Now That God Knows You

Meditations on Galatians

November 10, 2021

Now That God Knows You

So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world?

Galatians 4:9

Read: Galatians 4: 8-11

In this brief passage, Paul identifies two important principles of the life in Christ that we can use as barometers of our growth in Christ. The first is our awareness of how the performance-based-acceptance culture of our society can easily erode the freedom we have in Christ. Our culture likes to have checklists where we can mark off our progress as we complete various tasks. In a similar way, many people seek to have a measurement system for their life as a Christian. They have a checklist to mark off their tithe and attendance at church and their daily devotional exercises. Of course, tithing, church attendance and devotional activities are important in the life of a Christian, but they are never an end in themselves. We do these things to help us know Christ who loved us and gave himself for us, not to earn his favor or assure our right-standing with God.

The second principle is hugely important even though Paul made it as a parenthetical statement: “So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you)” (Galatians 4:9a). Paul does not mean that God simply knows about us, or even thoroughly knows everything about us, although of course He does. Paul means that God knows us within a covenant relationship. God knows me because He created me in His image. He has always known me, even from my mother’s womb. However, ever since I made my personal confession of faith in Christ Jesus, God knows me as His beloved child, with whom He is delighted and upon whom His favor rests. Because I am known by God, like the Apostle Paul, “I want to know Christ” and “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3: 10,12).

My Takeaway: Paul is modeling the life in Christ. I noted on Monday that our salvation is only made possible by the faithfulness of Jesus. (Galatians 3: 23-29)  Our right-standing with God is initiated and maintained, moment by moment, by the faithfulness of Jesus. Therefore, my ambition is to be a fully-devoted follower of the man of great faith, Christ Jesus. Paul charts the same course in today’s passage. Paul wanted to know God because God first knew Paul. That is my story also. I want to tightly grasp Jesus the Messiah who first took hold of me!

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.