UNDERSTANDING GOD

More than half of humanity believes in the existence of an invisible realm and in a Sovereign Being Who governs all things. Yet, despite holding such beliefs, human understanding of this invisible world remains remarkably limited. Even when some insight is attained, that knowledge is often contradictory — not only conflicting with other perspectives but also frequently contradicting itself within the same belief system.
For Christians in particular, faith in God often amounts to little more than a religious formality. Were someone to inquire about God, many Christians could offer only vague responses — lacking the clarity and precision with which a child might describe his own father. This situation arises because Christians often show scant interest in God Himself — in truly knowing His nature and character — focusing instead solely on how to secure His blessings for our lives in this present world, and giving little thought even to the means by which we might gain entry into Heaven in the future.
Throughout history, Christians have held the simple belief that merely acknowledging God’s existence guarantees us entry into Heaven. Yet few have paused to consider the specific standards and requirements that govern that realm. When an individual professes personal faith in God, he or she must also embrace His eternal standards for Heaven — the very place where the Lord reigns and where all the redeemed shall dwell together.
Observing the chaotic and sin-ridden state of the world today, Christians recognize that for human beings to coexist eternally with God in Heaven, there must be a definitive standard—one that enables all inhabitants to live together in perfect harmony, enduring peace, and abiding joy for all eternity. In this world, the gentle and upright cannot coexist with the wicked and violent. In the same way, God must separate humanity into two distinct realms: only the gentle and meek are permitted to dwell with Him in Heaven (Galatians 5:22, Romans 8:14), while the wicked and violent are condemned to eternal confinement in Hell (Psalm 9:17, Isaiah 14: 15, Matthew 3: 12, Luke 3: 17, Revelation 20: 14). Only in this manner can God’s children enjoy everlasting peace.
It is precisely for this reason that Heaven has its own standards, ensuring that entry is granted solely to those who meet them. We know with absolute certainty that these standards must be established by God Himself — for Heaven belongs to Him — much as a homeowner sets the “house rules” for his own family.
Yet a common tendency among many is to assume that God’s heavenly standards ought to align with human perspectives. They presumptuously assume they are automatically entitled to enter, acting as if Heaven were their own private residence. Such notions stem from a profound lack of understanding regarding the nature of God.
This lack of understanding does not stem from God being inherently incomprehensible to humanity, but rather from so many people simply refusing to make the effort to seek Him out and learn about Him.
Many Christians believe that human beings cannot comprehend God or His eternal plan, citing verses such as Job 11:7–9, Ecclesiastes 3:11, 8:17, and 11:5 as evidence. However, those who do so have failed to fully grasp the true meaning of these verses. They interpret the word “man” merely at its surface level — signifying all of humanity, including Christians. They fail to recognize that, within the context of these verses, the term “man” refers exclusively to unbelievers in the world, not to the children of God.
In these specific passages, the word “man” implies that those who do not believe in the Lord are incapable of knowing God, regardless of the depth or breadth of their worldly knowledge (1 Corinthians 1:21). Christians, however, are the children of God — that is, children of light. Therefore, we are able to comprehend God and His eternal plan, for it is His desire that we attain such understanding (Isaiah 43:10; Ephesians 1:17; Colossians 1:9–10; Jeremiah 24:7, 31:34; 2 Peter 1:2; Proverbs 3:6; Isaiah 33:13; Habakkuk 2:14; 2 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Peter 1:8).
God desires not only that Christians come to know Him, but also that we grow in that knowledge throughout our years of following the Lord (Colossians 1:10). Paul stands as a prime example of how a human being can attain a profound understanding of God (Ephesians 3:4). Yet he was not the only one to possess such knowledge of the Lord; there have been many others as well. This was not because they possessed intellectual capabilities far superior to those of others, but rather because they possessed great faith — and, most importantly, knew how to rely upon the Holy Spirit.
Personal ability and academic learning are of no avail in the pursuit of knowing God, for He is the exalted and invisible One — the Being Whom the human intellect, left to its own devices, is incapable of comprehending. Apart from the assistance of the Holy Spirit, no one can truly understand the Lord or His divine plan. However, when speaking of the Holy Spirit’s assistance, we must recognize that individuals require strong faith and a willingness to ask; only then will He reveal to us all things concerning God (Jeremiah 33: 3).
The crucial question, therefore, is whether or not a Christian possesses a heart that truly desires to attain such understanding. The Scriptures reveal that both Peter and John were uneducated men (Acts 4:13); nevertheless, because they possessed great faith, they were chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ to be His apostles and inspired by the Holy Spirit to pen the epistles found in the New Testament. In mentioning this, we do not mean to suggest that Christians should remain in a state of ignorance regarding our own education. Rather, we wish to emphasize that God’s children should not rely on our own abilities or worldly learning to comprehend the Divine, but must instead depend upon the illumination of the Holy Spirit.
Indeed, Peter himself emphasized that Christians ought to be knowledgeable individuals who can bear effective witness to the world about our faith and gain a deeper understanding of God (2 Peter 1:5–8). This implies that the pursuit of knowledge regarding God and His eternal plan is a matter of spiritual learning, entirely dependent upon the gracious gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10).
