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In a world filled with diverse beliefs about God, where do you stand? Are you someone who believes there is no God, or are you someone who knows God personally? This fundamental question shapes our entire worldview and determines the foundation upon which we build our lives.

Is There Really a God?

The Bible addresses this question directly in Psalm 14:1: "The fool has said in his heart, there is no God." This isn't just about intellectual questioning but about a settled position in one's heart that denies God's existence.

When we look at belief systems, people generally fall into three categories:

  • Atheists - Those who believe there is no God
  • Theists - Those who believe there is a God (or gods)
  • Agnostics - Those who claim they don't know if there is a God

 

But simply believing "there is a God" isn't enough. Some believe in many gods (polytheism), while others believe in a distant, uninvolved deity. The born-again Christian, however, believes in one true God who can be known personally.

Why Does This Matter Today?

Our culture increasingly challenges belief in God, especially for younger generations. College professors and influential voices often actively work to convince students there is no God. This makes it crucial for parents and grandparents to build a proper foundation for their children.

Jesus illustrated this when He spoke about building houses:

  • The wise person builds on rock (Christ) and withstands life's storms
  • The foolish person builds on sand and faces collapse when challenges come

 

What Does It Mean to Know God?

For the born-again Christian, knowing God goes beyond acknowledging His existence. It means:

  • Believing there is one true God
  • Understanding this God can be known
  • Having a personal relationship with Him
  • Being reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ

 

The Broken Relationship

Adam initially had an intimate relationship with God, walking with Him in the garden. But when sin entered, that relationship was broken. The Holy Spirit left Adam, creating a spiritual separation between humanity and God.

Jesus came to restore this relationship. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, the Holy Spirit can now dwell within believers again, creating an intimate connection similar to what Adam experienced before the fall.

How Has God Revealed Himself?

God has most fully revealed Himself through Jesus Christ. While some claim all religions lead to the same God, Scripture is clear that Jesus is the exclusive way to know God.

Jesus Himself said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). This isn't narrow-mindedness; it's standing on God's revealed truth.

The apostle Peter declared: "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

The Deepening Journey of Knowing God

Even the apostle Paul, after his dramatic conversion and years of ministry, still expressed his deepest desire: "That I may know Him" (Philippians 3:10). This reveals an important truth - knowing God is not a one-time event but a lifelong journey of deepening relationship.

Like a marriage where spouses continue discovering each other over decades together, our relationship with God grows deeper as we walk with Him. We experience:

  • The power of His resurrection working in our lives
  • Fellowship in His sufferings (facing challenges with His perspective)
  • The fragrance of Christ that attracts others to Him

 

Why We're All Accountable to God

Everyone will ultimately give an account to God for three primary reasons:

  • Creation testifies to a Creator - Even in remote cultures without access to Scripture, people recognize a higher power through observing creation
  • Conscience bears witness - God placed within us an innate knowing that points to Him
  • Christ has come - God has made salvation available to all who call upon Him

 

Revelation 20 describes the final judgment where books recording our lives will be opened. What matters most is whether your name appears in the "Book of Life." Those whose names are written there will spend eternity with God; those whose names are absent face eternal separation from Him.

Life Application

The question "Are you ready?" demands honest self-examination. Jesus said, "Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father" (Matthew 10:32-33).

Consider these questions:

  • Have you personally confessed Christ as your Lord and Savior? This isn't about religious activity but about genuine relationship.
  • Are you living in a way that demonstrates you know God? Jesus warned that some will claim to know Him, but He will respond, "I never knew you."
  • Are you intentionally growing in your knowledge of God? Like Paul, is your heart's desire to know Christ more deeply?
  • If you have children or grandchildren, are you actively teaching them the foundations of faith? Don't outsource this responsibility - it belongs primarily to parents and grandparents.

 

The most important decision you'll ever make is whether you move from "no God" to "know God." This isn't just about intellectual belief but about entering a relationship that transforms your life now and secures your eternity. Jesus stands ready to be known by all who seek Him with sincere hearts.