KNOWING GOD by Irving E. Baker

Pacific Press Publishing Company · OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA · Sep 13, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 37.

KNOWING GOD.

By Irving E. Baker

“Can two walk together except they be agreed?” Amos 3:3. When we see two persons walking together for any length of time, we conclude there must be some agreement between them. And when they choose to spend their lives together, there is, or should be, complete harmony between them; for people of good judgment do not go into partnership with strangers. They first become acquainted with them and satisfy themselves that they can be trusted.

So it is in the Christian life. In order to desire to walk with God we must know Him or become acquainted. We read in Job 22:21, margin. “Acquaint now thyself with God, and be at peace; thereby good shall come unto thee.”

When we see the goodness and love of God, and what He has done for us, while we were enemies, we are led to desire to be like Him. We therefore surrender to Him, and the result is peace. God is not fighting us; we are at variance with Him. And all we have to do to have peace is to stop fighting; then there is harmony.

And more than this, with the “peace of God” will come to us eternal life—the one thing without which all other gifts are of no value whatever. “This is life eternal that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” Eternal life! That is what the Lord wants each one of us to receive, and what we shall have if we walk with Him through this life.

“We love Him, because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19. When we see His love and compassion to us while we were yet sinners and enemies to Him, we are led to love Him and to desire to have His law, which expresses His character, written in our hearts. All who are finally saved will have this experience, for we read: “They shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sins no more.” Jer. 31:34.

But there is a sure test, whereby we may know, in this life, whether we know God or not. Let us read: “And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; hereby know we that we are in Him. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” 1 John 2:3-6.

If, therefore, we are keeping all of God’s commandments, we may know that we know Him. But if not, let us in the fear of God examine our lives to find where we are at variance, and then get in harmony with Him while yet there is hope.

And we are “to walk even as He walked.” He says: “If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.” And further it is said of Him, “He went about doing good.” And this will be the result to each one of us when we know God. We will go about “doing good.” We will feel the same spirit of compassion and love for those around us that He manifested while here in the world.

And when we know the Lord, And strive to do His will, We’ll trust in Him, and then we’ll know Each promise He’ll fulfil. Soon will this life be o’er, So full of sin and strife, And if we’re faithful, He will give To us eternal life.

Bastrop, La. IRVING E. BAKER.