The Experiential Relationship of God

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What is the difference between knowing about God and actually knowing God — and why does that one word change absolutely everything?

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” — John 17:3

Most believers have read that verse dozens of times. But one subtle shift in language — replacing “know You” with “know about You” — describes the reality of how millions of Christians actually live their faith. They study God. They discuss God. But they rarely encounter Him.

Eternal life isn’t a destination you’re heading toward. It is an experiential reality you are invited to inhabit right now — through knowing God personally, not academically.

What Is Experiential Knowledge of God — and Why Is It Different from Theology?

Theology gives you a map. Experiential relationship gives you the territory itself. You can memorise every map of Paris without ever tasting a croissant. In the same way, you can know about God’s love without ever feeling its weight rest on your soul.

Experiential knowledge of God comes through encounter — through the Spirit bearing witness with your spirit, through answered prayer that surprises you, through the Father’s voice guiding you in your specific situation. Theology sets the stage. Relationship fills it with life.

How Does John 17:3 Redefine What “Eternal Life” Actually Means?

Jesus didn’t say eternal life is a reward for believing the right things. He said eternal life is knowing the Father and the Son. Eternal life is relational. It is the quality of knowing — the depth of intimacy — that constitutes life as God designed it.

This means eternal life is not future-tense. It’s present-tense. If you know God experientially — if you hear His voice, sense His leading, rest in His love — then you are living in eternal life right now, not waiting for it after death.

Why Does Bible Knowledge Alone Not Produce Transformation?

The Pharisees had the most comprehensive theological training of their day — and they crucified the Son of God. Head knowledge without heart encounter produces pride, judgment, and spiritual blindness. It creates people who know the rules of the relationship without actually being in one.

True transformation comes when the Word becomes a living, breathing encounter. “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14) — meaning truth must incarnate in your personal experience. When God’s Word intersects with your actual life and changes how you see, feel, and respond, that is when knowledge becomes life.

What Does It Look Like to Transition from Theology to Living Relationship?

It starts with honesty. Ask yourself: am I talking to a concept or to a Person? When you pray, are you reciting or are you conversing? When you read Scripture, are you gathering data or are you expecting God to speak to you specifically, right now?

The transition happens when you begin to expect the Father to show up in your day. Not as a doctrine to defend, but as a Companion to walk with. It means slowing down enough to hear, to notice, to respond to the Presence that is always already there.

How Do You Cultivate a Deeper Experiential Relationship with God?

Experiential relationship is cultivated through intentional, expectant presence — not religious duty. Here are practical ways to shift from information to encounter:

• Approach Scripture asking: “Father, what do You want to say to me today?” — not just “what does this text mean?”
• Create space for silence — God’s voice is often still and small, not loud and dramatic.
• Journal encounters: when you sense God’s leading or peace, write it down to build a record of His faithfulness.
• Practice gratitude as a form of noticing — acknowledging God’s involvement in the details of your day deepens relational awareness.

Go Deeper with Living From Eternity

This is the heart of what Living From Eternity unpacks.

In the book, Kurt walks you through:

• How to transition from a theology-first faith to a relationship-first encounter with God
• Why eternal life is a present reality experienced through knowing the Father, not a future event
• Practical steps to cultivate the kind of deep, experiential relationship Jesus described in John 17
• How to hear God’s voice more clearly and consistently in your everyday life

Are you ready to move from knowing about God to truly knowing Him?

Get your copy of Living From Eternity in paperback, Kindle, or audiobook here →

About Kurt daSilva

Kurt daSilva is a spiritual author and teacher with a lifelong passion for helping believers step into the fullness of their eternal identity in Christ. From a young age, Kurt encountered God in profoundly personal ways that set him on a journey of discovering what it truly means to live from eternity — not just for it.

Over the course of more than two decades, Kurt has received over 2000 prophetic dreams and visions, each shaping his understanding of God’s eternal purposes and the reality available to every believer right now. His teaching is rooted in Scripture but flows from lived encounter — not mere theology.

Across an eight-year publishing arc, Kurt has authored three books: Heaven On Earth, Living From Eternity, and Create Wealth God’s Way — each one an invitation to live from your true home in the eternal now.

Discover Kurt’s story and teaching →