God is omniscient
—
He knows all things.
Omniscience means that God’s knowledge is
perfect, complete, and without limit.
He knows everything actual and everything possible,
all events past, present, and future,
and the deepest thoughts and intentions of every heart.
This attribute of God is a source of both
reverent awe and deep comfort for those who trust Him.
The doctrine of God’s omniscience teaches that there is nothing outside the range of His knowledge. He does not learn, discover, or forget. His understanding is infinite and instantaneous. Scripture presents this truth not as abstract philosophy but as a living reality that shapes how God relates to His creation and to His people. Because God knows all things, His purposes cannot be thwarted by surprise, His judgments are always just, and His care for His people is always informed by perfect wisdom. Omniscience belongs to the very nature of the one true God and is inseparable from His other attributes.
- God’s knowledge is total — He knows all things that have been, are, or will be, and all things that could be.
- God’s knowledge is perfect — it is never incomplete, inaccurate, or in need of growth.
- God’s knowledge is personal — He knows each individual intimately, including thoughts, motives, and needs.
- God’s knowledge of the future is certain; He declares the end from the beginning.
- Omniscience is not merely observational; it is bound up with God’s sovereign purpose and wise governance of all things.
- For the believer, God’s complete knowledge brings comfort: He knows our frame, our struggles, and our needs better than we do.
- For the unbeliever, God’s omniscience is a sober reality: nothing is hidden from His sight, and every person will give account to Him.
- Knowledge of All Actual Things – Everything that exists or occurs is fully known to God.
- Knowledge of All Possible Things – God knows what would happen under any possible circumstance.
- Knowledge of the Future – God perfectly knows all future events; they are present to His eternal mind.
- Knowledge of the Heart – God searches and knows the thoughts, intentions, and motives of every person.
- Immediate and Eternal Knowledge – God does not acquire knowledge over time; He has always known all things.
- Practical Implications – God’s omniscience undergirds His justice, His providence, His answers to prayer, and His pastoral care for His people.
- Psalm 139:1-4 – “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! … Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.”
- Psalm 147:5 – “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.”
- Isaiah 46:9-10 – “I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done.”
- Hebrews 4:13 – “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
- 1 John 3:20 – “Whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”
- Job 37:16 – “Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge?”
- Romans 11:33 – “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”
- Matthew 10:29-30 – Not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father, and the hairs of our head are all numbered.
- John 21:17 – Peter says to Jesus, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
- Proverbs 15:3 – “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”
- 1 Kings 8:39 – God alone knows the hearts of all the children of mankind.
God’s omniscience means that nothing is hidden from Him and nothing takes Him by surprise. He knows the end from the beginning, the secrets of every heart, and the needs of every one of His children. This truth should produce deep humility and careful living, for we will give account to the God who knows all. At the same time, it brings profound comfort to those who belong to Christ: the One who knows us completely is the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. We can trust His wisdom, rest in His care, and pour out our hearts to Him without fear, because He already knows and understands perfectly.
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