In the book Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer writes this
about the knowledge of God…
God perfectly knows Himself and, being the source and author
of all things, it follows that He knows all that can be known. And this He
knows instantly and with a fullness of perfection that includes every possible
item of knowledge concerning everything that exists or could have existed
anywhere in the universe at any time in the past or that may exist in the
centuries or ages yet unborn.
God knows instantly and effortlessly all matter and all
matters, all mind and every mind, all spirit and all spirits, all being and
every being, all creaturehood and all creatures, every plurality and all
pluralities, all law and every law, all relations, all causes, all thoughts,
all mysteries, all enigmas, all feeling, all desires, every unuttered secret,
all thrones and dominions, all personalities, all things visible and invisible
in heaven and in earth, motion, space, time, life, death, good, evil, heaven,
and hell.
Because God knows all things perfectly, He knows no thing
better than any other thing, but all things equally well. He never discovers
anything. He is never surprised, never amazed. He never wonders about anything
nor (except when drawing men out for their own good) does He seek information
or ask questions.
So what is it that God doesn’t know? Answer: Nothing. He knows everything. Now, depending on your perspective, and your
relationship with Christ, this can be either terrifying or encouraging. It can bring either conviction or confidence.
On the conviction side, this is a reminder that God knows
everything. Every thought, every
motivation of your heart. You may be one
of those people who go through life with people saying things like “he’s
basically a good person.” But you know
your heart. You know what you did last
week. You know what you thought last
night. And guess what? He knows, too.
One day we will all stand before Him in judgment. And He will judge you based on His complete
knowledge of you. He won’t judge you
based on just those outward acts, just those things other people saw, but those
thoughts and motivations. And no matter
how hard you try, you’ll never be able to cover the many, many transgressions
against His holy law: lustful thoughts, hateful thoughts, rebellious
thoughts. And you will be
condemned. Because He knows.
On the confidence side, this is a reminder that God knows
everything. Every thought, every
motivation of your heart. If you have
come to Christ in faith and know His saving work, you are intimately aware of
your sin. You know your heart. You know what you did last week. You know what you thought last night. And guess what? He knows, too.
One day we will all stand before Him in judgment. And He will judge you based on His complete
knowledge of you. He won’t judge you
based on just those outward acts, just those things other people saw, but those
thoughts and motivations. And no matter
how hard you try, you’ll never be able to cover the many, many transgressions
against His holy law: lustful thoughts, hateful thoughts, rebellious thoughts. And you will be...saved. Because He knows.
Wait a minute! Those
paragraphs are the same. Why is it that
one ends with condemnation and the other with salvation?? Because only the grace of God can overcome
our sin. God knows every single thing,
past, present and future. Nothing is hidden from Him. For the lost, this means every sin is held
against you. For those who experience
grace in Christ, this means every sin has been paid for.
Think about it. God
knows every word before you speak it, every sin before you commit it, and yet
still Jesus died for you. He knows
things you don’t even know you’re going to do yet, and yet still Jesus died for
you. What an amazing reality. Because not only does He know, but HE KNOWS
YOU.
That great truth in Romans says “For those whom he foreknew
he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might
be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also
called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified
he also glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30, ESV)
He foreknew you. He knew you, everything about you, all your
thoughts and all your motivations. And yet He still chose to set His affection
on you. Nothing you can do will surprise
God. Nothing you can do will alter His
view of you. And no circumstance of your
life is a surprise to Him either. You
may be confused, but He knows. He knows
what’s happening and He knows why and He will see you through to the desired
end which will be for your good and His glory. Oh, how amazing God’s grace is.
And how desperately you need it. God knows.
He knows you. You can’t hide from
Him. You can’t fool Him. You need to repent today, throw yourself on
His mercy, trust in His sacrifice on the cross to pay the penalty for your
sins, because it is the only thing that will change that last day condemnation
to salvation.
He knows. Does that terrify
you or encourage you? I pray you will
find His grace which changes the one into the other.