“For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things” (1 John 3:20) KJV.
Loved ones, please do not view the title of this post as a contradiction to the above text. If there is anything plainly taught in the Scriptures, it is the omniscience of God (Psalm 139). However, using a play on words to cause you to think, this lesson will present an answer to some of the blasphemous and irreverent things that have been said about our Heavenly Father and His everlasting Word. Believe it or not, there are some things that God does not know. 1. God does not know a person who did not descend from Adam and Eve. Contrary to what atheists and evolutionists may think, all mankind descended from Adam (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:21-23; 3:20; Acts 17:26; Romans 5:12). 2. God does not know an accountable person who is sinlessly perfect. The Scriptures define sin as "the transgression of the law" of God (1 John 3:4). A sin is something committed. Every person who is accountable for his/her own actions has sinned (Romans 3:10, 23). Some have said that they have never sinned. Well, just making that statement was a sin. The Bible says, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:10). Notice what this passage says, "...we make Him [God] a liar..." Well, we know that this is impossible, for it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18). 3. God does not know a sin He does not hate. Proverbs 6:16-19 begins, “These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him.” This is followed by a list of certain sins. God hates sin. In fact, God wants us to hate sin. WHY? Because sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). The Psalmist wrote, “Ye that love the Lord, hate evil” (Psalms 97:10; cf. Psalm 45:7). When we talk about God hating sin, we need to emphasize that we are talking about any sin. You and I tend to size sin; i.e., big sins and little sins. Sins may vary in consequences in this life, and there are some sins harder to undo, but God hates every sin. Every sin is a transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4; James 2:10). 4. God does not know of a sinner whom He does not love. Probably one of the verses that everyone could quote is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Another parallel verse is Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God loves the whole world, but that does not excuse us from our responsibility to obey His will (Matthew 7:21). We read in Ephesians 3:19 of “the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge…” We may never fully understand it. But we thank God that it is true. God does not know a sinner that He does not love. 5. God does not know a man under this Gospel Age who will be saved “outside” of Christ and in disobedience to the Gospel (Romans 10:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:8). Salvation and all other spiritual blessings are "in Christ" (2 Timothy 2:10; Ephesians 1:3). So the most pertinent question is how does one get "into Christ" to receive these blessings? The Bible says we are baptized "into Christ" (Romans 6:3-4); thus, this is the point in which we "put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27). 6. God does not know of a person who will be saved without confessing that Jesus is Lord, the Son of God (Romans 10:9-10). Jesus says, “32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33; cf. 16:15-16). Denying Christ is not just denying that He is God's Son. Denying Him can also mean that we deny His teachings. Many individuals deny Christ by not obeying and abiding in His Word (Luke 6:46; John 12:48). 7. God does not know an accountable person under the New Covenant who can be saved without faith, repentance, and being immersed (baptized) in water. One cannot say that they have faith in God's Word, and not believe that baptism is essential (Matthew 28:19). That is not faith in God's Word. That is not the faith which God requires. One trying to be saved by “faith only” is actually trying to be saved by his own works (Titus 3:5), for faith is a work, according to the inspired Word (John 6:29). Paul said it best, concerning those who would try to be saved by their own works of righteousness and disbelieving the true righteousness of God: “3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? 4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar…” (Romans 3:3-4). God is true, and any man who would dispute His everlasting Word is a liar! After being taught about Jesus, the Ethiopian eunuch asked Philip, “See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?” When he confessed his belief that Jesus Christ “is the Son of God,” Philip immersed him in water (Acts 8:36-39). Mark 16:16 and 1 Peter 3:21 teach that baptism saves. Faith, repentance, and baptism are all essential to salvation (Acts 2:38). No matter how many Protestants say that baptism is unnecessary, the word of God will NOT be altered. God said it, that settles it, whether one believes it or not. 8. God does not know a sinner who was saved after death. After one has died, there is no second chance (Hebrew 9:27). John 8:21 and 24 also teach that after death one cannot be saved. All Catholics with their “purgatory” and all Mormons with their “baptism for the dead” should heed these passages. The Bible makes it clear that it is imperative that one obey the Gospel before it is too late: “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation)” (2 Corinthians 6:2). This is not saying that we have eternal salvation in its actuality at that moment; it is stressing the fact that salvation must be attained before it is everlastingly too late. King David wisely said, “And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee” (Psalm 39:7). 9. God does not know of a “faithful” Christian who is in rebellion against Him. The Apostle John wrote, “3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-4). The writer of Hebrews said, “26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:26-29). The word "despite " in this verse 29 actually means “to insult.” Christians insult God by sinning willfully! Those individuals are told to repent or perish (Luke 13:3; 2 Peter 3:9). To the God of heaven be the Glory as His Will is done (1 Corinthians 10:31). Please pray for wisdom, for me and my wife, Cynthia, and for the Liberty NW church of Christ meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA. We are praying for you, and we love you all so much. Samuel Matthews
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