From knowing of God to knowing God:
Introduction:
In Job 42:5, Job makes a powerful statement:
“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.”
This moment marks a major turning point in Job’s spiritual life. Although he was known as a righteous man (Job 1:1), Job admits here that while he had heard about God, he had not truly known Him—until now. Through everything he endured, Job finally received a personal revelation of who God truly is.
Job’s journey shows us the difference between knowing about God and knowing God personally. At the start of his story, Job followed God faithfully—he feared God, avoided evil, and tried to live uprightly. But even then, Job’s understanding of God was based on what he had been taught or told—what he had “heard with his ears.”
After going through deep trials, questioning, and finally encountering the voice and presence of God directly, Job’s faith matured into something much deeper. He saw God—not physically, but spiritually. He received a revelation that transformed his understanding and relationship with the Lord. In verse 6, Job responds:
“Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
This shows us that true encounters with God produce humility, repentance, and a renewed relationship.
A Modern-Day Example:
This is still true for people today. Many attend church regularly, hear sermons, sing worship songs, and even try to live good lives. They’ve heard about Jesus, but they don’t truly know Him—yet.
It’s like knowing about someone from a book or movie versus meeting them in real life. You might admire the person, but there’s no personal connection. In the same way, people can grow up in church or around religion, yet not know Jesus for themselves.
The Apostolic Pentecostal faith emphasizes the new birth experience as described in Acts 2:38—repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. This is how we go from hearing about God to truly knowing Him. That’s when the shift happens: from information to revelation, from religion to relationship.
In closing:
Job’s story reflects the journey many of us take. We may start with secondhand faith—based on what we’ve been taught—but God desires more for us. He wants us to experience Him personally. Like Job, once we truly see God through revelation, everything changes.
Just attending church or knowing Bible facts isn’t enough. Hearing about God is good—but knowing Him through revelation is life-changing. And that starts with a born-again experience through repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name, and receiving the Holy Ghost.
Ask yourself today: Have you only heard about God—or have you seen Him for yourself?
