Theopathy refers to experiencing and knowing God. It comes from the Greek words theos meaning “God” and patheia meaning “experience.” In theopathy, God is known not merely intellectually, but experientially and relationally. It involves both knowing about God and knowing God personally.
The Bible teaches that we can relate to and know God in a deep, intimate way. Through Jesus Christ, God invites us into a loving relationship with Himself. As we draw near to God, we come to know His character and heart in a profound way. We not only learn truths about God, but we encounter His presence and love.
Experiencing God’s Love
The Bible says “God is love” (1 John 4:8). The most fundamental truth about God is that He is loving. His very nature and character is love. God desires to lavish His love on us. He wants us to receive His love and be transformed by it. As we open our hearts to God, we experience the depths of His affection, acceptance, comfort, and care.
God loves us with an everlasting love that has no limits (Jeremiah 31:3). He sings over us with joy (Zephaniah 3:17). We are precious and honored in His sight (Isaiah 43:4). God’s love is better than life itself (Psalm 63:3). When we meditate on God’s steadfast love, our hearts overflow with joy (Psalm 5:11). As we receive God’s perfect love, it casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
Knowing God’s Heart
Through relationship with God, we come to know His compassionate heart. We discover that God is gentle, patient, merciful, gracious, and slow to anger (Psalm 103:8). He has compassion on us as a father has for his children (Psalm 103:13). Even when we fail and sin against Him, God’s heart is to lovingly restore us when we repent (Psalm 86:5). He delights in showing mercy (Micah 7:18).
As we spend time with the Lord, we find that He is good, righteous, and faithful. God invites us to taste and see His goodness (Psalm 34:8). One of the primary ways we experience God’s goodness is through His abundant provision for our needs. As a loving Father, He cares for us and supplies what we lack (Matthew 6:32-33). God also assures us of His constant presence. He promises never to leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).
Encountering God’s Power
Knowing God involves experiencing His awesome power. The Bible describes God as El Shaddai, meaning “God Almighty” (Genesis 17:1). As the Almighty One, all things are possible for God (Luke 1:37). When we face situations that seem impossible, we can turn to God and experience His power working on our behalf. He specializes in doing the impossible.
God’s power is often displayed as He answers prayer. As we bring our requests to God in faith, we see Him moving in miraculous ways (Matthew 21:22). He delights in responding to the prayers of His people (Proverbs 15:8). One way we experience God’s power is through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Spirit empowers us to do what we could never do on our own strength (Zechariah 4:6). The book of Acts describes how the early believers experienced God’s power as they depended on the Spirit.
Experiencing God’s Presence
One of the most profound ways we can know God is by being aware of His manifest presence. Throughout Scripture, saints had powerful encounters with God’s tangible presence. His glory filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35) and temple (1 Kings 8:10-11). In the New Testament, we see many accounts of God’s manifest presence. After Jesus ascended to heaven, the disciples experienced the Holy Spirit being poured out on them in power (Acts 2:1-4).
As believers today, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us (Romans 8:9). Therefore, God’s presence is always with us. We can invite Him to make His presence manifest as we worship, pray, and spend time focusing on Him. As we become aware of God’s presence, our hearts are filled with awe, joy, and wonder. Experiencing intimacy with God is the highest purpose for which we were created.
Cultivating Deeper Knowledge of God
Since theopathy refers to knowing God experientially, it is cultivated through spiritual practices that draw us closer to Him. The primary ways we can deepen our knowledge of God include:
– Reading and meditating on Scripture – The Bible reveals God’s character and works. As we read and reflect on it, we encounter God (Hebrews 4:12).
– Prayer – Pouring out our hearts to God fosters an intimate relationship with Him. He delights when we seek Him in prayer (Jeremiah 29:12-13).
– Praise and Worship – As we worship God, we become enthralled with His beauty and love. Our focus shifts from ourselves to the Lord (Psalm 34:3).
– Solitude and Silence – Getting away from noise and busyness creates space to hear God’s voice and feel His presence. Jesus modeled this practice (Luke 5:16).
– Fasting – Humbling ourselves through fasting softens our hearts to experience more of God. It increases spiritual hunger for the Lord (Isaiah 58:6-9).
– Serving Others – Obeying Jesus’ commands to serve the poor and marginalized puts us in a place to encounter Him through ministering to others (Matthew 25:31-40).
– Fellowship – God designed us for community. As we gather with other believers, we experience the presence of God (Matthew 18:20).
– Remembering God’s Works – Recounting all the ways God has worked strengthens our knowledge of Him. The Psalms are filled with testimonies of God’s faithful actions (Psalm 77:11-12).
These practices keep us mindful of the Lord’s presence and open our hearts to receive more of Him. As we make seeking God our priority, intimacy with Him will increase. Our lives will overflow with the love, joy, and peace that come from knowing Him deeply. The ultimate desire of every heart can only be satisfied through experientially knowing the living God.
Benefits of Knowing God Deeply
Growing in theopathy and personally knowing God has profound effects on every area of life. Some of the blessings include:
– Revelation of God’s Will – As we draw close to God’s heart, He reveals His plans and purposes for our lives (Jeremiah 33:3). Hearing His voice leads us into our divine destiny.
