1 John 2:3, “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.”
Have any doubts that you are a Christian, a true follower of Christ Jesus? Any doubts that you are a true believer, born-again, spirit-renewed, a new creature in Christ, as the Apostle Paul states? – (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Are you keeping Christ’s commandments? If you can say yes, that you are purposefully attempting to obey the commandments of Jesus, then you can KNOW that you know Him, truly KNOW Him! For those that might be confused about obeying commandments and thinking that just possibly I am speaking of obeying the Law as given to the Children of Israel, let me assure you, I am not. I am not trying to rob you of your freely given grace and demanding you walk again according to the Law.
What I do want to remind you of is something that I speak of very predominately in my teaching, and it is found in Matthew 22:35-40, “Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him,” ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Remember that Jesus said earlier in Matthew that He came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it. – (Matthew 5:17). In essence, Christ Jesus, is the embodiment of these two commandments!
These two “commandments” encompass everything that Christ Jesus stands for and came to share with His disciples. If we love God, our Heavenly Father with ALL that we are and we love one another, those that are around us on a daily basis, then we are following, obeying His commandments. Jesus spoke it so that even a child, which we are to be like, could understand the simplicity of the command it! It’s another reason why the Beloved Apostle wrote in the first verse, “My little children.” – (1 John 2:1).
“We know that we know Him.” Notice that this portion of scripture speaks of one who has matured to the point of knowledge. That knowledge is much more than simple belief. A belief, however strong can eventually be shattered, but knowledge is a thing of factual substance.
When we as Christians can progress beyond the realm of only believing and into the realm of knowing, of absolute certainty, our faith will then know no bounds. My youngest son was the one who really brought this to my attention quite a few years ago. He had been talking with a fellow employee who was reiterating to a small group of people what she believed about a certain scripture on faith. My son asked her a couple of questions based on the scriptures that he was familiar with, and it left his fellow employee, this “believer” struggling to find an answer she was comfortable with. It had to do with faith in the certainty of God’s Word. He told her that when she passes the stage of just believing to the point of knowing for a certainty, of knowing for a FACT, then nothing will frustrate or sway her.
It definitely got me to thinking about our relationship with the Father through His Son as we mature. We SHOULD grow in stature in the Lord. Paul said it and so did many of the other Apostles. We must constantly change to become more like Christ. Believing only can make us appear to be like Christ, but knowing, actually being grounded in the FACT, makes our hearts and minds much more like Christ Jesus, the Anointed One.
That is why the first part of this scripture is so important. We can come to a point where it is no longer a matter of believing in Christ but rather a knowledge of Him, after all remember that the Apostle James wrote that the demons believe in Him and they aren’t changed. – (James 2:19). That absolute certainty, that KNOWING Him comes from intimacy with Him.
It is almost like circular reasoning, yet it is the effect from the cause. When we come to Christ Jesus and surrender our lives, our wills to Him, we WANT, we desire to do what He would have us do. As we continue to obey His commandments, obey HIM, we get to actually KNOW Him so much more intimately. As we get to know Him more intimately, we want to obey Him more!
I also want to caution believers and especially in the day and age we live today. With the access to so much historical information and knowledge, it is so very easy to “believe” in the historical Jesus, that part of God that walked this world and left such an imprint. We are talking about (and this is why you see me use the term so much) the Christ, the Anointed One of God Almighty, that aspect, that attribute of Jesus that is God’s Son!
Part of John’s reason for writing to the Christians of his day was to refute the Gnostics that were preaching falsehoods. The Gnostics pretended to have much spiritual knowledge, but their knowledge left them in possession of all their bad passions and unholy habits; they, therefore, gave no proof that they had known either God or his Son Jesus, nor is ANY man properly acquainted with God, who is still under the power of his own sins. If you observe the way of the world today and the attitude of man, you see that the same falsehood is still rearing its ugly head. It never really went away, it just stayed dormant for a time. After all, many recent polls in the United States say that a minimum of 84% of its citizens “believe” they are Christians, because they believe “in a god of some sort!” If it were true that the U.S. was comprised of this many ACTUAL Christians, this country would not be in the severe state of chaos and corruption that it faces today!
