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“ Summary, Part 4 (final) ” e) FALLEN MEN ARE INCAPABLE OF KNOWING GOD THROUGH HIS WORD UNLESS THEY ARE CONVERTED BY A SUPERNATURAL WORK OF DIVINE GRACE (v. 14) [38:15]. An unsaved person is like someone who has AM frequency but not FM: he has reception, but it isn’t clear; he can read the Bible, but he won’t get the meaning. God hasn’t opened his heart; he is dead in his sins. CONCLUDING APPLICATIONS: 1. YOU CANNOT KNOW GOD SAVINGLY APART FROM THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST AND APART FROM GOD’S CONVERTING GRACE [44:50]. If you don’t know Christ, you don’t know God. Finding Him through the conscience or heart are dead ends. 2. YOU NEED NOTHING BEYOND GOD’S GOSPEL AND SPIRIT TO COME TO KNOW GOD SAVINGLY [45:55]. The new eyes, ears, and heart are given by God. Things like apparitions or warnings from the dead don’t change hearts (cf. the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man). His grace is operative in those who cry out to Him. 3. THAT GOD SENT HIS SON, SPIRIT, AND GOSPEL INTO THIS WORLD PROVES THAT HE INTENDS FOR SINNERS TO COME TO KNOW HIM [49:40]. Christ was sent to remedy the problem. The gospel isn’t men seeking God, but God seeking men (MATTHEW 11:25-30).
Ian Migala (4/7/2014)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 3 ” b) GOD CAN ONLY BE KNOWN INTIMATELY THROUGH SELF-DISCLOSURE, FOR GOD ALONE KNOWS HIS HIDDEN THOUGHTS AND PURPOSES (v. 11) [27:30]. There is a sense in which knowing God is like knowing a man. God bares His heart to His people by His Spirit. c) GOD IS BOTH WILLING AND ABLE TO REVEAL HIMSELF TO MEN, FOR HE HIMSELF HAS DELIBERATELY ENABLED CHRISTIANS TO KNOW HIM (v. 12) [29:50]. The God who knows everything about Himself and His creation condescends to us to reveal Himself. This exposes the transcendentalists’ folly. The truth is that God goes out of His way to reveal Himself and is the one who initiates it. d) GOD HAS IN FACT REVEALED HIS DEEPEST THOUGHTS AND PURPOSES IN THE SCRIPTURES (v. 13) [34:45]. Paul says that these are things we also speak. Before God gave us His Holy Spirit, we couldn’t understand His word (cf. 2 THESSALONIANS 2:13). Verse 9 is often read at funerals, but the subject is not Heaven: verse 10 shows that it is salvation in this life.
Ian Migala (4/7/2014)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 2 ” a) ITS ABSOLUTE NECESSITY [16:18]. No man knows God as Father without knowing Christ (JOHN 14:6, 1 JOHN 2:23, 5:20, 2 JOHN 9). The Bible makes it plain: one must know Jesus Christ savingly to know God. All other gods are just that: other gods. b) ITS UNIQUE SUFFICIENCY [20:15]. Christ has complete and intimate knowledge of God. Beyond Him, there need be no further revelation (JOHN 1:18). c) ITS GOSPEL METHODOLOGY [21:55]. Christ conveys saving knowledge only through the gospel. Reformation theology calls this the General Call, or the Free Offer, with what follows being the Effectual Call (RBCF, 7.2). In other words, The General Call is effectual to those whom He chooses. ii. THAT GIVEN TO SAINTS BY THE SPIRIT IN SCRIPTURE (1 CORINTHIANS 2:10-14) [24:15]. The depth of God is the focus of this text. By knowing the following things we can know Him intimately. a) GOD HAS COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF HIMSELF, EVEN OF HIS DEEPEST THOUGHTS AND PURPOSES (v. 10) [26:20]. If God couldn’t know Himself fully, we couldn’t be sure of anything about Him. So we can trust the Holy Spirit.
Ian Migala (4/7/2014)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 1 ” [Pastor Nutter credits his former professor, Pastor Greg Nichols of Grace Immanuel Reformed Baptist Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan for the outline of this message, which can be found in Pastor Nichols’ book, *What does the Bible say about God?: The Biblical doctrine of God*.] Last week, we opened Part VI: MAN’S KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, and considered A. THE UNIVERSAL KNOWABILITY OF GOD. Today we move on to B. THE KNOWLEDGE SOME MEN HAVE OF GOD: GOD’S SAVING KNOWLEDGE [staring at 1:15 of the audio]. This knowledge is intimate and experiential, not mental and abstract. Some biblical witnesses for this knowledge: JEREMIAH 9:24, 31:34, DANIEL 11:32, MATTHEW 11:27-28, JOHN 10:14-15, 17:3, EPHESIANS 1:17-18, PHILIPPIANS 3:10, COLOSSIANS 1:9-10, HEBREWS 10:30, 2 PETER 1:2-3, and 1 JOHN 4:6, 5:20. All these witnesses teach that some throughout the Bible knew God savingly. 1. THE MAJOR FEATURES OF A SAVING KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. a. THE SOLE SOURCE OF GOD’S SAVING KNOWLEDGE [12:35]: special revelation, which rests on two pillars: i. THAT GIVEN TO SINNERS BY CHRIST IN THE GOSPEL [14:45]. MATTHEW 11:27-29a establishes three things about this revelation:
