Introduction
Everyone worships something. If not the living God, then self, success, comfort, or some other substitute that quietly takes His place. The real question is not whether we worship, but whom we worship. Is it possible that, like the Athenians of old, we are directing devotion toward a God we do not truly know?
The phrase Agnostos Theos—“the unknown God”—comes from ancient Greek culture and is preserved in Scripture through Paul’s address in Acts of the Apostles.
“For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.” Acts 17:23” Acts 17:23 ESV
Standing in Athens, surrounded by idols and altars, the apostle Paul the Apostle confronted a culture saturated with religion yet devoid of true knowledge of God. In their attempt to cover every possibility, they even erected an altar to a God they could not identify. With clarity and authority given by the Holy Spirit, Paul declared that the one they worshiped in ignorance was the very God he knew and proclaimed—the one true and living God.
But what about us today?
Many who call themselves Christians possess some knowledge of God—yet even the most mature believer must admit that His fullness remains beyond complete human comprehension. Others are content with a superficial awareness, knowing of God without truly knowing Him. Still others reject the idea of “religion” altogether, trusting instead in their own sense of goodness, assuming that if God exists, that will be enough.
This raises a sobering possibility: that people may live with confidence in their beliefs, yet remain distant from the reality of who God truly is.
Therefore, we must ask honestly: Do we know God as He has revealed Himself, or have we settled for a version shaped by assumption, culture, or convenience? Like Paul, we will not only examine these questions, but also respond to them—bringing clarity where there is confusion, truth where there is uncertainty, and a faithful proclamation of the God who is no longer unknown, but has made Himself known.
Is There a God?
I will not attempt a full defense of this question here, as I have addressed it at length elsewhere. Yet I will say this plainly: Scripture teaches that the evidence of God’s existence is not hidden from mankind, but clearly revealed. As it is written, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” This is not a condemnation of intellect, but a sober warning about the condition of the heart.
Many place their confidence in human reasoning and the conclusions of influential thinkers such as Stephen Hawking, who speculated about a self-originating universe, or Richard Dawkins, who argued against the necessity of God through evolutionary theory. Yet no matter how sophisticated these arguments appear, they cannot overturn the testimony of creation itself, nor the witness of conscience placed within us by God.
The issue, ultimately, is not one of intellectual capacity but of spiritual posture. As Oswald Chambers wisely observed, “The touchstone of truth is not a big intellect but a pure heart.” A heart that is humble and open before God will perceive what pride and self-sufficiency obscure.
“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse”. Romans 1:19, 20 ESV
The question is not merely whether God exists, but whether we are willing to acknowledge Him, submit to Him, and seek Him with sincerity. For those who do, He is not distant or abstract, but near, knowable, and faithful to reveal Himself.
Who Is God—Really?
Those who read the Bible are called to more than reading; we are called to diligent study, reverence, and humility. Many of us speak as though we know God—but do we truly know Him as He is?
Consider the prophet Isaiah. By every human measure, he stands among the most faithful. Chosen by God, entrusted with divine messages, and steadfast through a lifetime of obedience, Isaiah would seem to embody righteousness. You would think he, of all people would know God. Yet when he beheld the Lord in His glory—“high and lifted up”—his response was not confidence, but collapse:
“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Isaiah 6:5) ESV
In the presence of God’s holiness, even the prophet recognized his uncleanness.
Now consider Job. Scripture itself declares him “blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” (Job 1:1). If any man could be thought to understand God, surely it would be Job. Yet after encountering the Lord, his conclusion was strikingly similar:
“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:5-6 ESV
Job had known of God. But when he truly encountered Him, that knowledge was exposed as incomplete, even shallow. Awareness gave way to awe; understanding gave way to repentance.
This is the sobering truth: we, like Job, have heard of God. We study His Word, seek to walk in obedience, and rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Yet even our best efforts—our faith, our discipline, our righteousness—fall infinitely short of the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ.
What, then, can we claim? What do we truly know?