Jesus Himself emphasized that whenever Christians seek understanding of God, we will indeed come to know Him (Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9). The only question is whether God’s children truly wish to do so. In this biblical passage, Jesus sets forth absolutely no earthly prerequisites for those seeking to understand God. One need only be a Christian — possessing the faith to earnestly petition the Holy Spirit for divine revelation regarding God, rather than someone endowed with extensive knowledge or advanced academic degrees.
Seeking to understand God is a spiritual endeavor; therefore, matters of the physical realm cannot be compared to it. Another point worth mentioning here is the presence of a longing heart and perseverance in pursuing knowing the Lord. It is not merely a fleeting moment of sudden inspiration that prompts a Christian to pray and elicits an immediate, instantaneous response from the Holy Spirit. A Christian’s petition regarding any matter requires steadfastness and patience; it cannot be undertaken in haste.
Abraham’s lack of patience — and the consequences that ensued — serves as a lesson that Christians must always bear in mind. God is never pleased with those who approach Him in a hurried manner. Patience and faithfulness are the very qualities God desires His children to possess. Indeed, even in the context of salvation, patient endurance to the very end — that is, faithfulness unto death — stands as one of the essential requirements that every Christian must fulfill (Revelation 2:10).
In the same way, gaining an understanding of God and His eternal plan is a matter of paramount importance for Christians — both in this present life and in the eternal realm to come. Therefore, praying for the illumination of the Holy Spirit to attain such understanding requires patience and perseverance.
It is precisely because of the words spoken by Jesus that we can confidently assert that seeking to understand God is an endeavor that Christians can indeed achieve, for the following reasons. First, because this very desire is something God desires for Christians to possess — and is, moreover, pleasing in His sight — He will graciously reveal Himself to us so that we may comprehend Him. Second, because the Scriptures further declare that any petition offered in a manner pleasing to the Lord shall be granted (John 9:31), our request for understanding regarding God will be accepted by the Holy Spirit, Who will then come to our aid.
Throughout history, Christians have tended to focus our study more on the Bible than on God. It was for this very reason that biblical scholars formulated the various creeds and doctrines of the Church denominations. However, because they failed to devote sufficient study to the nature of God Himself, these creeds served only to drive the denominations apart — leading them, at times, to oppose and even slaughter one another, as tragically occurred during the Middle Ages in Europe. This spirit of antagonism continues to simmer beneath the surface to this very day.
Yet, were all Christians to undertake a thorough and diligent study of God, there would exist but a single Church, a single faith, a single creed, and a single form of worship; for God is One, and in Him, there is absolutely no division (John 17:11, 21-23, 1 Corinthians 12:25).
When Jesus declared, “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33), the words “these things” refer not only to physical necessities but also to the knowledge of God Himself. This is because Heaven is the place where God dwells, and — in accordance with the principles Jesus taught (Matthew 12:41; 23:20–22) — God is of greater importance than Heaven itself.
Yet, throughout history, Christians have often interpreted this statement by the Lord as referring primarily to the pursuit of salvation through Jesus Christ. While such an understanding is by no means incorrect, it falls short of grasping the root and core essence of Jesus’s words.
When Christians seek salvation for ourselves, we are, in essence, seeking to attain eternal life. The realm of joyful and peaceful existence is the Lord’s Heaven. Furthermore, eternal life consists of living with God — not living in isolation, nor living merely in the company of others. Thus, the Christian’s quest for eternal life is inextricably linked to God — specifically to His divine nature and virtues.
By simply observing the realities of everyday life, we can grasp the true essence of salvation. Two people cannot coexist unless they understand one another’s nature and temperament — and, above all, unless they are able to harmonize with one another. In this life, countless marriages suffer fractures and collapse; indeed, spouses sometimes even harbor such hatred toward one another that they seek to take each other’s lives. Such tragedies occur because the individuals involved neither understand nor can reconcile with one another.
In truth, the underlying cause is that they lacked genuine love for one another from the very beginning. Instead, they came together merely to satisfy carnal desires, for the sake of physical attraction, or to further their own personal interests. Because the foundational love was absent, they failed to understand one another — going so far as to refuse to invest the time required to truly comprehend the genuine character of the person they married. Consequently, differences arose, followed by discord, arguments, and conflict, ultimately leading to the breakdown of the relationship.
When Christians observe these realities, we can understand that, as we seek our own salvation — to live eternally with the Lord — we must strive to gain a deep understanding of Him. Only then, in the eternal realm of Heaven to come, will we be able to dwell with the Lord in perfect peace, tranquility, and joy.
As for God, He already knows precisely who each of us is and fully comprehends our individual nature and temperament (Psalm 139:2, 13). Furthermore, God has graciously revealed Himself to Christians through the Holy Bible — the sacred Scripture He has bestowed upon all of humanity. However, the crucial point is that Heaven belongs to God, and He is the One Who never changes (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17); therefore, it is He — and He alone — Who has established the standards for that place, which humanity must adhere to in order to gain entry.
