Last Sunday, in Sunday school, we discussed 1 Corinthians 8. One verse stood out to me through the week: verse 3, “but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.” In a context concerning knowledge that throws us all the way back to 1 Corinthians 2:6–16, the Spirit leads us into the brilliant wisdom of God that no worldly mind can access—a gift of regeneration. Our perspective in chapter 2 focuses on our knowing Him. We typically talk about knowing God as being an activity of deep relationship. Coming to a place where we draw upon truths accessed by the Holy Spirit in our obedience of faith. We contemplate God’s providence, His sovereignty, His ordaining of our days (the way we communicate as ‘God is in control’). Such weighty matters are sufficient for our meditation all day long!
God Knows Uniquely
But do we consider the way God knows us? This language of being ‘known by God’ shows up in the Psalms as well, in Psalm 142 when David is wrestling for support and encouragement. He uses the language of God’s knowing him as a means for support.
In a sermon on this verse, Old Testament professor Daniel Timmer writes, “As insignificant as our lives might seem to us, or as unknown as they may be to those around us, in God’s estimation—the only one that really matters—they are worthy of His loving, focused attention and His tender care.” David proclaims in Psalm 142:3, God knows his path, even when he is overwhelmed. Somehow this “knowing the path” is encouraging! The truth and impact of that phrase is lost in translation. Timmer goes on to explain to “know” in this Hebrew idiom is really expressing a deep relational knowledge: “God knows comprehensively every turn, every bump, every event in David’s life as part of His saving relationship with him!” What David is really expressing here is God’s nearness to him not simply God’s knowing about him.
God Knows Practically
God’s knowledge of His people expressed in 1 Corinthians 8 teaches something about God’s nature. Yes, He is omniscient and sovereign in the plan of salvation. His knowledge is demonstrated in knowing the hard hearts of the condemned as well as the changed hearts of the redeemed. God knows the hearts with a knowledge we can comprehend—He knows all about these individual hearts and their respective contents. But verse 3 details somethings distinct: the relational and covenantal depth between Him and His redeemed people. When we, in our conscience, our discerning how to live and move—even about food and special days—God is in the path with us, shepherding us. When we are tried, struggling to know what to do in our circumstances, fretting, coming to a place where we are acting out—God knows our path and we must practically address our frustrations to Him, not go after our brothers and sisters.
God Knows Joyfully
The way we handle our choices, our conscience, our decisions, our circumstances may lead us to put the voice of God on mute. This is not evidence of wisdom or a right demonstration of God’s shepherding promises. However, those who love (continue to strive for obedience to) God will evidence faithfulness over fear, fret, or personal favoritism. God will lead His people in their path with a joyfulness that characterizes the pilgrimage of sanctification. When we read 1 Corinthians 8:3, we are hearing a pilgrim testifying a willingness to serve or sacrifice for the sake of a weaker brother or sister, thinking of others or handling confrontation peaceably and humbly, leaning into the truth that God knows the path—God sees and strengthens, sees and suffers with, sees and satisfies, sees and secures His people through the situations that otherwise would lead a Christian to rebel or act in hypocrisy.
God knows our path because He knows us. He doesn’t just know about us, He intimately walks with us—supplying our true needs even when we cannot see it. Such is the unique, practical, and joyful tending of the Shepherd for His sheep.
Pastor Chris
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