The Benefits of Knowing God Through His Word

By Edd Sterchi   When Peter wrote his second epistle, he wrote to “those who have obtained like precious faith” (1:1). That includes you and me, if we are Christians! Then in the following three verses, he mentioned something interesting about “the knowledge of God” (1:2). I believe within this section are four incredible benefits of knowing God through His word.   Here’s the full text: “To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature...” (1:2-4)   In this particular translation (NKJV), there are four words that begin with “P” that reveal these incredible benefits. * Peace - The more we know God through His word, the more at peace we will be. Understanding just who God is and having a relationship with Him brings great peace of mind, life, and soul. * Power - When we gain a greater understanding of God through His word, we will truly stand in awe of His power. And we will also realize that He will use His power to help and guide us in many ways. * Promises - When we read God’s word, we will see many of His precious promises. We will also see how He has always kept them with His people, and this will assure us that He will keep them all! * Partakers - When we consume and obey God’s word, we deepen our relationship with Him. He then shares many wonderful blessings with us.   Of course, there are many other benefits to knowing God through His word, but these four ought to be enough to encourage us to spend more and more time reading the Bible – God’s precious word.

- Edd Sterchi preaches for the Broadway Church of Christ in Campbellsville, KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.broadwaychurchofchrist.net/