I. Introduction:
Knowing God is undoubtedly the purpose of being a Christian. Aquinas and numerous other theologians said that the ultimate goal of our Christian existence lies in the moment when our faith is transformed into knowledge, that is, when we know God completely by seeing Him face to face. Indeed, this goal of Christian living, according to the New Testament, can and, for believers, has been achieved partially and initially in this life.
The new life that Christians receive and experience consists of knowing the true God in Jesus Christ (
John 17:3). The bible told us that since God is life itself and the source of all living things,
knowing God is identical with having eternal life. The logic behind this statement is basically like this:
since knowing God in the bible is much more than possessing information about God, but experiencing God most directly and intimately (i.e., being united with God),
then in knowing God, the knower of God partake or share in God’s own nature (e.g., having eternal life, possessing holiness, peace, etc.). Now, since God is the most wonderful Being, then it is utterly reasonable to say that knowing God is the ultimate happiness and goal of believers’ lives; it’s even the very meaning or content of their eternal lives.
