How Can We Know God?

Here are the three other things we do not mean when we say that we can know God (see previous posts for first two):

III. SAYING WE CAN KNOW GOD DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE ONLY KNOW "THINGS" ABOUT HIM, BUT RATHER THAT WE KNOW HIM PERSONALLY (WE CAN KNOW HIM IN HIS ESSENCE TO A LIMITED DEGREE)

see Jeremiah 9:23-24.
These verses seem to be saying that the only thing appropriate to boast in is the fact that it is possible to "really know" God, not just that we can know things or facts about Him. There is a difference.

IV. SAYING WE CAN KNOW GOD DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE WILL SOMEDAY FULLY KNOW GOD (IN ETERNITY FUTURE)

Sin has severely distorted our ability to think rightly about God. It is not until it pleases the Spirit to open our blind eyes that we will see God in His glory through Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:3-4; Jn. 3:1-8). When this happens-and only when this happens-we will begin to think rightly about God. However, our sin is not the only thing that keeps us from a perfect knowledge about God. There is another important aspect. The fact is we are finite. God is infinite. In other words, God has always (and always will be) unlimited. On the other hand, we have always been (and will always be) limited. This will never change. Someday God will shed all sin from our existence (I Jn. 3:2). But our finiteness will never be shed from us. And in order to know God perfectly we would have to become infinite. That is, we would have to shed not only our sinfulness, but our finiteness and become infinite. In short, we would have to become God. That is not going to happen (I Cor. 13:12 does not argue against my position). We will spend all of eternity learning about God!

V. SAYING WE CAN KNOW GOD DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE CAN TRULY KNOW GOD APART FROM THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN REGENERATION

I have repeated this statement over and over again. I do not suspect that I have misled anyone. But just in case somebody out there is a little confused let me make myself clear. We are not speaking about salvation knowledge. We are speaking about a baser knowledge to which we will look at next time (Jn. 3:1-8; I Cor. 2:6-16).