Many people speak of a particular day when they dedicated their lives to Christ. But does that single moment alone mean that a person truly knows God? More often, it marks the commencement of a lifelong journey of growing in intimacy, understanding, and communion with Him.

To begin with, every child belongs to God and is cherished in His sight. Therefore, the question is not whether a child knows God or does not know Him. However, as a child matures and reaches an age of discernment, he naturally begins to reflect upon spiritual realities and the existence of God. At this stage, numerous influences begin to shape his thoughts and convictions — the environment in which he is raised, the values instilled by his family, the wonders he observes in creation, the literature he encounters, the ideas he hears from others, and the questions that arise within his own heart and mind.

A person may come from a religious background, marvel at the beauty and order of nature, study various teachings and philosophies, or listen to people speaking about different gods — or even denying the existence of God altogether. Through these influences, a deep inner search for truth often begins to emerge. In the course of that search, God reveals Himself in diverse and personal ways. At that point, each individual is faced with a choice: to accept Him or to reject Him. Yet, when a person sincerely seeks the truth with an honest and open heart, there is little doubt that he will ultimately find God. He grants every individual a genuine opportunity to know Him and to experience the reality of His presence.

IT IS JUST LIKE THE GENESIS STORY  

THE REFLECTION OF HUMANITY IN GENESIS:

Before partaking of the forbidden fruit, mankind enjoyed an intimate and unhindered relationship with God. Even after the fall, man still possessed the knowledge of good and evil. Humanity continued to recognize what is righteous, to understand that God is good, and to know that it is always best to remain on God’s side. Being created in the image of God signifies that human beings, like their Creator, are fundamentally spiritual in nature, endowed with intelligence, moral awareness, and the freedom to make choices. This truth is beautifully reflected throughout the opening chapters of Genesis (Genesis 1–3).

DID GOD LEAVE MAN WHEN HE SINNED?

HAS GOD ABANDONED HUMANITY AFTER THE FALL?

Is God unjust in revealing Himself only to a chosen few? Certainly not—an emphatic no. Jesus declared, “No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him” (Luke 10:22). The question then arises: to whom does the Son choose to reveal the Father? Scripture makes the answer unmistakably clear—His desire is to reveal Himself to all humanity. The Bible affirms that God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). He takes no delight in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:32). From the very beginning, God’s heart has been inclined toward mankind, yearning that all would know Him and walk in His truth.

Throughout biblical history, God repeatedly disclosed Himself not only to Israel, but also to pagan nations, kings, and individuals outside the covenant community. During Abraham’s time, God revealed His power to Pharaoh through the afflictions that came upon Egypt because of Sarah (Genesis 12:17–20). In Joseph’s generation as well, Egypt witnessed divine wisdom and providence through Joseph, who instructed the elders and princes of the land with extraordinary discernment (Psalm 105:22). Hagar and Ishmael, though cast into the wilderness, encountered the living God personally and experienced His compassion and guidance.

Only a few generations later, another Pharaoh defiantly questioned, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him?” Through Moses, God answered that challenge with undeniable authority. Every plague and miracle performed in Egypt was not merely an act of judgment, but a deliberate revelation of God’s identity and sovereignty. Again and again, the Lord declared, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord” (Exodus 7:17). God made Himself unmistakably known to Egypt.

The surrounding nations also heard of His mighty works. The Amalekites were aware of Israel’s miraculous deliverance, yet instead of responding with reverence and repentance, they chose hostility and rebellion against God’s people (Exodus 17). In striking contrast, Jethro—the Midianite priest and Moses’ father-in-law, once immersed in idolatry—recognized the supremacy of the Lord and placed his trust in Him. What prevented the Amalekites from doing the same? The issue was never the absence of revelation, but the disposition of the human heart.

God further revealed Himself to heathen monarchs and rulers. Nebuchadnezzar received divine dreams and revelations that compelled him to acknowledge the sovereignty of the Most High God (Daniel 2:28–30). Belshazzar, too, possessed sufficient knowledge of God’s dealings, having witnessed what befell Nebuchadnezzar because of pride and defiance (Daniel 4:17, 25, 32; 5:21–22). Even Balaam, a pagan diviner, heard the voice of God and became an instrument through whom divine truth was proclaimed (Numbers 22–24). These accounts testify that God’s self-revelation was never confined to Israel alone.

In Jeremiah 12:14–17, God extends a gracious invitation to the Gentile nations, declaring that if they would learn His ways and honour His name, they too could be established among His people. Rahab, a Canaanite woman, responded in faith and found refuge under the wings of the living God. The opportunity extended to her was available to every inhabitant of Canaan. Yet while some humbled themselves and believed, many wilfully rejected the God who revealed Himself to them.

Dr. Lilian Stanley
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