∆ Six levels of intimacy with God and why few ever reach the last one.
Let me ask you something uncomfortable.
Do you know God or do you just know about him? I'm not asking if you go to church. I'm not asking if you pray before meals or repost Christian quotes.
I'm asking when was the last time you were undone in his presence. When was the last time His word pierced you and you felt your soul tremble?
Because here's the hard truth. Most people will die with a version of God in their minds that they never actually knew. They'll know the Sunday school answers. They'll say, "God is love." They'll say, "Jesus died for me." They'll say, "I believe in God."
But on judgment day, Jesus won't ask what you believed. He'll ask, "Did I know you?" Matthew 7:23.
And there's a massive difference.
Knowing God isn't a checkbox. It's not a status. It's not a social media bio.
Knowing God is a lifelong journey of intimacy, surrender, and transformation. And the deeper you go, the more you realize how shallow you used to be.
Yes, God wants to be known, but He doesn't reveal Himself to the casual and comfortable. He reveals Himself to the hungry, to the desperate, to the diligent truth seekers, to the ones who cry out like Moses, "Show me your glory."
So, let me warn you now.
This message is not safe. It is not cute. It is not for the lukewarm or the lazy.
This message is going to expose you. It's going to wake you up. It's going to peel back the layers of fake Christianity and ask one thing, where are you really with God?
Because knowing about him might make you religious, but knowing him will ruin you in the best way possible. It will change how you talk, how you live, how you love, how you see this world.
So don't settle, don't coast. Don't die with surface level faith when you were created for divine depth.
There are levels in your walk with God. And right now, you're somewhere on that path.
Let's walk through the six levels of knowing God and find out just how deep you're willing to go.
Number 1: Knowing about God - The crowd stage
Number one, knowing about God, the crowd stage. This is where most people are.
They know about God, but they don't actually know Him. They've heard sermons. They can recite Bible verses. They might even lead worship or preach the word. But if you stripped all the religion away, if there was no Sunday service, no choir, no live stream, no lights, would they still have a relationship or just a routine?
Jesus had crowds that followed him everywhere, thousands, multitudes. They listened to his teaching. They watched him perform miracles. They were amazed by his authority. But most of them never followed him past the mountaintop.
They loved his words but not his ways. They loved his power but not his presençe, They loved what he did not his presence. They loved what he did but not who he was. They knew about Jesus but they did not know Jesus.
Psalm 103:7 says, "He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the children of Israel." Did you catch that?
The people saw what God did. But Moses knew why God did it. That's the difference.
You can admire a celebrity, memorize their interviews, know their birthday, buy their merch (short for merchandise), and still not know them.
And tragically, that's how many treat God. They like his blessings. They did appreciate his values. They quote his word, but they've never been alone in a room with him. Heart open, tears falling, surrender real.
They know the doctrine but not the voice. They know the theology but not the presence. They've been informed but never transformed.
And here's the danger. You can spend your whole life talking about God and still die without him. This is the level of the crowd.
It's safe. It's comfortable. It requires no sacrifice.
Just proximity. But God doesn't reward proximity. He rewards pursuit.
You were not made to be a fan in the crowd. You were made to be a friend in the fire. You were made for face to face. So if all you have is knowledge, go deeper. If all you have is facts, go further because knowing about him won't save you. Only knowing Him will.
Number 2: Believing in God - The conviction stage
Number two, believing in God.
The conviction stage. Now, let's go one step deeper. You don't just know about God anymore. You believe in him. You believe he exists. You believe he created the world. You believe he is powerful, holy, and real. But let me be honest.
Belief alone does not mean you know him. James 2:19 says this. You believe that there is one God. Good. Even the demons believe that and shudder. Let that sink in.
Demons believe in God. They know He is real. They fear his power. They tremble at his presence. But they're not saved. They're not surrendered. They're not in relationship. So hear me clearly.
Belief is not the finish line. It's just the starting point. At this level, conviction begins to stir. You feel the weight of sin. You start to sense there is more to life than pleasure, success, or survival.
Something inside you whispers, "You were made for more." But here's the danger of this level. You can believe in God and still live like He does not exist. You believe, but you still sleep around with other partners, you believe, but you still lie without remorse. But you still ignore His voice, but you still cling to your idols. Why?
Because belief without surrender is dead. You can believe water will quench your thirst, but if you never drink it, you'll still die of dehydration.
You can believe Jesus is Lord, but if he is not your Lord over you, your belief is useless.
This is where many Christians are stuck. They say, "I believe in God, but there's no fruit, no obedience, no transformation, no depth."
They treat belief like fire insurance, as if believing in God automatically means you'lI live with God. But the Bible does not say believe and stay the same. It says repent and follow Me.
Belief is necessary. But if it never turns into obedience, if it never births intimacy with Him, if it never makes you bow, then it's not faith, it's fantasy.
Jesus does not want fans who believe. He wants followers who obey the word of God.
So let me ask you, has your belief changed your behavior?
Has your faith interrupted your flesh?
Because if your belief doesn't lead to transformation, you haven't gone far enough.
