Under the New Covenant, as prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34, God declares that He will establish a profound relationship with His people. He promises to put His law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts, ensuring that they will be His people and He will be their God. No longer will they need to teach one another to know the Lord, for they shall all know Him, from the least to the greatest, as He forgives their iniquity and remembers their sins no more. This intimate knowledge of God is a cornerstone of the New Covenant, opening access to Him in a way that was not possible under the Old Covenant, where God seemed distant and unapproachable. Jesus Himself emphasizes this in John 17:3, stating that eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent. The possibility of moving beyond merely knowing about God to knowing Him intimately is now available, preparing us for a deep, personal connection with Him. From God's perspective, knowing us is equally vital. In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus warns that not everyone who calls Him Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of His Father. Many will claim to have done great works in His name, yet He will profess, "I never knew you," to those who work iniquity, revealing that obedience is essential for God to know us as we must know Him. God desires more than superficial knowledge; He wants us to be on speaking terms with Him, to have a familiar acquaintance, and to be in loving communion with Him. As David writes in Psalm 34:8, we are invited to "taste and see that the Lord is good," experiencing life in communion with Him. This process of sharing life through study, prayer, meditation, and obedience strengthens and intensifies our community with Him, transforming mere knowledge into heartfelt relationship.

Many claim to know God, but the vital question remains: does God know you? In the parables of Jesus, He often speaks of those who call out, "Lord, Lord," yet face disappointment, hearing Him say, "I do not know you" or "I never knew you." Though God knows everything, including their names and deeds, His statement reflects a lack of intimate relationship with them. The word "know" in this context, such as the Greek term "ginosko," signifies deep intimacy, akin to the bond between husband and wife, or the bridegroom and bride, as seen in the imagery of Christ and His followers. This intimacy implies a familiarity with a person's character, preferences, hopes, and dreams. When Jesus declares, "I never knew you," to those who thought they knew God, He indicates that no such close bond existed with them, as they were workers of lawlessness and unrighteousness. God reveals His nature as one of lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, delighting in these traits. He is loving, merciful, compassionate, kind, and longsuffering, yet also just, fair, and unwavering in His standards. These characteristics define who He is, and they are what He desires us to understand about Him. To truly know God, and for Him to know us, we must reflect these traits, practicing righteousness, exercising lovingkindness, and maintaining proper judgment. Those whom God knows are those who strive to be obedient to Him, growing in His love and not practicing sin. Though we may falter, God lifts us up, corrects us, and sets us back on the path of righteousness. By living in this way, we can be assured that we know God, and He knows us, as we make every effort to enter through the narrow gate.

God, in His sovereignty, knows us intimately and has foreknown us before we were called. He predestines some to eternal life, appointing them to believe, as seen in Acts 13:48 where only those ordained to eternal life believed. This divine appointment is not based on any inherent quality or merit within us, but solely on His will and choice. He summons and separates us from others, revealing Himself and His way through His Spirit, a process that underscores His initiative in our relationship with Him. His foreknowledge and predestination are evident in Romans 8:29-30, where those He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, called, justified, and glorified. This process is entirely His action, not ours, as He adapts our minds to eternal life and enables us to believe through the gift of faith. As shown in I Corinthians 1:26-29, He chooses the foolish, weak, and base things of the world, not the wise or mighty, to ensure that no flesh glories in His presence. God's knowing of us is a deep, intimate connection, reflected in scriptures like I Corinthians 8:3 and Galatians 4:9, where those who love Him are known by Him. Conversely, in Matthew 7:21-23, He declares to some, "I never knew you," indicating a lack of intimate relationship. This knowing is not a result of our seeking Him, for none seek Him on their own, but because He first reveals Himself to us, choosing us out of the same lump of humanity to be vessels of mercy, as described in Romans 9:21-24. His will is that none should perish, as stated in II Peter 3:9, yet He does not predestine every act of our lives, allowing for free moral agency. We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling, as in Philippians 2:12-13, where He works in us to will and to do His good pleasure, providing both the desire and the power to accomplish His will. This relationship, initiated by His love and choice, calls us to respond in humility, gratitude, and obedience to the sovereign Creator who has made us the special object of His love at this time.