God Wants Us to Know Him | Hebrews 8
Welcome to Real Life. Relationships matter!
I work for an international firm with thousands of employees. I know the name of our CEO. But I don’t know him personally. We’ve never met. He works out of our office in Athens, Greece (which is a bit of a drive from Cleveland). If perchance we passed in an airport, I might recognize him from photos. But he wouldn’t recognize me. He doesn’t know me.
I simultaneously work for a massive corporation with offices in every city around the globe. When I joined the firm, I met our CEO. Though he runs a universal network of millions, he always takes my calls. In fact, he encourages me to reach out to him often throughout the day. He knows my name. He also knows my husband and kids, my favorite ice cream, my allergies, and the deepest secrets of my soul. Whether you’ve met him or not, God knows you, too.
The God of the Universe knows you. Let that sink in a minute. What’s more incredible is that God is not satisfied with knowing us. Relationships are two-sided. God wants us to know him.
God put a plan in motion to secure this relational access. He sent his own Son to seal the deal that first Easter. Before the cross, God’s presence was as distant as my CEO in Athens. Though God’s people knew his name, and knew about him, few knew him personally. Only the high priest had direct access to God’s presence, only once a year, and only if his sins were covered by the sacrificial blood of a pure lamb. Because God is holy. Sin—the ugly-selfish-awful things we do—separates us from a holy God. Before Easter, under the Old Covenant, the sacrifice of a spotless lamb was an imperfect, temporary fix.[1]
Then, on Good Friday, the perfect Lamb of God shed his blood on a cross. A thousand years of Old Testament sacrifices foreshadowed Christ’s one perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Those who come to the cross and put their faith in Jesus Christ are forever cleansed from our sins and guilt by his blood. Thereby, we gain relational access to our holy God. Because although he knows us. He wants us to know him!
If I arrived on the doorstep of my CEO in Athens, suitcase in hand, and said, “I’m here.” He’d reply, “I’m sorry. I don’t know you.” If we ignore God our entire lives and then arrive on his celestial doorstep, suitcase in hand, and say, “I’m here.” He will reply, “I’m sorry. I don’t know you.”[2] Relationship secures access.
Do you know God? Let’s take full advantage of this unlimited access he paid for with the blood of his Son. Because God wants us to know him!
Dear Father God,
You know us by name and you love us.
It is so good to know you.
And to be known by you.
We want to know and love you more.
We pray for those who don’t know you.
May they investigate this opportunity of a lifetime,
To know the living and true God.
Through faith in your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Take it further:
[1] Why a blood sacrifice? Life is sacred to God. Blood represents life. Thereby, the sacred blood of a lamb symbolically purified everything it touched.
[2] Matthew 7:23
Disclaimer: This blog reflects my personal faith and relationship with Jesus Christ. It in no way reflects the beliefs or policies of the firm that I work for, Hill International, Inc.
It’s not what you know that will get you places.
It's who you know.
It's who you know.
–Proverb
I work for an international firm with thousands of employees. I know the name of our CEO. But I don’t know him personally. We’ve never met. He works out of our office in Athens, Greece (which is a bit of a drive from Cleveland). If perchance we passed in an airport, I might recognize him from photos. But he wouldn’t recognize me. He doesn’t know me.
I simultaneously work for a massive corporation with offices in every city around the globe. When I joined the firm, I met our CEO. Though he runs a universal network of millions, he always takes my calls. In fact, he encourages me to reach out to him often throughout the day. He knows my name. He also knows my husband and kids, my favorite ice cream, my allergies, and the deepest secrets of my soul. Whether you’ve met him or not, God knows you, too.
The God of the Universe knows you. Let that sink in a minute. What’s more incredible is that God is not satisfied with knowing us. Relationships are two-sided. God wants us to know him.
God put a plan in motion to secure this relational access. He sent his own Son to seal the deal that first Easter. Before the cross, God’s presence was as distant as my CEO in Athens. Though God’s people knew his name, and knew about him, few knew him personally. Only the high priest had direct access to God’s presence, only once a year, and only if his sins were covered by the sacrificial blood of a pure lamb. Because God is holy. Sin—the ugly-selfish-awful things we do—separates us from a holy God. Before Easter, under the Old Covenant, the sacrifice of a spotless lamb was an imperfect, temporary fix.[1]
Then, on Good Friday, the perfect Lamb of God shed his blood on a cross. A thousand years of Old Testament sacrifices foreshadowed Christ’s one perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Those who come to the cross and put their faith in Jesus Christ are forever cleansed from our sins and guilt by his blood. Thereby, we gain relational access to our holy God. Because although he knows us. He wants us to know him!
“No longer will they teach their neighbor,The CEO of the Universe opened his door—not just to one person, once a year—but to anyone anytime whose sins are covered by the blood of his Son. This unlimited access, however, is a limited-time offer.
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Hebrews 8:12 NIV
If I arrived on the doorstep of my CEO in Athens, suitcase in hand, and said, “I’m here.” He’d reply, “I’m sorry. I don’t know you.” If we ignore God our entire lives and then arrive on his celestial doorstep, suitcase in hand, and say, “I’m here.” He will reply, “I’m sorry. I don’t know you.”[2] Relationship secures access.
Now this is eternal life:Though God loves us and wants us to know him, he will not force us. We choose. And that choice determines our eternal destiny.
that they know you, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
John 17:3 NIV
Do you know God? Let’s take full advantage of this unlimited access he paid for with the blood of his Son. Because God wants us to know him!
Dear Father God,
You know us by name and you love us.
It is so good to know you.
And to be known by you.
We want to know and love you more.
We pray for those who don’t know you.
May they investigate this opportunity of a lifetime,
To know the living and true God.
Through faith in your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Take it further:
- If you don’t know God and would like to, learn more at: Need Him.
- Get to know God better by reading the Bible, his authorized biography. A good starting place is the Gospel of John.
- Get to know God better through watching the free series on the life of Jesus Christ called The Chosen.
- Read more about knowing God in Hebrews 8.
[1] Why a blood sacrifice? Life is sacred to God. Blood represents life. Thereby, the sacred blood of a lamb symbolically purified everything it touched.
[2] Matthew 7:23
Disclaimer: This blog reflects my personal faith and relationship with Jesus Christ. It in no way reflects the beliefs or policies of the firm that I work for, Hill International, Inc.
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