👧👦 Teen Devotional — Day 222

Knowing About God Is Not the Same as Knowing Him

📖 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
—John 17:3 (NKJV)

After preparing His disciples for what was coming, Jesus lifted His eyes toward heaven and prayed. He knew that betrayal, arrest, false accusations, physical suffering, and crucifixion were near. Yet Jesus did not speak as though events had escaped His control. He prayed about the glory of the Father, the work He had been given to accomplish, and the eternal life He gives to those who belong to Him. Then Jesus defined eternal life: “That they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Eternal life includes living forever, but Jesus described it as more than endless existence. Eternal life is knowing God. The word “know” points to a genuine relationship, not merely possessing religious information. A person can understand Christian vocabulary, remember Bible stories, defend certain doctrines, and participate in church without truly belonging to Christ. Knowing facts about God is necessary because we cannot trust a God we know nothing about. Yet accurate information alone is not saving faith. James wrote, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (James 2:19, NKJV). 

Demons possess accurate knowledge about God’s existence and power. They know Jesus is the Son of God. But they do not love, trust, worship, or obey Him. Therefore, the question is not only, “What do I know about Jesus?” I must also ask, “Have I received Him as He has revealed Himself?” It is possible to inherit the language of Christianity without personally embracing Christ. Perhaps you have attended church since childhood. You know when to stand, when to pray, which answers adults expect during Bible study, and how Christians commonly speak. Other people may assume that you know God because your family does. But your parents’ faith cannot become yours by inheritance. You are not reconciled to God. After all, your family attends church because you were raised with Christian values, or because you agree that Jesus was an important historical person. John wrote, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12, NKJV). You must personally repent and believe. Jesus called the Father “the only true God.” That statement directly contradicts the idea that every religious path leads to the same destination. Different religions make opposing claims about God, humanity, sin, salvation, Jesus, and eternity. Contradictory claims cannot all be true in the same sense. Jesus did not present the Father as one true god among many. He called Him the only true God.

Jesus also placed knowing Himself at the center of eternal life: “And Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” No one can reject the Son while claiming to know the Father who sent Him. Jesus had already said, “He who hates Me hates My Father also” (John 15:23, NKJV). This does not permit Christians to behave arrogantly toward people who believe differently. Truth should produce humility, not pride. We did not rescue ourselves by becoming intellectually superior. God acted first. The Father sent the Son. Jesus died for sinners and rose from the dead. Salvation is received by grace through faith, not awarded to those who prove themselves more intelligent or morally impressive than others. We should therefore speak the truth clearly and compassionately. But compassion does not require pretending that every belief is equally true. If Jesus alone died for sin and conquered death, then directing someone away from Him would not be loving. We can respect a person’s dignity without affirming beliefs that contradict God’s Word. False gods are not limited to statues, temples, or organized religions. Anything that receives the trust, devotion, obedience, or identity that belongs to God functions as an idol. Achievement can become an idol when your accomplishments determine whether you believe your life has value. Approval can become an idol when acceptance matters more than faithfulness to Christ. Romantic attention can become an idol when you will violate God’s commands to keep a relationship. Politics can become an idol when a leader, party, or nation receives the hope and loyalty that belong to God. Personal freedom can become an idol when you believe no one—not even your Creator—has the right to govern your choices. Even a version of Jesus created according to your preferences can become a false god. You may want a Jesus who comforts but never corrects, forgives but never commands, welcomes but never calls anyone to repentance, and promises heaven without requiring faithfulness. But that is not the Jesus revealed in Scripture. 

Knowing Christ means receiving the true Christ, not editing His character until He agrees with you. Jesus is Savior and Lord. He offers mercy and commands repentance. He welcomes sinners and transforms those who come. He forgives freely, but He never calls sin harmless. This is why Scripture must shape what you believe about God. Feelings can be powerful, but feelings are not infallible. Your circumstances may make God seem distant. Your desires may make His commands feel unreasonable. Cultural approval may make biblical truth appear outdated. Yet God does not become someone different because human attitudes change. To know Him, you must allow His revelation to correct your assumptions. Knowing God also changes the purpose of spiritual habits. Bible reading is not merely completing a daily requirement. Through Scripture, you learn God’s character, works, commands, promises, and purposes. 

Prayer is not sending wishes into the universe. It is approaching the Father through the Son. Obedience is not a payment exchanged for eternal life. It is the response of someone who has received life and recognizes Christ’s authority. Church fellowship is not simply attending a religious event. It is sharing life with people who belong to the same Lord. The earliest Christian teenagers lived in a world filled with competing gods and public religious expectations. Worship was connected to family traditions, community celebrations, business relationships, and loyalty to the Roman world. Refusing to participate could carry a cost. A young Christian working under a tradesman might face pressure to honor the god associated with that occupation. Another might be expected to join a family ceremony involving an idol. Refusal could appear disrespectful, antisocial, or even dangerous to the community. 

Those teenagers needed more than secondhand religion. They needed to know the God for whom they were being asked to stand. Borrowed convictions rarely survive sustained pressure. If you follow Jesus only because your parents expect it, you may abandon Him when their authority becomes less immediate. If your faith rests mainly upon friendships, you may compromise when those relationships change. If you participate because church gives you a sense of belonging, you may walk away when another community offers stronger acceptance. But when you know Christ, faith becomes more than an inherited routine. You recognize that He is worthy. You understand that He alone gives eternal life. You remain with Him not because Christianity is always socially comfortable, but because there is nowhere else to find the life He gives. When many disciples abandoned Jesus, Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68, NKJV). This does not mean you will never experience questions or doubts. Questions should lead you to seek truthful answers rather than quietly pretend. Bring them to Scripture. Speak with mature believers who will take them seriously. Examine whether the difficulty comes from something you do not yet understand—or from a truth you understand but do not want to obey. Sometimes what appears to be an intellectual objection is actually resistance to Christ’s authority. At other times, a sincere question needs careful study and patient explanation. God is not threatened by honest inquiry. But honesty also requires a willingness to receive the answer He has revealed. 

Eternal life begins when you repent and believe in Christ. It grows into a deeper knowledge of God through His Word, prayer, obedience, and fellowship with His people. It will reach its fullness when believers dwell with Him forever. You will never reach the end of knowing God. His wisdom cannot be exhausted. His holiness cannot be surpassed. His faithfulness cannot fail. His love cannot be fully measured. The greatest promise of the gospel is not merely that you will escape judgment or live forever in a perfect place. The greatest promise is that you will know God. Knowing Christ means my faith cannot remain something borrowed from my family, friends, or church. I must receive Him for myself. I must know Him as He has revealed Himself. And I must continue walking with the only One who gives eternal life.

Prayer:
Father, thank You for sending Jesus Christ so that sinners may be forgiven and brought into a true relationship with You. Search my heart and show me whether I merely know Christian language or genuinely know and trust Your Son. Keep me from building my faith only upon family expectations, friendships, emotions, or social belonging. Help me receive You as You have revealed Yourself rather than creating a version of You that agrees with my desires. Expose every idol competing for my trust and obedience. Give me courage to hold to the truth without pride, cruelty, or fear. When I have questions, lead me into honest study and wise counsel. Make my faith truly mine as I repent, believe, obey, and continue growing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. In His name, amen.