– Victory Over Sin – Sin loses its grip as we behold the beauty and worth of knowing Christ. By staying connected to God, temptation loses its allure (Psalm 73:25-26).
– Purpose and Meaning – Life under the sun seems futile when we don’t know our Creator. Intimacy with God brings meaning as we align ourselves with His kingdom plans.
– Supernatural Peace – As we come to see God’s sovereignty and goodness, anxiety melts away. We rest in His faithful care and provision (Philippians 4:6-7).
– Spiritual Transformation – Beholding God’s glory transforms our inner being. We are changed into His likeness from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).
– Unshakable Confidence – Knowing God’s faithfulness through storms builds unshakeable confidence in Him. This anchors our soul when life feels out of control (Psalm 56:3-4).
– Discerning Truth from Lies – A genuine knowledge of God helps us discern truth from deception. We recognize counterfeits because we know the real intimately (1 John 2:27).
God designed humans to know Him. We will remain unfulfilled until we engage this spiritual hunger in our hearts. Augustine captured this thought in his famous prayer: “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in You.” As we prioritize knowing God, we find life’s greatest adventure. Our hearts come home to our truest identity.
Hindrances to Experiencing God
While God desires for all people to know Him intimately, there are certain obstacles that can hinder us from deep encounters with God. Some key hindrances include:
– Busyness and Distractions – Our schedules and devices constantly distract us. We have to intentionally slow down and create space to meet with God.
– Unconfessed Sin – Sin erects a barrier between us and God. As we confess and repent, intimacy is restored (Psalm 66:18).
– Passivity – We receive from God by faith. Passivity keeps us from actively pursuing Him and believing He will be found.
– Wrong Perspectives of God – Believing lies about God’s character will taint our view. We must let the truth of Scripture reshape our understanding.
– Lack of Spiritual Hunger – If we are content with little knowledge of God, we won’t desperately seek after Him. Stirring spiritual hunger is key.
– Self-Sufficiency – When we think we have enough of God, or don’t desperately need Him, we will fail to pursue Him wholeheartedly.
– Doubt – Doubting God’s willingness to reveal Himself to us will cause us to draw back. God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
– Distorted Images of God – Our perceptions may be clouded by imperfect parents, authorities, and religious experiences. We must let God reveal Himself directly.
As we identify and remove hindrances, we position ourselves to encounter God’s presence. Our part is to draw near to Him with hearts wide open. His part is to reveal Himself to all who earnestly seek Him (Jeremiah 29:13).
Examples of Theopathy in Scripture
Throughout Scripture we find stories of people who knew God intimately. Their lives illustrate what it means to engage in theopathy.
– Moses – Moses had powerful encounters with God’s presence, culminating in an intimate friendship. “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11).
– David – David had a passionate heart for knowing God. He penned many psalms expressing the depths of his intimate relationship with the Lord. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42:1-2).
– Mary and Martha – While Martha was busy with work, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet in relationship. Jesus said Mary chose the better part by pursuing His presence (Luke 10:38-42).
– The Disciples – Jesus’ original disciples left everything to follow Him and know Him. They experienced His life, miracles, teaching, death, and resurrection up close (Mark 3:14).
– Paul – After encountering Jesus on the Damascus road, Paul devoted His life to deepening his knowledge of Christ. “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection” (Philippians 3:10).
These examples inspire us to uncompromisingly pursue intimate relationship with God. As we make knowing Him our ultimate aim, we experience the unsurpassed riches of theopathy.
Theopathy Empowered by the Holy Spirit
In the Old Testament, the Spirit would temporarily come upon people to empower them for God’s work. However, after Christ’s ascension, the Holy Spirit took up permanent residence within believers (John 14:16-17). The indwelling Spirit connects us to God’s presence from within. He fills us with God’s fullness as we yield to Him (Ephesians 5:18).
The Holy Spirit makes the knowledge of God experiential. Jesus said when He went to the Father, He would send the Spirit to reveal Christ to us (John 16:14). The Spirit guides us into truth as we study Scripture (John 16:13). He empowers our prayers and worship. As we obey the Spirit’s promptings, we align our lives with God’s purposes. Walking in the Spirit keeps us connected to the source of life – knowing Christ.
Theophy Fuels Passion for God’s Mission
The ultimate motivation forChristian mission and ministry is passion for God Himself. As we experience the transforming love of Christ, we gain His heart for reaching the lost. Revelation of God’s nature compels us to share His truth and salvation with others. As Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again” (John 4:14). When we are satisfied in God, we overflow with rivers of living water to bless others (John 7:38).
Experiencing God’s presence awakens compassion for those still estranged from Him. We begin to see the world through His eyes and sense the grief He feels over the condition of humanity. As the Father sent His Son to seek the lost, Christ sends us out empowered by the Spirit (John 20:21). Theopathy fuels missions because it fills us with God’s own loving heart for the world. We are compelled to invite others into the glorious experience of knowing Him.
Conclusion
While theological knowledge is important, God intends for us to encounter Him personally and experientially. Theology should lead to doxology – profound worship based on knowing God’s character. In the midst of life’s joys and trials, we have the privilege of depending on One who is infinitely loving, faithful and powerful. As we continually devote ourselves to knowing and worshiping God, we are transformed in the depths of our being. Experiencing intimate relationship with God is both our great adventure here on earth and our glorious eternal destiny.