Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6, NASB)
Golf has some truths we know are true. For example, dogs chasing cars and pros putting for pars don’t last very long. If you never practice, you will not get better. Golf also has many unknowns. Why is golf so hard? Why are some blessed with DNA that produces such stellar hand-eye coordination? Why are some blessed to be so mentally tough and incredibly successful?
Former Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, created categories known as Rumsfeld’s Rules. He said there are three categories of knowledge: the “unknown unknowns” (things you don’t know that you don’t know), the “known unknowns” (things you know that you don’t know), and the “known knowns” (things you know that you know).
Now, can you imagine how these categories relate to our spiritual faith? Is it possible to use “faith” and “known” in the same sentence? I have a pastor friend who has often said, “If proof were possible, faith would be impossible.” I like that. An atheist would say, “There is no God. Prove there is a God.” I would say, “Prove there is not a God.” It can’t be done. The beautiful part of the faith journey is when we get to a point where we absolutely know God’s truth is true. Our faith becomes rock-solid belief. The earth may crumble around us and even in us, but we still know our faith in God is true. We know it so strongly that it permeates our core, no matter the circumstances. It is not emotion. We know we know it is true.
Let’s start with the “unknown unknowns.” If I don’t know that I don’t know, how can I even ask the questions? Some “unknown unknowns” now may be revealed at a later date, and then we will know.
“The issue of faith is not so much whether we believe in God, but whether we believe the God we believe in.” What about the “known unknowns?” Why do bad things happen to good people, and did God cause this to happen? Why does God love us so much that He sent His Son to die for us? What will Heaven be like? Maybe the best answer is, “I can only imagine.”
To the crux of the matter—the “known knowns.” This is what you know that you know even when you can’t hold it in your hand or empirically prove it. Seeing is not believing; believing is seeing.
R.C. Sproul said, “The issue of faith is not so much whether we believe in God, but whether we believe the God we believe in.” Faith is a gift we can know that we know when we open the gift.
I know that I know Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father but through Jesus (John 14:6). I know that God so loved the world that He gave His own Son and that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). And I know that we are saved by grace through faith, and even that is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9).
I know this because I have lived with our God for 77 years, and in 35 of those years, I have lived with the Holy Spirit. I know through experience. I know in my heart and my gut that what Jesus said is true. Don’t bet your life on anything else. He reveals known truths to us when we are ready to receive His promise. Don’t you know that all that Jesus said is true? We can know we know. Wow, what a promise!
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Randy Wolf
January 5, 2022
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