The Grace of God: Do You Know Him?

By Kenny Uko

The Grace of God: Do You Know Him? is a book born out of a sincere desire and passion to know him, Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher (Perfecter) of our faith and the Savior of mankind.

Knowing somebody opens endless possibilities of trust, confidence, reliance, and appreciation of whom and what the person stands for. Hence, the Holy Scriptures warns, My people perish for lack of knowledge. There are a number of people we know by name, but we do not actually and truly know them. Knowing someone intimately and experientially is the key to knowing, and it opens the door for lasting relationships or the lack thereof. The more we know the Savior of our soul, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, the more we desire to obey and relate to him. And we value and appreciate his love and promises to us in the pages of his holy Wordthe Holy Bible.

Knowledge produces confidence and trust. Knowing God, other than passively by name, gives the believer confidence and reliance on the Word of God. Trusting God and his promises is easier when we (believers) know him. Everyone who has come in contact with Jesus Christ is encouraged and challenged to get to know him personally, intimately, and experientially.

Get to know him today through the Holy Scriptures and the power of the Holy Spirit.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524586249

Kenny Uko

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Copyright © 2017 by Kenny Uko.

Library of Congress Control Number:        2017902836

ISBN:                Softcover                                 978-1-5245-8625-6

                          eBook                                    978-1-5245-8624-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®). Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Website

Rev. date: 03/20/2017

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Contents

Introduction

Chapter One The Grace of God

Chapter Two Grow In Grace and in the Knowledge of God

Chapter Three Foundation of a Lasting Relationship

Chapter Four Obstacles to Knowing God

Chapter Five Who Is God and What Is His Name?

Chapter Six Great Men Knew the Grace of God

Chapter Seven Benefits of Knowing God

Chapter Eight Do You Know Him?

Dedicated IN HONOR AND LOVING MEMORY of my late mother, Mama Mary Ogonnaya Uko, who went home to be with the Lord last year. May your soul rest in peace!

Introduction

There ruled in a certain country a very powerful king. This country was the richest, wealthiest, most popular, most envied, and most prosperous of all the countries on the face of the earth by all and any standard imaginable. Similarly, the king or ruler of that country was the wisest, richest, most powerful, most popular, most influential, and most famous. He owned everything there was under the dominion of his kingdom, including men and beasts. Whatever he says, goes—no debates, no second thoughts, no choices or options. Nothing but strict obedience to his commands and instructions. To give you a taste of his authority and influence, the king could have whatever he desired, he did whatever he pleased, and he went wherever he wanted to go. His name was King Everyman. By virtue of the nature of his kingdom, the king had remarkable wealth and an inheritance that would last his heirs for generations unknown. In our day today, we will refer to this king as having megawealth and inheritance.

King Everyman has a son, Prince Everyman—the heir of the throne and kingdom, a succeeding king, a right-hand man to the king who is and will be as influential and powerful as the king himself. The king provides the prince with whatever (you name it) he wants. He does not have to order it or them. He supplies the prince’s need from his megariches. He lacks nothing.

In addition, the king, in his infinite wisdom, thinks far ahead in the future. He made provision for the prince and heirs of the throne in case of his death or permanent absence from the country. He prepared a will and sealed it with his kingdom seal and handed it over to his son, Prince Everyman. The will stipulated that in the absence or death of the king, the son would ascend to the throne, inherit everything, rule the land, and become as powerful, influential, and famous as the father, the king. Everything in the country and kingdom would become his and would be subject to his authority. While King Everyman was on the throne, the prince had no problems, no challenges, and no need to initiate anything. He was very satisfied with his dependence on the will and authority of his father, the king.

It was not long, thereafter, that the king was no more. The son, Prince Everyman, does not have to see the father any more. The father had made his decisions for him up to that point. His father had made up his mind for him up until then. He had never been independent of his father since he was born. He was in trouble—serious trouble.

In a matter of days, if not hours, the prince was begging; but the kingdom flourished. The prince was begging while the country lived and enjoyed plenty. The prince became homeless, and the subjects lived in mansions. The prince went bankrupt, but the people had more than enough. And finally, he became very poor and wretched in the midst of plenty. While all these were going on, the prince still had in his hands the will that the king, his father, had made and given to him. However, he did not know what was contained in the will or what to do with it. He was miserable, dejected, depressed, and may have even contemplated suicide.

Why? Why? Why?

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6a).

And Apostle Paul stated thus in Galatians 4:1, Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all.