"How Do We Know?"

“How Do We Know?”

 

We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands.  Whoever says, “I know Him, but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.  But if anyone obeys His word, love for God is truly made complete in them.  This is how we know we are in Him:  Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.          1 John 2:3-6

 

Many people will profess to TRULY KNOW God, they will claim that they are a Christian, when in all actuality they have not come to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, and sought His FORGIVENESS.  Many believe that because they a live “good moral” life that makes them a Christian, or if their parents or parent was a Christian then that makes them a Christian too.  But the Word of God says differently.

 

Here in 1 John, we see he is telling us how we can KNOW that we are a TRUE Child of the Living God.  Right away he says; “we have come to know Him if we keep His commands.  One of the most important commands, is one that John discusses on down in his letter, in verse fifteen of this chapter, he says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.”   God does not want us to be associated with the world or worldly things, we are to be SEPARATED from the world.  Of course we must live IN the world, but as a TRUE Child of God, we don’t have to participate in the things of the world, such as; ‘the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.’ 

 

I know of some people who claim to be a Child of God, a Christian, but they have NOT left their OLD lifestyle, and the only thing that says they are a Christian is their mouth.  They PROFESS it, but they DON’T POSSESS it, because they do NOT follow God’s commands, and that classifies them as a liar.

 

 But if anyone obeys God’s word, the love for God is truly made complete in them.  We can TRULY KNOW we are a Christian, Christ-like, because of our OBEDIENCE to the WORD of God.  We all sin and come short of the glory of God, but when we strive to be OBEDIENT to His Word, it shows our TRUE relationship with Him and our LOVE for Him is made complete in us.  So whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.  Now Jesus lived a SINLESS life.  He NEVER committed a sin, and that is not possible for us, because we are born with a sinful nature, therefore we sin daily, but Jesus was OBEDIENT to the Word of God and that is how He lived, and that is how we MUST live too, in OBEDIENCE to God’s Word.  Then we will KNOW and POSSESS a RIGHT relationship with God.  We then can claim; “We are a TRUE Christian!” 

If you have not come to God for the SALVATION of your soul or if you THINK you are a Christian, but have not TRULY come to Him with a REPENTANT HEART, in other words you have accepted it in your mind, but NOT in your HEART then you are LOST and lying to others and yourself, and are headed straight to HELL.  You NOW have the opportunity to not just PROFESS you are a Christian, but to be able to POSSESS it, by:  CONFESSING your sins to God, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, with a TRULY REPENTANT HEART and POSSESS what you PROFESS, and KNOW that you are a TRUE Christian.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!