7. God is all-powerful and loves his creatures, why not let us know him in a more direct way? (Y.Z.)

Answer: Yes God is all-powerful and loves his creatures. He has already given us the most direct way to know Him.

A. To reveal Himself to humankind, God became a man in human history. This is the wonderful Christmas story. Jesus was born in Bethlehem about two thousand years ago. He was not an ordinary child. He was conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit. He was born as a God-man. He had two natures in him, divinity and humanity. He was the incarnation of God.

He came not just for the Jews but for all the people of the world. He came for the entire human race. He came so that we may know God. His disciple John said: "No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him" (John 1:18)

Jesus came to teach us about God, His truths, His laws, His character, His ways, His work and His kingdom. He also taught the truth about man, his original glory, his lost condition today, his sins, his future judgment and the way of salvation. Jesus taught us many other truths. He performed many miracles to prove to the world that He is God. The greatest of all miracles is that He rose from the dead on the third day after He died for our sins on the cross. We can know God through the studying of the life and teaching of Jesus.

B. To know God there is the human responsibility

1. The seeker must have a sincere heart to seek the truth. Jesus promised: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Luke 11:9)

2. The seeker must have a humble and teachable attitude. Jesus said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 18:3)

3. The seeker must acknowledge his personal sins and confess his sins before the holy God. Jesus preached: "Repent, for the kingdom of God is near." (Matt. 4:17)

4. The seeker must accept the truthful testimony of God's servants. Jesus sent his disciples (who were eye witnesses of his life) to tell the world about his salvation. The heart of the gospel is that Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected for our righteousness. There are many truthful servants of God today who have done a thorough investigation of the historical facts of the Christian faith and who have known God personally. These pastors and preachers are bearing witness for God today.

5. The seeker must understand his need of being born again in order to see God and His kingdom. Jesus said to Nicodemus: "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." (John 3:3) To be born again is to receive a new life from God and to have our spirit renewed. The spirit is the deepest part of our being, people oftentimes use the word 'heart' to speak of that part of our being. We can be born again through accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. Jesus said to Nicodemus: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

6. After being born again, the believer can worship God in spirit and in truth. The believer will be in direct contact with God and can know God personally and grow in the knowledge of God. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman: " Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24)

7. The only way to know God personally, directly and intimately is through the renewed spirit we possess after God's Spirit comes into our life. (G.Lee)