This summer, we are wrestling with the nature, character and identity of God. It sounds exciting and interesting. It also sounds a bit crazy. How can we, as finite men and women, engage a solid answer to our question of ‘who is He’, an infinite God? That could sound impossible or at best it could seem profoundly difficult to make practical to our lives. But what if the answer to the question actually makes sense and makes a difference in every aspect of our everyday lives? What if the nature of God, the character of God, the identity of God could shape everything about life on earth and beyond?
Let me suggest to you that personally discovering who God is will establish both the path and the destination of our lives. In the gospel of John (17:3), we find a definite statement about life and eternity. The apostle wrote this, “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” The word ‘know’ becomes the most important thought in this sentence. John is telling us that whatever ‘know’ means must determine what the depth and width and length of life actually is. The term in the original Greek indicates that the content of who God is will give us real and eternal life. Who He is determines everything, and we need to understand precisely who He is in order to live and live well.
This summer we are trying to understand what Jesus reveals about Himself in a variety of statements that start with “I AM……” a particular substance of His personhood. I find it amazing that He so clearly expresses who He is so that we can understand Him and therefore know Him, and as a result we can love Him… and be loved by Him. Really, can you imagine that the God of the universe wants to reveal Himself to us? Really, are you kidding? The God of creation took the time to communicate on our level so that we might understand who He is and what life is all about? It should be evident to us through looking at the beautiful and immense universe, but He decided to take on human flesh and live among us and explain Himself to us. Really? Yes really!!!!