We approach God daily in prayer, confessing what sins we recognize. But how much remains unseen? How much of His nature remains beyond our grasp? Our knowledge, though real, is partial—so small compared to His fullness that it humbles us to the dust.
In this sense, God remains, to us, an “unknown God”—not because He has failed to reveal Himself, but because we have only begun to comprehend Him. His holiness is deeper than our repentance, His majesty greater than our understanding, His purity more radiant than anything we have yet perceived.
And so a question remains for each of us:
When we stand before Him—when our eyes truly behold His glory—what will become of us? As the song, I Can Only Imagine, by MercyMe says says, “Will we be able to stand at all”?
Scripture suggests the answer. Like Isaiah, we will cry out in our unworthiness. Like Job, we will repent in dust and ashes. The illusion of knowing Him fully will vanish, replaced by a holy fear and a deeper, truer understanding.
Yet this realization is not meant to drive us to despair, but to humility. For the same God who is infinitely holy is also merciful, and He has made Himself known through Christ—not that we would master Him, but that we would seek Him, worship Him, and be transformed by Him.
“…no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Matthew 11: 27 ESV
To know God, then, is not to claim completeness of understanding, but to walk in reverent awe, continually learning, continually humbled, and continually drawn closer to Him who is beyond all knowing.
Thinking Spiritually
I have returned to this theme often, because it demands daily discipline: I must train my mind to think spiritually. Spiritually thinking I ask myself, Why is it that we are so naturally drawn to the very things that grieve God? Scripture calls this reality “…the mystery of lawlessness” (1 Thessalonians 2:7). There is within us a bent toward what opposes Him, and it does not yield easily.
To think spiritually is not instinctive—it is learned. From birth, we are shaped and conditioned by the world’s patterns, its values, and its reasoning. Some are mercifully introduced to God and to Jesus Christ early in life, and this foundation may steady their thinking. Yet for all of us, the things of the Spirit remain foreign apart from divine help. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, we would neither understand nor desire what is truly of God.
But, Jesus promises:
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26, ESV)
We are not left to navigate truth on our own. The Spirit teaches, reminds, and illuminates. Yet this does not remove our responsibility—it sharpens it. We must listen with intention, study diligently to be approved, and walk in obedience to what is revealed.
But a question remains: how do we discern whether what we are hearing is truly from God?
Jesus answers this as well:
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth… He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:13–14, ESV)
The measure is clear and uncompromising: the Spirit of truth always glorifies Christ. Therefore, if our thoughts, conclusions, or convictions do not exalt Jesus Christ—if they center on self, justify sin, or align with worldly wisdom—they do not originate from the Spirit of truth.
To think spiritually, then, is to think in a way that consistently honors Christ. Anything less, no matter how persuasive it may seem, is not the voice of God.
I have often reminded myself: when the voice of the world grows loud, examine it carefully—and be prepared to stand in contrast to it. Not as a rigid rule, but as a sober caution. For the ways of the world and the ways of God are often set against one another, and what is widely accepted among men is not always aligned with truth. Therefore, let the heart be discerning, testing all things, and holding fast to what is good.
Conclusion
Truly, as believers, we follow a God we cannot fully comprehend. His essence, His ways, and His being surpasses our understanding. This does not place us alongside the unbelievers who presume to know Him or those indifferent to His existence. Rather, it reminds us of the profound mystery of God: we can never know Him exhaustively.
Yet, in His mercy, the Holy Spirit reveals to us what we need to know. This divine knowledge secures the salvation of our souls, while our lifelong pursuit of Him cultivates the desires of our hearts—shaping us for obedience, worship, and praise.
We worship a God who is, in many ways, unknown—His nature is beyond measure. And yet, by His grace, through faith, we know Him as He chooses to reveal Himself, and one day, we will know Him fully.
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV
Pray Therefore , Lord of Heaven, whom we have willingly chosen to worship, reveal to us the true nature and ways of our Father. Through Your Holy Spirit—whom You have sent to dwell within us—open our hearts, enlighten our understanding, and lead us into deeper knowledge of You, that we may walk in truth, and live according to Your will, securing our relationship.
Enough Said
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16 ESV
