This is a saying I hear a lot, but here is how I see it.
God promises all the chance to acknowledge that there is a god and He is that God (Romans 1). This is the first level of meeting. It does not offer full enlightenment, nor salvation. There are many out there that say there is a God, yet they show no other interest in their Creator. Others down right reject Him, even though they did encounter this first level, even if they do not wish to admit the truth.
Then the next level comes into play for those that wish to go to it. They see He is the one and only God and so seek to know more. They read the Bible, and some insight begins. They decide to attend a church and seek to know more. However here confusion sets in. Why? Because many within the churches follow conflicting interpretations of the Bible and so doubt and bewilderment sets in for the majority of these.
It is at this point that many seek salvation and do receive it. Yet their awareness of God and His desires are limited and lacking. Many at this point fall back into the world even though they see themselves as saved (2 Peter 2).
What many don’t understand is that when you seek salvation you are making a commitment to God and His Son, Jesus Christ the Messiah. It is here that we are required to study the Bible, not just read it, but learn it. To come to know the Word of God and in so doing come to know God Himself.
Studying means to seek the true meaning of the teachings of Jesus and His apostles. Also the interaction between the Old and the New Testaments. To know the meaning of words in the Bible as they were originally written in the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. As well as in the context it was stated in originally. This is something that takes years to accomplish, and at each stage, in the growth, God gives us more insight into Him and the truth.
The more we know the Word of God, the more we truly understand God and His plan. We realize just how small we are in His great plan, which is humbling and rewarding at the same time.