One of my first assignments in Hermeneutics class this past semester was to read a small booklet called, The Christians Greatest Need, by E.W. Bullinger. One might think a booklet with that type of title could be boring and most likely something a Christian would already know. Yet, the way the argument was laid out and the points so clearly stated, Bullinger’s writings challenged, and continue to challenge my own spiritual walk. I would like to pull together my thoughts from what I’ve read and present what I am learning. He begins with the verse Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him:” (Ephesians 1:17 KJV).
Our Greatest need is having “a true knowledge of God”.
One of the foundations of Christianity is faith, faith includes trust, and we don’t trust someone we don’t know, therefore, we need to get to know God. Bullinger brings out the point that we think we have faith when we say we are “willing” for God’s will, yet being “willing” is a clear sign that we do not know our great God and where we stand before Him. As we get to know Him that pitiful, selfish ‘willingness’ turns into a yearning desire for His will to be done in and through us no matter the cost. Instead of looking at ourselves and our great willingness to surrender we are turned to think of God’s perfect characteristics; His wisdom and love, these are what change our focus. This brings us into the action of desiring His Will.
Jesus himself said, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3 KJV).
How does our knowledge of God affect our day to day lives? Bullinger stated that,“This knowledge [of God] is not only the basis of trust in God; not only the foundation of Christian faith; but of Christian life.” In Paul’s letter to the Colossian church he lays it out so clearly by saying,
“For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God.”(1:9-10 HCSB)
Therefore, if we want to please God in everything, the key is to know what pleases Him! And that is found IN HIS WORD. “This is the one great reason why the written Word is given to us. It is not given merely as a book of general information or of reference; but it is given to make known the invisible God.( Bullinger)”
Consider again our day to day lives. As we get to know God from His Word we better understand how important it is to worship Him in Spirit and truth. That is the only ‘way’ true worship goes upward to God who is Spirit. With an ignorance of who God is, public worship becomes a very dangerous thing. As we get to know God not only will our worship change but our prayers will too, “prayer is intended to humble us by putting us into the place of helplessness and dependence…with our faces in the dust before the Mighty God”. Our prayers are more and more about His will and His plan and not ours. “Oh to know the love, and power, and wisdom of our God. What a revolution it would make in our prayers, as well as our lives.” ( Bullinger)
Oh to know God our Father, yes, but also to know Jesus Christ. In Paul’s letter to the Philippi church he writes this very powerful statement, “More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith. My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,”(Philippians 3:8-10 HCSB).
Do I, so highly value my knowledge of my Lord? Does my desire for the knowledge surpass suffering? “Oh, to be occupied with Christ; to have Him for our object; and His resurrection power for our lives. This we shall have; and have increasingly as we get to know Christ.” (Bullinger)
One main thought that has come to mind after this study is this, the devil is going to do anything he can to keep God’s children from getting to know Him. Without a desire to know my God and to glean from His Word I am useless for God’s kingdom and my personal faith will quickly die as I give up trusting in God, The God who longs for me to yearn after Him. As I learn to walk worthy of His calling and His Will for my life I pray the Lord plants the truths of who He is deep within me that the knowledge of Him might grow into a strong oak tree that is rooted with trust in my sovereign and sufficient God. From that place can Kingdom work be produced; a place of total dependence on knowing, but never fully knowing, who The unfathomable God is and where I stand before the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah, “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth, glory in this, THAT HE UNDERSTNADETH and KNOWETH ME” (9:23,24 KJV).
"Matthew 10:22a : And you will be hated by all men because of My name."