To truly know God, in the scriptural sense of the words, as the Apostle John is writing, is to have an INTIMATE acquaintance and communion with him as our Father AND Friend. Such knowledge and fellowship are always connected with sincere obedience. When this is lacking, the mere professing of knowing God is an evident falsehood. So, here is how we do know that we know him, the evidences that we have a saving knowledge of Christ is loyal obedience to his commandments.
1 John 2:4, “He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
As I stated above, we see it still even in our day and I am sure when John had his “revelation” he also saw that things were not going to change. Human nature has NOT changed since the days of Adam and only Christ Jesus can change the innermost nature of man. There were a lot of people even in John’s day, just years after Christ died and rose again, that claimed to be something they were not. There is that old saying that I and many of you grew up with; “your actions speak louder than your words.” In essence, that is exactly what John is trying to say.
Remember again, the Apostle is speaking to those that consider him their spiritual father. He called them, “little children,” an endearment reserved only for those special and close to his heart. He is saying to them, almost prophetically, “if you’re going to say it, but do not act it, you are a liar.”
I know this seems extremely harsh, but try to fathom what he is telling them. If you are that person, the one who speaks one thing and does another, then the truth is not in you. The truth as a WHOLE is not in you. You are either wholly truthful by your deeds, or you are a complete liar, a deceiver and there is no such thing as just a little bit a liar. You are either one or you are not. You either walk in truth, or you live in lies. Years ago I wrote an article for our local newspaper’s religious section entitled, “A Half-Truth is Still a Whole Lie.” You wouldn’t believe the responses I received because there are those who still truly believe there are justifications and gray areas concerning what is TRUTH. We live in an age when theories are tossed around, spoken of and written as if they are absolute fact when in essence they are still just assumptions!
So, remember again, we are not speaking about someone who just has a belief in Jesus. We are talking about those who say they have an intimate, close, relational knowledge of Him. If you say that, but your actions do not show it, then you lie; according to the Scriptures, plain, simple and to the point!
In this day and age, if I were to paraphrase what John wrote to most church-goers, they would say that I am judging and I am unloving and I do not have a right according to the Bible to do that. But John was very clear in stating the truth, and the proof of what we say, or what others say, is in the actions. Christians today are sometimes more concerned with being politically correct than identifying the truth or seemingly hurting someone’s feelings. John was not concerned as he was led by the Holy Spirit to state the truth.
As a Pastor, I have had to deal with people in real world situations. I have had many come to myself and my wife for counseling of one type or another. When presented with the truth, even in a very loving but firm way, I can attest, this will be the reaction you get. Most (I said most, not all) people want their advice sugar-coated and lifting them up. Encouragement IS important, for you never want to try and help someone by putting them down, but rather be honest with truth and do not withhold the hope and encouragement that they can rise above their problems. You will NEVER find an example in Scripture where our Heavenly Father tells His people something very serious, without also giving them the hope and assurance of something better! I have yet to find it, in regards to His relationship with His children!
So, does the Apostle’s comments sound like a contradiction to the loving person that we are to be as Christians? If you believe you understand the true concept of “Agape” love, you will realize that true love, Godly love, can only be expressed in the truth. There is a reason why this very same Apostle recorded the words of Jesus to some believing Jews when He stated, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” – (John 8:31b-32).
We must judge ourselves first and foremost in the light of truth, to make sure that what we say lines up with what we are doing in actuality. Once we judge ourselves before God, we do not have to fear about being judged by others, or by God Himself!
We need to understand something else as well, and do not make the mistake that many do today. We do not come to know God by ONLY keeping His commandments. So many would have you step back into bondage to the Law. That is works, hoping that we will/can impress God enough to accept us. That is works without faith and a deception of the enemy of our souls. Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Want to PLEASE God, want to be accepted by Him? God ALREADY accepts us. We walk in faith, knowing that He does accept us, thereby developing a willingness and desire to keep His commandments. The more we come to know Him in a real spiritual and intimate depth, the more we will please Him, because we love Him so much.
