What is the main aspect to being a Christian? If we asked a thousand Christians what it means to be a Christian, most would probably speak about knowing God, or being in a relationship with God. And that would be a very good answer, as it is incredibly important to know God, to love God, to relate to God through Bible reading and prayer and to go to church. But these things are not primary to being a Christian.
In Galatians 4:9 the Apostle Paul delivers an almost throwaway line when he says ‘now that you know God – or rather are known by God’. While he skips over this phrase without expanding on it, it is the primary aspect of being a Christian. Why? Because in John 6:44 Jesus says ‘no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them’. The primary aspect to being a Christian is not that we know God, but that God knows us.
To begin with, he knows us creationally. Psallm 139 says he ‘knits us together in our mother’s womb’. Before anyone else even knew our mother was pregnant, God knew us. He had determined that the miracle of human fertilization would occur between our birth parents and had given us a soul. Even the millions of babies who are aborted each year are known to God.
Yet for Christians, God also knows us relationally. Ephesians 1 says God chose us for his family even before the universe was created. He wants to be in a personal relationship with us, and was willing to give up his only begotten Son in order to make it happen.
May we never forget how much God loves us and has poured out his grace and mercy upon us, all because he wants to spend eternity with us. How amazing to be known by God.
