12. To Know and Love God

Introduction

When I finished our basement, I learned that using the right tool for the right job makes a world of difference…

What is the purpose of a human being? Or, what is the good life? Living the good life depends on understanding and fulfilling our purpose as human beings.

Biblical: Under the sun… The uncertainty of life… The reality of suffering… The inevitability of death… The vanity/futility of living for self… In light of all this, what is the good life under the sun?

Read Eccles 12:9-14 (ESV).

Meditation

The good life under the sun:

The entire book of Ecclesiastes boiled down to a single sentence: Eccles 12:13.

Moses, Deuteronomy 10:12–13 “12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?”

Joshua, Joshua 24:14–15 “14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt… choose this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.””

David, Psalm 16:2 “2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.””

Paul, 1 Corinthians 10:31 “31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Augustine, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

Westminster Shorter Catechism, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”

Dallas Willard, “The most important thing in your life is not what you do; it’s who you become. And who you become is shaped by your daily interaction with God.”

Jesus, John 17:3 “3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

In our own words: The good life is to know and love God.

“When you’re a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” When you’re a human, everything looks like a god.

Implications from Ecclesiastes

Enjoy life, but know and love God, who is your joy.

Seek wisdom, but know and love God, who is the author of Truth.

Wisdom is valuable, except when it’s worthless… Eccles 12:12.

Work hard, but know and love God, who created you for good work.

Fight for justice, but know and love God, who is both just and the justifier.

Injustice is inevitable because of the way we live and the things we value. But knowing and loving God changes what we value and how we live.

In Jesus we are justified, and in him we find justice. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”

Manage your money well, but know and love God, who is your Provider.

Love God and use money or love money and use God.

Become a guru of serenity, but know and love God, who gives peace on earth through Jesus Christ.

Ecclesiastes has much to say about things that are beyond our control. But nothing in life is beyond God’s control, and the path to peace is found in trusting the sovereignty and goodness of God.

Be a good/virtuous person, but know and love God, who loves you unconditionally.

Virtue comes from knowing and loving God—it’s the effect, not the cause. Become virtuous, and you’ll know and love God VS. Know and love God, and you’ll become virtuous.

“Obedience is an act of thankful worship, not a fearful means of trying to gain favor with God.” —Paul David Tripp

Know the Bible, but know and love God who is the Word who became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

Talking with my kids about quiet time: “It’s not just to learn something from the Bible but to spend time with God.”

All of these are good things. But if we miss knowing and loving God, we will miss the entire point of it all.

Conclusion

The good life is a God-centered life. Fear him. Love him. Trust him. Obey him. Know him. Everything else is secondary. Everything else is commentary.

Is Jesus your magnificent obsession?