To know and to be known

Today I have asked Christiane to share with you something from her heart. May our Lord speak to all of us in a powerful way.

One of the most incredible things about God is his unconditional love for us. It is so humbling to know that our One and Only Triune God knows us better than we know ourselves, and still loves us completely. It is also unbelievably freeing and live-giving to personally experience His love.

Knowing about God’s love is one thing, but knowing His love is very different. The former has to do with information, the latter with experience. Information is good. It is the entry point. Experience though, that’s what awakens and transforms us.

Do you live as someone who has personally experienced His love for you? Or, do you live as someone who has heard about His love?

I remember the first time these questions sank within me. I had been attending church for years, learning about God, and had also experienced His love deeply in moments of my life when I knew He ‘had my back’.  I could say with conviction: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31).

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:38-39)

I loved this whole passage. I felt secure in His love. I could sense I was growing in my faith, and love for God. The information about God’s love was being translated as real life experience. I could feel His love. He was with me.

God is not an abstract concept. He is personal. He is not a distant figure we hide ourselves from, afraid to mess up in front of. He touches us deeply and love us unconditionally. In His Trinitarian Oneness, He reveals Himself to us and invites us to be “partakers of the divine nature”. We call him Abba, Father.

I had gone from information to experience. And, for me, here’s where the ‘rubber meets the road’: revelation. There’s a tangible transformation that takes place when the information about God is felt deep within, experienced. But, that’s just the beginning. Much greater and deeper transformation will continue to come as you open yourself up to revelation.

God wants to reveal Himself to us. The unveiling of the Father, in the Son, through the Holy Spirit. He also wants to reveal ourselves to us. Remember? He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows us IN Him.

To know God and to be known by God is extremely freeing and life-giving, but it’s definitely an ongoing effort. It’s never exhausted in this side of eternity. So, I started to ask: Do I truly live like I am loved? Certainly, that’s a question I’m constantly asking the Lord. Not with shame nor guilt, but a genuine desire to know more. Like a child opening up gifts on Christmas morning!

Maybe some gifts require time and work to be put together, but He is with us every step of the way. When we abide in His love, the walk can get hard, but it is exciting, rewarding, empowering, and always safe.

The unveiling of Himself to us is our greatest gift. And, IN Him, we find who we truly are. He also unveils to us our redeemed self. So, the question “Do I live like I am loved?” is ongoing and two fold. First, am I receiving His love in a way that’s transforming me? Second, how is the transformation taking place wit

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For his very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:3-7)

Blessings and Peace,

Dr. Christiane and Rev. Todd