And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. (1 Co 8:1–3)
This verse holds immense convicting power, especially in relation to our theological beliefs and religious practices. When we deeply reflect on this verse and allow its essence to penetrate our inner being, it can profoundly impact our relationship with God and how we relate to others.
Over the years, we've engaged in numerous discussions revolving around theology, involving individuals from diverse faiths, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and those within the New Age movement. Looking back, we recall attending Jehovah’s Witness conventions, reaching out to kingdom halls, arranging meetings with elders, addressing attendees at New Age retail stores, and engaging with Mormon missionaries. Regrettably, our motivation primarily focused on theological correctness, overlooking genuine love and care for the individuals involved. None of these passionate theological dialogues resulted in conversions; instead, they often concluded with hostility. One memory stands out when we conversed with two Jehovah’s Witnesses in a cozy coffee shop known for its hot, fresh cinnamon buns and experienced an unfortunate altercation. Sadly, similar situations, although not physical altercations have occurred even within our fellow believers who share faith in the risen Lord.
It's worth contemplating Jesus' statement that love for one another is our most potent evangelistic tool. He emphasized that this love would be the identifier of his disciples to all. While we've witnessed many instances of genuine Christian love, regrettably, we've also seen the opposite manifesting within the church and among our brethren.
Here's a rhetorical question to ponder: What if every theological standpoint we embraced was accurate? What if our beliefs about how Christians should live and the convictions, they should hold were absolutely correct? What if our understanding of the end times was accurate? What if our thoughts about God, Jesus, and the Bible were all correct? If this were true, what purpose would it serve if, in the end, we still harbored offense, pride, ego, grudges, and disdain for those with differing beliefs? What if, despite being completely correct in our beliefs, we couldn't love even those who disagreed with us?
God's desire is not for us to study the Bible to prove ourselves right; He invites us to engage with the sacred text to let it transform us into beings filled with love, devoid of ego and pride. Later in this passage, Paul conveys that possessing all knowledge and understanding all mysteries without love, amounts to nothing.
The apostle John echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that loving others is synonymous with knowing God.
Through the text, we grasp another related concept: those who love are known by God.
Throughout the years, we've grown to believe that the greatest gift one can give to another is the assurance of being fully known and deeply loved. In essence, we argue that this is the epitome of richness. The closest human experience resembling being fully known and fully loved by God is exemplified in the union of marriage.
A profound intimacy develops and deepens with time in a marriage that has endured for over 30 years or more. It truly mirrors God's love. In such a marriage, the husband and wife truly know each other; a wife understands her husband better than anyone else on Earth, and vice versa. The husband comprehends his wife better than her parents, just as the wife does with regard to her husband's parents. This love doesn't blossom in an idealistic vacuum; it is honed through numerous trials and tests.
A wife genuinely knows her husband, having witnessed his virtues, flaws, and imperfections. While only God comprehends the heart and intent of any soul, a spouse comes remarkably close to understanding their partner. The essence here is that marriage imperfectly mirrors God's depth of knowledge and love for us. God, who spoke the world into existence, comprehends the intricacies of our being and loves us profoundly. This is why we emphasize the power of this verse—it tenderly assures that God knows those who belong to Him. And those who belong to Him are not defined by theological correctness or a moral high ground. God isn't seeking our correctness; He longs for our love.
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