Number 3: Experiencing God - The encounter stage
Number three, experiencing God. The encounter stage.
This is where things get real. You've heard about Him. You've believed in Him. But now you've encountered Him.
You've had moments you can't explain. Moments where His presence hit you like a flood. Moments where tears poured out of your soul before your mind could catch up. Moments where you knew He was in the room.
You can't fake that. You can't manufacture the way your spirit trembles when the Holy Spirit moves. You can't imitate the weight that fills the air when God draws near. This is the encounter stage.
And once you taste it, you'll never be satisfied with religion again.
Jacob had this moment in Genesis 28. He had a dream from God. Woke up trembling and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I didn't even know it." That's what an encounter does.
It opens your eyes. It awakens your soul.
It shows you that God isn't just real. He's here. But listen closely.
Encounters are not the destination. They're the invitation.
Too many people stop at the goosebumps. They chase emotional highs instead of holy depth. They want another experience, but not a surrendered lifestyle.
Hear me. God does not just want to give you moments.
He wants to give you movement. Yes, encounters are powerful.
Yes, they change you. Yes, they mark you. But they are not the whole relationship.
Peter, James, and John had an encounter on the Mount of Transfiguration.
They saw Jesus glowing with heavenly glory. But Jesus didn't let them stay up there. He took them down the mountain back into the mission. Why?
Because the point of encountering God is becoming someone who carries Him. You were not meant to chase moments. You were meant to become a dwelling place.
So if you've experienced God, do not stop there. Let it drive you to obedience. Let it birth hunger in you. Let it wreck your routine and make you desperate for more. Don't just settle for visitations.
You were made for habitation.
The phrase "your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit" means that your body is a sacred space where the Holy Spirit resides, emphasizing the importance of treating your body with respect and avoiding actions that could harm it. This concept encourages individuals to live in a way that honors God, as you do not belong to yourself but to Him.
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. ~ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Number 4: Walking with God - The friendship stage
Number four, walking with God. The friendship stage.
You've gone beyond knowing, beyond believing, beyond encountering. Now you're walking with him.
This is where it starts to cost you. Because walking with God doesn't mean inviting Him into your journey. It means you leave your path and step onto His lordship and leadership.
Enoch walked with God. Noah walked with God. Abraham was called a friend of God. Not because they were perfect, but because they walked in step with His presence.
Walking with God means consistency, not convenience. It is no longer just when you feel like it.
It's daily. It's intimate. It's obedient. It means you don't just talk to Him in emergencies.
You talk to Him while doing dishes, walking to work, folding laundry because He is not an appointment on your calendar. He is your companion.
And here's the shift. You stop asking,"God bless what l'm doing." And you start asking God, "What are you doing so I can walk with you?" This is the level where his voice becomes familiar.
Not mysterious, not rare, not vague, but personal. You begin to recognize the difference between your own thoughts and His whisper.
But let's be clear, walking with God will separate you. You'll have to leave some people behind. You'll have to drop your old habits, let go of your plans, and follow Him into the unknown.
God told Abraham, "Leave your country, your people, your father's household, and go to the land I will show you. Not the land you chose, not the land you dreamed of, the land I will show you."
Walking with God requires trust before direction. It's obedience. Even when the destination is blurry, most people want to run with God's blessings. Few are willing to walk with God's heart. Walking is slow. It's steady. It's intimate. It's not flashy. It won't go viral. It won't always feel spiritual, but it will build something deep. This is when your relationship shifts from religion to real, from moments to movement, from performance to partnership. When you walk with Him, He teaches you how to think, how to love, how to respond, how to forgive, how to become like Him step by step.
So let me ask you, are you walking with God or just asking Him to walk with you?
Because friends don't just meet up once a week. They share life together. And that's what God wants with you. Not a schedule, not a performance, but a friendship.
Number 5: Loving God - The intimacy stage
Number five, loving God. The intimacy stage.
This is the level where it gets raw. You no longer follow God just because you fear hell or because you want blessings or because you were raised that way.
You love Him not just what He does, not just what He gives him. You want his heart.
You long for his presence. You are not chasing comfort. You are chasing closeness.
And now obedience is not a burden. It is a joy. You do not ask, "How much can I get away with and still be saved?" You ask, "What else can I surrender to God so I can be closer to Him?"
This is where intimacy with God becomes your oxygen. You can't go a day without talking to Him. Not out of guilt, but because your soul feels empty without Him.
David was a man after God's heart. Not because he was flawless, but because he was obsessed with His presence. One thing l ask, this only do l seek, David said, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
In Psalm 27:4, David did not ask for power. He did not ask for victory. He asked for God's presence.
Because when you love God, you stop treating God like a vending machine or automated teller machine.
You stop praying only when you're desperate.
You stop worshiping only when you need a breakthrough.
You stop using God and start pursuing him.
But understand this, start pursuing him. But understand this, love requires vulnerability. At this level, you can't fake it anymore. God sees through the mask. He speaks to the real you. He pulls up wounds you've buried. He calls out your idols. He digs into your pain. And you let Him because you trust him. This is when you realize God does not want a perfect performance. He wants a naked heart.