Knowing Him and loving Him, develops within us the ability to keep His commandments. God is telling us, and so much more today than probably any other period of time, that we should first, learn to love Him, get to know Him, and then all the rest will fall right into place. Let’s not get the “cart before the horse” so to speak. He has ALWAYS, first and foremost wanted us to have a deep and abiding relationship with Him.
But, Christ Jesus, being our Advocate, our “stand-in” is the SATISFIER of our debt, the justice owed us! This is also where the analogy of a lawyer is insufficient, for what lawyer, in this world, would take the justice, the punishment, the debt we deserve and take it upon themselves!
John stresses the point again that he is writing so that “we may NOT sin.” He is not saying that just hearing him will keep us from sin, but rather his exhortations will allow us to make the educated CHOICE to NOT sin! Sin is always with us, around us and temptation to sin comes from every aspect of the world. We must view sin as God, our Father views it, with total and absolute intolerance for we must remember that God’s commandment to us is as the Apostle Peter exhorts, 
Then the Apostle continues the explanation concerning the grace that our Heavenly Father has given. 
Because of this very fact, and the fact that Jesus Christ BECAME righteousness, when Satan brings accusations against the children of our Heavenly Father, our Advocate, our Righteous Defender, our Intercessor, can point to the work that WAS finished, once for all, on Calvary, and state to the Father with Authority on our behalf, “Charge that to My account!”
Remember what the writer in Proverbs says in 
Jesus Christ came to earth to bridge the gap between the flesh and the spirit. What could not be done in and of ourselves in our flesh, can be accomplished through Him and in Him. If we walk in the light, and remember the light is God our Father, just as Jesus did all and said all in and through the Father, than we truly have fellowship one with another, and not just because we say we do. Those that follow the same path, in life in general, can be said to be in fellowship with one another; and so it is when we are following the path of Christ Jesus. Those that truly are following that same path are in fellowship with not just who they are following (Christ Jesus) but with one another as well!
That is exactly what John is saying. You believe in Christ, which then motivates you to walk, or act, according to the light of God, which in its very actions become righteousness, at the same time as you are “walking in righteousness” the blood of Jesus cleanses and washes away all your sin. Now mind you, don’t be confused; it is NOT the actions, the works, that washes away your sin, but the FAITH behind those actions! That puts us then in fellowship with one another as well as with Christ Jesus, thus with Jesus’ Heavenly Father, God Almighty.
Remember when reading this letter, that John is writing this letter to those he considers as brothers and sisters in the faith, followers of Christ Jesus. John is very clear to establish an order. If you say that you are a Christian, it is automatically understood in his writing, that you are a Christian because you have accepted Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, which was necessary to our fellowship AND redemption. He is reiterating a known fact to Christians because of the false teaching that was already spreading and taking root in his time. We need to be freed from ALL sin, and Christ Jesus IS the only way. God’s plan, acted upon by Jesus took into account EVERY stain that separates us from the Heavenly Father!
God IS Light! Those simple three words that packs so much theology AND science into them! Maybe back when John was writing them, the science didn’t have much impact, but today, we live in a time and place where science says a lot! Many people and especially Christians believe that science and theology are at odds with one another, but not so when you understand the Character and Nature of God Almighty and thus His Son, Christ Jesus!
I read this on social media somewhere and I tested it and know it to be true. If you enter into the darkest room possible, with no light seeping in under or around the door jamb and you carry with you only a simple wooden kitchen match, when you strike it, the glow from that seemingly insignificant match can light up every corner of the room. It might not be the brightest light, but it WILL chase away and dispel the darkness AND, the darker the room, the brighter the light may seem to be. Now the light isn’t brighter, but our perception of it is. So is it when we come into the presence of Almighty God, our Heavenly Father! If there is any hidden darkness in our hearts, it is most assuredly revealed before Him.
