Knowing God Is More Than Knowing Facts
Knowing God is not just about learning facts about Him. It is about having a real relationship with the God who made us, loves us, and wants us to walk with Him. The Bible teaches that from the beginning, people were made to reflect something of who God is. That is why knowing ourselves and knowing God go together.
Made in God’s Image
On the last day of creation, God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). God formed Adam from the dust and breathed life into him (Genesis 2:7). This shows that human beings are special among all God made. We have bodies, but we also have souls. We were created to know God, respond to Him, and live in relationship with Him.
Being made in God’s image does not mean we look like God physically. Scripture says, “God is spirit” (John 4:24). Instead, it means we were made to reflect Him in a special way. We can think, choose, love, create, worship, and understand right from wrong. We are not God, but we were made to reflect His character.
Mentally, God made us able to reason and make choices. Every time someone writes a book, solves a problem, paints a picture, builds something useful, or names a pet, we see a small reflection of the creativity and wisdom God placed in people.
Morally, God made us to know the difference between good and evil. In the beginning, humanity was created in innocence, and God called His creation “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Even now, our conscience reminds us that right and wrong matter because we were made by a holy God.
Socially, God made us for fellowship. In Eden, people were created to walk with God and live in relationship with one another. God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Every friendship, family bond, act of kindness, and gathered church family reminds us that we were made for relationship.
But sin damaged that beautiful image. Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God, and sin entered the world (Romans 5:12). We still bear God’s image and have great value (James 3:9), but we also carry the scars of sin. Our thinking, desires, relationships, and bodies all show that something has gone wrong.
The good news is that God did not leave us broken. Through Jesus Christ, God begins restoring what sin damaged. Ephesians 4:24 says believers are created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 2:8–9 reminds us that this salvation is by grace through faith, not by our own works. In Christ, we become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Sin makes the world feel confused, selfish, and broken. We were made for God, but sin pulls the heart away from Him. It distorts truth, damages love, weakens wisdom, and leads people away from the life they were created to live.
God restores us by bringing us back to Himself through Christ. As we trust Him, walk with Him, and obey His Word, He changes us from the inside out. He teaches us to become more truthful, holy, loving, and wise. The more we know Him, the more our lives begin to reflect His character again.
One way God restores us is by giving us wisdom. In the Bible, wisdom is not just being smart or educated. Wisdom means learning how to live God’s way in everyday life. It helps us make good choices, value what matters most, and respond to life with faith and maturity. Proverbs teaches us to seek wisdom, and James 1:5 says that if anyone lacks wisdom, they should ask God, who gives generously.
So, what does it mean to know God? It means coming back to the One we were made for. It means trusting Him, learning from Him, and letting Him shape us into the people He created us to be. To know God is not only to think rightly about Him. It is to walk with Him in holiness, love, and wisdom. And Scripture gives us this hope: when we ask, seek, and listen, God is ready to meet us there.
Minister A Francine Green, October 2026