WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?
There is a need to know God personally not just what people are saying about HIM, or what you hear about HIM, but a true revelation and knowledge of HIM.
Jesus asked the disciples first, who do people say I am, they gave an answer; but then he asked okay, who do you say I am?
Matthew 16 New International Version
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.
There are all kind of arguments and debates about God. Knowing God personally helps your unwavering conviction and faith, not just what you are taught oh, but a personal knowledge of who HE is helps you not to stagger.
Now you can know about God but not the knowledge of GOD. You judge things from the lens of the knowledge you have in him.
How do you represent a God you do not know, oh we say 'HE sent me, I’m a light to the world', this was what Moses needed to experience, he asked GOD who should I say sent me?
Exodus 3:13-14 New International Version
13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
You can worship an unknow GOD!
There is a reason why Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well that ‘she worships what she doesn’t know’; it’s actually possible we don’t know the GOD we serve, call upon.
John 4:22 NKJV
“You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.”
That’s why Jesus said again addressing the woman at the well, that we should worship God in spirit and in truth, with understanding and personal revelation of who HE IS.
John 4:23-24 NKJV
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
Also considering still the Samaritan woman at the well; when she had a personal encounter with Jesus she went about telling people about him; many people believed Jesus through what she said, but look at what was said in verse 42; Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.
Indeed, indeed, now we belief; we have un staggering faith, when we personally encounter, know Jesus; have a one-one with HIM continually.
John 4:28-29, 39-42 NKJV
“The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word. Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.””
Let’s look at Paul in Athens
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul had an encounter with the Athenians who had an altar dedicated to an "unknown God."
Acts 17:22-24 (NIV)
"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: 'People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So, you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
'"Paul used the Athenians' religious curiosity as an opportunity to introduce them to the one true God, whom they didn't fully understand. He explained the nature of God and the message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul entered Athens and saw the people were given to idolatry, vs 17 these people were devoured, Paul saw that, they were zealous Paul saw that but it was to idolatry. Vs 22: I beheld your devotions, they were committed and zealous but they ignorantly worshipped an unknown God.
You can be devoted and committed and zealous to an unknown God, even evangelized about an unknow God they ignorantly worshiped someone they didn’t know truly.
And Paul in vs 24 had to explain who God truly is, and this is true in many lives today, many people have served an unknow God, written song, written books to an unknow God, the zeal, passion is there oh; the devotion is there but the true knowledge of who GOD IS isn’t.
Knowing GOD is continuous
Throughout the bible we see a call to know God more and deeper, because knowing God is continuous and we can never plateau in knowing GOD.
Even tho Paul preached, they heard from him about JESUS, he still prayed several times that they really know GOD personally and intimately not only by what he has told them.
Ephesians 3:14-19 New King James Version
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
John 17:3 New King James Version
3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Also we see GOD telling us to glory only in the knowledge of HIM, not anything else but that we know HIM.
Jeremiah 9:24 New King James Version
24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.
So its a call to commit ourselves to a personal devotional life dedicated to knowing GOD personally and more, read, pray, study the word, have a personal fellowship/relationship with GOD and grow in HIM.
And we truly BECOME as we know him, we know our self more as we know GOD, and we are even bolder in our walk with GOD because we know HIM personally.
2 Corinthians 3:18 New International Version
18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
And that's the place of having a personal encounter with GOD. And throughout the bible we see people having a personal encounter with GOD and through this experiences, they knew different dimensions of GOD, as a provider, as a healer, as a comforter, as GOD, as Almighty etc.
Some examples: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/god/what-are-all-the-names-of-god.html#google_vignette
Jehovah Jireh: The LORD our provider (Genesis 22:14)
"So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."
Jehovah Rapha: The LORD our Healer (Exodus 15:26)
"Saying, "If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer."
Jehovah Nissi: The LORD our Banner (Exodus 17:15)
"And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner,"
Jehovah Shalom: The LORD our Peace (Judges 6:24)
"Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it, The LORD Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites."
Jehovah Raah: The LORD our Shepherd (Psalms 23:1)
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."
Jehovah Tsidkenu: The LORD our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6)
"In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.'"
Jehovah Shammah: The LORD is Here (Ezekiel 48:35)
"The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD Is There."
The HOLYSPIRIT helps us, leads us, teaches us and guide us into a true understanding and revelation of who GOD is. So we really cant know GOD without the help of the HOLYSPIRIT.
2 Peter 1:21 The New International Version
21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:12–14 The New International Version
12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
Question? pls feel free to use the comment section :)
Has there been any personal revelation of who God is through your walk with him, searching the scriptures, prayer etc. or the other way around, you knowing God, his ways prevented you from allowing a false message pass through you or what has been said about God and you know it’s not true because of your knowledge of him.
What do you think of the temptation of Eve and Jesus? Do you think the word of God can be twisted in a way if you don’t have true knowledge, personal understanding and revelation, you can fall?
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