Human beings are God’s creations, possessing limited intellect and finite understanding (Isaiah 40:15), and are prone to constant change; thus, it is impossible for us to set the standards for Heaven. Yet, strangely enough, humanity fails to grasp this reality. Consequently, various churches — particularly in the modern era — have succumbed to worldly trends, devising their own criteria for entering Heaven while completely disregarding God’s Word in the Bible regarding what those standards truly entail.
Even those who do not believe in Jesus Christ have taken it upon themselves to set their own standards, presuming that God will admit everyone into Heaven because, in their view, everyone is worthy — including those who commit acts that God finds utterly detestable (Leviticus 18:22). They even go so far as to imagine that God needs human beings in His Heaven, and therefore must compromise with human perspectives. They are either ignorant of — or have completely forgotten — Jesus’ words regarding God’s power to raise up a people for Himself (Matthew 3:9).
As for those arrogant and conceited individuals — who possess absolutely no true knowledge of God — they are nothing more than a speck of dust upon God’s scales. Yet they delude themselves into thinking that God must fear them and must accommodate their lifestyles, which stand in direct opposition to the natural order. Surprisingly, many Christians — particularly church leaders — place their trust in the words of such individuals, while disregarding and overlooking the Lord’s teachings found in the Bible.
We Christians must understand that if a person seeks salvation, he or she must first love God above all other people in this world (Matthew 10:37). Such fervent love will inspire that individual to seek a deep and profound understanding of God — specifically, to grasp the rationale and substance behind the standards He has established in the Bible — so that such individual may strive to fulfill those standards and, in the life to come, dwell eternally with the Lord in Heaven.
God’s Word promises that when Christians seek the Kingdom of Heaven — that is, when we seek to gain knowledge of God — He will grant us additional insights that are inaccessible to the average person, and He will also provide us with material sufficiency (Luke 12:31).
Yet the sad reality is that not only do many Christians fail to seek knowledge of God and His plan, but — strangely enough — many also consider spiritual topics tedious, often showing far greater interest in events unfolding in this world. This is not to suggest that Christians should spend our days daydreaming about the spiritual realm while losing touch with daily reality. Rather, the Bible teaches that the more Christians understand God and the invisible realm, the more deeply we will comprehend this present life, and the more clearly we will discern the causes and consequences of the events occurring in this world.
It is precisely for this reason that knowledge of God and His eternal plan serves as the central foundation enabling Christians to become “children of light” — that is, to gain a clear understanding of events occurring in both the visible and invisible realms, the origins of humanity, the trajectory of history, individual psychology, what actions to pursue and what to avoid, the motivations driving human behavior, the future of the world, and the ultimate purpose and meaning of human life on earth (Proverbs 28:5; Ephesians 5:17).
Let us take a moment to reflect on the biblical verse in Proverbs 28:5. When the Word of God says that those who seek God understand all things, it implies that seeking the Lord enables Christians to grow ever wiser. The phrase “seeking God” does not merely mean that Christians approach the Lord solely to request this or that for ourselves or others, nor does it refer to seeking Him simply by attending church every Sunday morning, giving offerings, or performing charitable deeds. Rather, seeking God means striving to understand God Himself — to come to know Who He is and what His will entails.
When Christians attain such knowledge of the Lord, we subsequently gain an understanding of all things, both within the invisible and visible realms. The Word of God is never in error. When the Scriptures emphasize that those who seek God comprehend ALL things, that truth is absolute.
Let us endeavor to seek the Lord in the manner He has revealed in the Scriptures. We will undoubtedly discover how our perception of people, things, and events in this world is profoundly deepened. Through this enhanced understanding, we can truly live proper and joyful lives that are pleasing to the Lord during our remaining days on earth, while simultaneously preparing ourselves for the day we enter into eternal life in Heaven with Him.
This constitutes the primary objective of the books in this series (Matthew 10:27).
God Himself has revealed that, within the Scriptures, He has set forth the events that have transpired from the very beginning until the end times — that is, from primordial times until the day His eternal plan is fully realized (Isaiah 46:10). For this very reason, in this book, we rely exclusively upon the Scriptures to present the nature of God and His eternal plan. We do not incorporate the personal views or interpretations of any human being. The biblical passages cited herein are fully documented in the footnotes to facilitate easy cross-referencing of the points presented.
We cite biblical passages from the King James Version because it is in the public domain, thereby avoiding any copyright concerns. However, readers are encouraged to use any other reliable translation to cross-reference and compare with the material presented here. The Word of God is unified, and His truths never change; therefore, regardless of the translation used, the essential meaning remains the same.
Furthermore, we endeavor to connect the significance of these biblical verses with the realities of daily life, demonstrating that the Word of the Lord is beneficial to us in both spiritual and physical realms — for, whether we wish it or not, we as Christians must live out our lives in this world until the day we meet the Lord.
It is our earnest hope that the truths revealed herein will serve to strengthen and fortify us as Christians in our faith in the Triune God and in the authority of His Holy Scriptures. May the Lord grant us ever-increasing blessings to encourage us in our earnest pursuit of understanding Him and His eternal plan. Amen.