Everywhere we look in the Scriptures we see the importance of faith, belief and understanding, but ALWAYS along with those attributes comes action! As James so succinctly writes, 
*What has led me to write this particular article was a post a dear friend made on Facebook. Now, before anyone tears into me, let me say that the post inspired me to write an article so as to reason with my brothers and sisters out there in the blogosphere. I am NOT critiquing the post my dear brother made, though I did comment on it, for I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this brother loves the Lord with all his heart and was putting forth a concern that many God-fearing, truly sincere Christians have when it comes to the validity and veracity of the Bible version they are using for reading and study. I know he will see this post and I want him to know that the intent is to help others open their eyes of faith more fully than rely totally on peer pressure or other outward forces. I am NOT looking to further the debate OR the divide that exists over the translations available, just trying to ask the readers to think of the Holy Spirit in all of these concerns.
Since the English translation found in the 1611 King James Version of the Bible is one of the oldest used and relied upon, having survived over three centuries of use, I can understand just from a natural standpoint how so many church-goers are adamant and reliant upon that version of the Bible as the go-to Book for spiritual guidance. BUT – you would think that as our time in the Word has increased and our ability to have the Bible in so many formats (speaking of our new digital age) we would have a deeper SPIRITUAL understanding of the Word and our concerns over the text would have diminished. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
So, what is the Bible for, if not to point to God Almighty’s plan to restore our relationship with Him eternally by pointing the Way to Him through the Cross of Christ Jesus? If the version of the Bible you read and study is doing that, if the Spirit of the Word is coming through to you as a spiritually discerning person you have nothing to fear or even be slightly concerned about.
We have a bond that is unlike anything that has ever been on this earth, except with possibly Adam and Eve (or Enoch) who actually “walked” and communed with the Living God. It is an intimacy that the world cannot, nor ever will really understand. We need to be very careful that we do not attempt to understand our relationship with the Heavenly Father in the light of the world’s standards.
You have heard the old adage that says “You can’t see the forest for the trees, and/or you can’t see the trees for the forest.” Sometimes this is the problem that we encounter as we try and study God’s Holy Word. Our eyesight tends to be focused on maybe just a few scriptures here and there thus we don’t see them in context with the rest of the written word, thereby losing a necessary balance in our lives, or, our focus is on the word as a whole and we forget the little things that lend precise direction in our everyday lives.
Again, as we study this Epistle together, keep an open heart and mind, don’t let the casualness of the writing style make you think this letter is of any less important than any of the other writings inspired by the Holy Spirit and do not let some of the underlying deep concepts hinder your acceptance of simplicity of what the Apostle is trying to get across. When you study and read, do so with Holy Spirit as your ultimate Counsel, for even though we need one another for encouragement, strength and edification, it is His job to teach you what He would have you glean from this work.
Many of my Calvary Chapel peers and friends will recognize these verses for they are the foundation of the teaching style of many Pastors within the Calvary Chapel churches. AND, before you think I might be critical or criticizing, I am NOT criticizing this style of teaching/preaching! This actually encompasses some of my favorite teaching style and led me to truly recognize and understand the importance of keeping the Scriptures in context. My years in ministry within the Calvary Chapel *“organization” helped me to develop my own style of teaching.
Today, we have many religious fads and false teachings that have crept into the church due to preachers and teachers taking OUT of context, Scriptures that fit a theory or idea, and once that germ of a thought has taken root, a preacher or teacher will do all within their power to make the Scriptures fit their theory! Whatever the motive, no matter how it makes the listener feel, it is still false teaching because it is TWISTING the Scriptures to fit a person’s theory, rather than making a person’s theory fit the contextual Scriptures!