Loving God means letting Him into every room of your soul. Not just the clean ones. It means saying, "God, here's my shame. Here's my saying, "God, here's my shame. Here's my anger. Here's my weakness. Here's the part I don't even understand about myself."
And you hear Him say back, "I still love you. I'm not leaving. Let me heal that, too. At this level, worship isn't music. It's surrender. It's obedience. It's silence. It's tears.
You find joy in holiness. You crave purity.
You hunger for righteousness because you're not just trying to look like a 'Christian' anymore. You're in love with Jesus Christ.
And He is changing you from the inside out. So, do not stop at belief.
Don't settle for encounters.
Don't even stop at friendship.
Fall in love with the one who first loved you. Because when you truly love him, nothing else will ever compare.
Sing song like, " I keep falling in love with Him, over and over. Over and over again. I Keep Falling In Love With Him
Over And Over And Over And Over Again
He Grows Sweeter And Sweeter
As The Days Go By
Oh What A Love We Have My Lord And I
I Keep Falling In Love With Him
Over And Over And Over And Over Again
He Keeps Proving His Love To Me
It Gets Richer And Richer As The Days Go By ...
(Listen here)
Number 6: Being one with God - The union stage
Number six, being one with God.
The union stage. This is the deepest level of all.
This is where the goal is no longer visiting God's presence, but becoming His dwelling place.
You don't just want to walk with God. You want God to live through you.
You are not asking God to join your life anymore. You've surrendered your life so he can live his. This is union with God.
Jesus Christ prayed for this in John 17:21. "Father, I pray that they may all be one, just as you are in me and I am in you, not just with God, one with him.
This is the stage where you've fully died to yourself. Your ego is gone. Your dreams have been laid down. Your life is no longer yours.
Galatians 2:20 becomes your reality. My reality. Our reality.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me.
This is where God does not just influence your decisions. Не becomes your decision. You don't have to pray about whether or not to obey. You are obedience.
You don't wrestle with surrender. You've become surrender. His thoughts fill your mind. His compassion flows through your heart. His priorities become yours. His burden becomes your fire. You don't just carry a cross. You've been nailed to it.
And listen , few ever reach this level. Not because God is hiding, but because most people stop too soon. They stop at knowledge. They stop at belief. They stop at the encounter. They stop at friendship. They stop at love. But union, it requires everything. Not some, not half, not most, but everything.
This is when God can whisper, "Go," and you move without hesitation. He can say, "Let it go." And you drop it without question.
He can lead you into fire. And you go, not because you're fearless, but because you're not walking in your own life anymore. You are his holy, permanently, irreversibly.
This is the level where people see you, but they feel Him. They hear your voice, but they're pierced by His truth.
You stop being a vessel. You become an extension of heaven. You don't just talk about God. You reveal Him.
So, if you're hungry for more, don't aim for blessings. Do not even aim for power. Aim for oneness. Let your will die. Let your name decrease. Let your heart be in syncwith his because there is no higher calling than this, to become one with the God who made you.
"You see me , you see the Father", as Jesus Christ did, is your reality, here and now.
Now the Conclusion: So... what level are you really on?
Conclusion. So what level of intimacy with God are you really on?
Let's be honest. You've heard the six levels, review if you must, and right now God is showing you exactly where you are.
Maybe you're still in the crowd.
Maybe you've only believed from a distance.
Maybe you've had a moment with God, but it never turned into movement.
Maybe you're walking, but you're still holding back.
Maybe you love Him, but you have not given Him everything.
Or maybe you are starting to hunger for that final level union.
But wherever you are, the real question is this. Are you satisfied with where you've stopped?
Because the greatest tragedy is not failing. It is settling. Settling for shallow when God offers you deep. Settling for emotional moments instead of eternal transformation. Settling for proximity when God offers oneness.
He's not looking for weekend visits. He's not interested in half-hearted worship. He's not after your polished church version.
He wants you, the real you, the broken you, the doubting, distracted, sinful, insecure, tired you. because that is the one He died for.
He does not just want your praise. He wants your person. He does not just want your gift. He wants your guts. He wants to know you deeply, intimately, eternally.
But the invitation requires response. You can't drift into deeper intimacy. You choose it. You chase it. You fight for it. You sacrifice for it.
So, I'll ask again.
What level are you really on?
Not where do people think you are. Not what role you play at church. Not how long you've believed. Where are you with Him?
One day when breath turns to air, we know why?
Because when the final breath comes, nothing else will matter. Not your title, not your platform, not your spiritual resume. Only this. Did you know him?
Does He know you? Ask Him, humbly and sincerely, "Lord, do you know me?"
Did you walk with him? Did you love him? Did you become one with him?
And more than that, did He know you?
Because the goal of life is not success. It's not fame. It's not even ministry. The real goal is God.
So don't wait. Don't hesitate. Don't waste another second living on the surface.
Fall on your knees. Cry out for more. And tell Him with everything inside you,"God, I don't just want to know about You. I want to know You. Whatever it costs, wherever it leads, whatever it breaks in me, I'm ready.
Amen.
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