so that they will always fear Me for their own good and for the good of their children after them.
With flattery he will corrupt those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.
Biblical images of knowing God
Like parent and child
2 Samuel 7:14 parallel 1 Chronicles 17:131 John 3:1 Hebrews 12:6; Proverbs 3:12; Deuteronomy 8:5; Psalm 2:7, Psalm 27:10, Psalm 68:5, Psalm 89:26, Psalm 103:13; Isaiah 49:15, Isaiah 66:12–13; Hosea 11:1; Matthew 5:45, Matthew 5:48, Matthew 6:6–9, Matthew 6:18, Matthew 6:32; Luke 15:11–32 the parable of the lost son; John 14:21; 1 Corinthians 1:3
I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.
Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.
Like husband and wife
Isaiah 62:5; Jeremiah 3:14 See also Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 2:2, Jeremiah 3:20, Jeremiah 31:32; Hosea 2:16; Ephesians 5:25; Revelation 19:7, Revelation 21:2
For as a young man marries a young woman, so your sons will marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.
“Return, O faithless children,” declares the LORD, “for I am your master, and I will take you — one from a city and two from a family — and bring you to Zion.
Like king and subject
Psalm 97:1 See also 1 Samuel 8:7; Psalm 5:2, Psalm 10:16, Psalm 29:10, Psalm 44:4, Psalm 84:3, Psalm 95:3, Psalm 99:1, Psalm 145:1; Matthew 6:33 parallel Luke 12:31 Jesus Christ's teaching on seeking first his kingdom; 1 Timothy 1:17, 1 Timothy 6:15
The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the distant shores be glad.
Like shepherd and sheep
Genesis 48:15; Psalm 23:1–2; Isaiah 40:11 See also Psalm 28:9, Psalm 80:1; Ezekiel 34:16; Micah 7:14; John 10:11; Revelation 7:17
Then he blessed Joseph and said: “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.
The peril of not knowing God
Lack of satisfaction and degeneration in the present
Romans 1:21–32; Titus 1:15–16 See also Exodus 5:2; Jeremiah 4:22; Romans 10:2–3; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5
To the pure, all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Indeed, both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.
Eternal punishment in the future
Matthew 7:22–23; Romans 1:18–19 See also Romans 2:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:8
Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.