Do you know God?
1 John 2:3-5
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God [a]is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
John 14: 21-24
21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
How do you know him?
1 John 2:3-
If we keep his commandments. Also 1 Peter 1:14
VS.3: We know that we have come to know him if (conditional clause), we keep his commands.
From this one line we can see that
· It’s possible to walk with the Lord and yet not keep his commands.
· It’s not walking with the Lord that confirms you know him,
· it’s your keeping of his commands that proves that you know God.
1 Peter 1:14:
As obedient children do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
Galatians 4:8-9
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces[a]? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?
We keep his commands by:
a) Doing what he commands
b) Not doing what our evil nature desires – weak & miserable forces.
What we used to do? If you are doing what you used to do, you do not know him
Your knowledge of God MUST manifest into obedience.
1. Words without action:
a. You say and you do. It’s not enough just to say.
Vs. 4 Whoever says, "I know him," but does not do what he ….
What are you saying? Vs. What are you doing?
Do they match up?
If not, why?
2. Or else you are a liar & the truth is not in you.
It’s possible for someone to claim to know God and yet not have the truth in them.
1 John 2:4…. commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.
If you do not obey, you are a liar.
What is a liar? You are not just a liar, but the truth is not in you.
Why the repetition?
Is the truth in you?
3. Action with words:
1 John 2:5. Whoever keeps his word(action) truly the love of God is perfected in him.
This is how we know we are in him:
Action: Do what God says(obey)
Shows: Love of God is made perfect in you.
The love of God is perfected in you if you act upon his word.
Are you acting upon his word? What word have you read lately? Have you acted upon it?
If you have, the love of God has been made perfect in you.
2 If you abide in him, you must walk like him.
This is not optional. The only way to abide in him is you must walk like him.
Are you walking like him? Not with but like
Like: similar: to, just like, identical to, the same as.
With: in company with, escorted by
Like means you look at them and look at yourself. How much alike are you? In your actions, words and attitudes. How much are you like Christ?
Daniel 11:32
And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits.
Knowing God is important because if Jesus transformed the world actively in three years.
I say I know God and I have walked with him five years + and people around me still have not been changed? Do I really know God? Something is off.
The challenge:
Do you know God as much as you think you do?