When we surrender our very nature, our very willfulness to the Holy Spirit who leads us directly to the Cross of Christ and we accept that sacrifice for the penalty of our sinfulness, then and only then does the Holy Spirit take up residence with our spirit to guide, to teach and to convict (convince) us of spiritual truth. Then and only then can our minds and spirit be reawakened as children and heirs of God Almighty, our Heavenly Father and it is then that the spiritual gift of discernment becomes active and allows us to see the spirit of the Word of God and not just the letter. We then step into the realm that the Apostle Paul wrote about to the Corinthians, 
I have been heartsick! There I said it. A Christian teacher and preacher who admits to being heartsick for several months!!! Unheard of, right? Well, I’d rather be honest and truthful with you upfront, than lead you on into believing I am perfect without a care in the world!
Then take into consideration, seeing corruption and crime firsthand in a small town that shouldn’t even be touched by such things, watching as the police time and again, trying to apprehend a neighbor/neighbors that time after time, demonstrate by their actions that the law doesn’t apply to them. Going to the neighborhood chain store, or grocery store and watch as people plow down the aisles without a look-see before entering the main aisle (I’m pretty much relegated to a wheel chair as my knees don’t support me more than a minute or two) as if they are in some sort of ultra-reality, crash-cart derby! I mean, most stores, grocery or department are laid out just like the lanes and throughways of a city traffic grid; you have your main lanes and then your cross lanes. If people drove out in their cities like they do in the stores, it would solve the population crisis real simply, and quite fast!
The condition of our forgiveness depends on our ability to forgive those who have wronged us, no matter the circumstance!! I bring the importance of this up because years ago (and it still crops up its head from time to time) my wife and I were actively involved in a teaching/preaching ministry at a church in Globe, Arizona. The pastor there actually got to a point, where he started teaching from behind the pulpit and the Sunday School lectern that you DO NOT have to forgive another, unless they come to you and personally ask forgiveness!
This falls into line with this part of our daily prayer. James was truly reiterating what the Savior was teaching to the disciples gathered around, and — this leads us into the second part of that prayer guideline:
This is speaking directly about communing with God Almighty in that it states those who “diligently seek Him.” We do that in communication and ESPECIALLY when we believe that our answers, (whether yea or nay) and our rewards come FROM Him and that He is indeed God, and they (the answers and rewards) are His will and His will alone! If you take away our reliance upon what He holds for us in the future, and the TRUST needed to believe that He has our best ETERNAL consequences at heart, then we can NO LONGER please Him because faith would not and is not any longer needed.
Do you not remember the implication (see 
There are several legitimate ways in which to study and even teach the Word of God, but the two main ones I want to cover are probably your most basic. You might be asking at this point, why even put forth these “tips” as most everybody knows how to read. The truth of the matter is that in my many years of being a minister/servant of the Word of God, I have come across many, many individuals who actually do NOT read the Bible themselves, let alone study or even meditate on it, but rather rely totally upon their Pastor/Preacher/Teacher or some other expositor to tell them what the Bible has to say to them as individuals.
Paul wrote this principle clearly for ALL of us in 
The Bible is a treasure trove and wisdom is the treasure that won’t be corrupted, as Jesus stated in 
The day that our feet step over that goal-line, will be for each of us individually the greatest day in our lives and our lives will truly begin eternally right there!!! Unlike when I was younger and envious of the other runners that had a parent cheering them on at the finish line, we are each going to experience our Lord and Savior with outstretched arms, welcoming our final footsteps into our new life! What a PRIZE that will be!!
“Show us a sign. Prove to us that You are Who You say You are!” Or for this present age, “prove to us that what you say (preach/teach) is true!” “If God is real, if Jesus is truly His Son, show us a miracle!”
That’s when the Holy Spirit started doing something within me! Like the proverbial fish gazing at a hook, I was seeing the bait dangling in front of me and hungering for what was there, and I was getting ready to strike at it, “hook, line and sinker!” It was the temptation of having real, deep probing questions answered in a simple, non-confrontational way! My thirst for more knowledge of Who God is and why are we (mankind) even here, and why did He create us, was promisingly close.
Jesus told them as He is telling us today, 
Jesus, Himself stated this as written in 
