I Know French

“The time is coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,”
declares the Lord.
“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
Jeremiah 31:31-34

Knowledge is an interesting word. In Canada growing up we all took French classes every year. One thing I learned about the word knowledge is that the French have two words for it: Savoir - means to have knowledge of a fact. Connaitre - means to have knowledge that is intimate relationally regarding a person or a place. Savoir is, I know what my wife's name is (Tanya, if you're interested ;) Connaitre is, I know my wife better than anybody else does.

I find these two distinct understandings of the word knowledge to be helpful when we consider our faith, and how it is that we may know God.

The passage above is a beautiful picture of the new covenant promises that God has made for us in light of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Prior to Christ, our knowledge of God was limited to that of a savoir knowledge. Knowledge of God came from the law. Humanity was able to know about God through the law, and consequently we were able to know the extent of our own sinfulness. In the law we could see God's holiness on the one hand, and our depravity on the other. Unfortunately, our knowledge could not go anywhere past that stage because our sin prevented any type of intimate knowledge. The law is our work to try to know about God.

The work of Christ graciously enabled humanity to have a connaitre knowledge of God. A knowledge which moves beyond mere facts and figures and into intimate relationship (as God has always intended for us). Christ's work on the cross of "forgiving our wickedness and remembering our sins no more," removed the barrier that we put up, and gave us the freedom to really know God. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." You see, Jesus by forgiving our sins and fulfilling the law for us effectively re-united us with God in vibrant relationship. In Christ "we shall all know Him, from the least to the greatest." The work of Christ changed our relationship with God from an external one defined by our work, to an internal one defined by Christ's work. If the law was our work to try to know God, then grace is God's work for us that we might truly know Him.

I wonder though, despite this Amazing news, how many of us are content with a life of knowing lots of things about God - knowing all the Bible stories, right theology, the right things to do at church, how to morally act in society - yet not truly knowing and enjoying your blessed relationship with God.

Our life of faith is not about following a bunch of external rules and regulations - our work...our life of faith is all about grace - God's work, and enjoying our intimate connaitre of Him.

Be God's, Scott