Implicit in the idea "to understand something" means that we have to stand under whatever it is we are seeking to understand, so that we can see what’s up.
A car mechanic is able to get a better understanding of a vehicle by hoisting it up so that he can stand under it to see what to do. Woe for the mechanic if the hoist comes down unexpectedly, and he has his head near the gear box.
How do we understand anything? Those with no experience cannot truly understand what it means to copulate with another member of the other sex. Prepubescent children are bereft of any understanding of what happens during consensual adult copulation, no matter how detailed the explanation or graphic the pictures. The prepubescent cannot see any significance or grasp the idea of what it means to copulate. Likewise, people who do not know Lord Jesus Christ have no idea of what it means to be saved from sin and death—they speak like foolish children boasting about things of which they have no understanding—in which case, not having the experience of being cleansed from sin is a curse after all.
How can we understand God? Without any definition there is nothing for which to hope. But when it comes to understanding infinity, we are like an elephant that wishes it could fly like a humming bird. Our only hope is that we can understand some attributes of the Infinite One so that we can relate to Him.
The Bible states that we exist within God. The whole Universe exists within God. Everything that has been created exists within God.
Moreover, the Bible informs readers that God understands humans and desires to have a relationship with them. The problem is there is a disconnect. This disconnect has to be addressed, if we are to relate to the Omniscient Creator.
- And [God] made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, for “In him we live and move and have our being”. (Acts 17:26-28)
- [God] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4)
- He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins. (1 John 4:8-11)
When we understand that God is love, and understand what love entails, then we might be able to understand our Heavenly Father. Unfortunately, too many people look at the evil in the world, excuse their own evil actions, and then point their finger at God, not realizing that there is a god of this world who actually influences them to reject the love the Heavenly Father extends to us all.
Freewill means that people have choices and the capacity to validate those choices. Our Heavenly Father gave us our ability to exercise our volition to reason right from wrong, good from evil and discern the truth from falsehood. Failure to assume our God-given responsibilities also means that we will be held accountable for doing so. The best way to understand someone is to seek the person out and enter into a relationship with that person.
How can we get to understand God? By entering into a relationship with Him.
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