“The content of the knowledge of God as bound to the Word of God is the existence of Him whom we must fear above all things because we may love Him above all things.”  (Karl Barth, The Doctrine of God II.I)

If we are to know God it will be found in obedience. Simple study, not matter how intellectual, just won’t cut it. It’s about knowing him and that knowledge is only going to really come through obedience. Out of that obedience will flow love. Barth also says that out of that love will flow fear.

“Because we may love God we must therefore fear Him and we will and shall therefore obey Him.”

When we will walk bravely in truly knowing him we guard ourselves against all “third parties.” Who can shake us when we truly know God? Also, Barth says, we are delivered from ourselves. When we walk in obedience we are shaken from neutrality. Why anyone would want to be neutral toward God and say they believe in him is beyond me, but it happens. We try to study God like he’s a science project! We need to be shaken from our neutrality. We need to enter into the passion of knowing God! We move from neutrality to understanding the power of God’s superiority.

Our walk with God cannot be neutral. I try to emphasize to students I teach and people I pastor that Christianity just isn’t for those who are passive! It’s not for the weak of heart. You have to fear this God. To know him you have to obey him. He will not be studied like a science project. He will be feared and obeyed. And when we will dare to walk that path we will find passionate love for him.