Do You Know Him?

Bryan Day

Sermon • Submitted 24 days ago • Presented 24 days ago

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Introduction

1 John 2:3-6

What Does It Mean to Know God?

In this epistle written by the Apostle John, knowing God is not simply about accumulating facts or information; it is deeply personal, signifying relationship and connection. Believers are described as having been anointed by the Holy One—they already possess the knowledge of truth, and John writes to affirm what they already hold.

Unlike the Gnostics, who claimed special hidden knowledge about Christ, John emphasizes that true knowledge is revealed in an intimate, personal relationship with Christ. This relationship is evidenced by living in a manner that reflects Christ’s character.

Obedience: The Mark of Knowing God

John emphasizes obedience as both the evidence and assurance that we know God. The foundation for this knowledge lies in practical obedience. To abide in God is to walk as Jesus walked, establishing a pattern of authentic knowledge producing a transformed life. Knowing that God is righteous assures us that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him, showing the connection between knowing God and moral transformation.

Knowledge, Truth, and Love

John’s understanding of knowing God is holistic—it involves embracing truth, following Christ, experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit, and expressing sacrificial love toward others. Truth is central to John’s thought and personally connected to Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and love.

As Pastor Meyor said, “Right knowledge leads to right theology; right theology leads to right doctrine and right doctrine leads to right behavior.”

Testing Our Knowledge of God

The passage in 1 John that I have chosen to present to you today provides criteria for testing whether we truly know God. “Knowing” is a major theme, referring to understanding, acknowledging, and having real knowledge about a subject. We demonstrate that we know God by believing His words and obeying Him.

Outward demonstrations of faith are important, but genuine knowledge of God begins inwardly and is later manifested outwardly. The outward fruit is the result of an inward transformation. If you claim to know God, there should be evidence—fruit—of this knowledge in your life.

Let’s dig into the scripture a little more.

Keep His Commandments

Verses 1-2 “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.”

Obedience reveals commitment to Christ and serves as a valid test of our relationship with Him.

If Jesus said in John 14:21, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him” and in John 15:10, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love”, I think it is important to know what His commandments are.

Hint, it’s not the Big 10!

John states in verses 7-8 that there is a “new commandment” that is both old and new—an ancient instruction given from the beginning yet carrying renewed significance. Jesus summarized the commandments with: “Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also must love one another”, which carries over from what He said in Matthew 21:37-40: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Why did He say that and how can He make that statement?

This was an old commandment but also new. Deuteronomy 6:5 tells the ancient Israelite to love God with their all and Leviticus 19:18 to love your neighbor as yourself. If we look closely at the 10 commandments, we can see how this makes sense.

The Commandments: Loving God and Neighbor

The Ten Commandments are divided into two groups:

First four – Our relationship with God

Thou shalt not have any other gods before God.

Thou shalt not make yourself an idol.

Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain.

Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it Holy.

Honor your Father and Mother.

Last six – Our relationship with one another

Thou shalt not murder.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not steal.

Thou shalt not testify or bear false witness against your neighbor.

Thou shalt not covet.

I present this as a teaching point, but as I said before and I say again, Jesus is not telling us to obey the 10 commandments! That was the Law for Israel. The New Covenant law, the Royal Law, as James called it is the Law that is written on our hearts; the Holy Spirit living in you! Christ in you, the hope of Glory! If anyone is in Christ, they are new creatures! The old has passed away and all has become new. We no longer live by the letter of the law but by the spirit thereof.

Authenticity in Relationship

Verse 4 teaches that anyone who claims to know God but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in them. For John, authentic relationship with Jesus cannot coexist with deliberate disobedience.

The inward transformation of a person results in outward transformation. (Matt 15:11) "It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person." Ephesians 4 tells us “Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, (should come out of our mouths) but rather giving of thanks.” What is in you is what comes out!

Perfected Love

Verse 5 says, "But whoso keeps his word, in him the love of God is perfected: hereby we know that we are in him."

Perfected here means to complete, fulfill, finish, make perfect, consecrate. Its basic sense is “to bring to completion,” whether that is making something perfect, accomplishing a task, or fulfilling scripture.

What does it mean to be “in Him”

Jesus says in John 15:9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

What are the implications of being “in Him”

Jesus says in John 15:4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

Imagine a small plant struggling to grow in dry, rocky soil, yielding little fruit because its roots cannot reach water. When transplanted into rich soil, it flourishes. Being ‘in Christ’ is like being placed in fertile ground—His love, grace, and truth nourish us, allowing us to bear fruit that glorifies Him and fulfills our purpose.

Verse 6 says, “whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

Walking in Christ is a metaphor for living like Him. It is synonymous with behavior just as walking in the light. If you know Him, if Christ is in you, if you abide in Him you know Him and you behave like Him, you obey Him. This is the evidence of your transformation, your translation from death to life!

“Reading the scripture with an eye towards radical obedience is the way to godliness”. Dr. Charles Stanley

In Summary: Evidence of Knowing God

The one who keeps God’s commandments is the one who knows Him.

Whoever keeps His words, the love of God is perfected, accomplished, and fulfilled in them.

The one who has the love of God perfected in them demonstrates that they are in Christ. If a person is in Christ, they are a new creation.

Through the Holy Spirit, Christians are united with Christ in his life, death, burial, resurrection, and glorification.

Whoever is in Christ abides in His love. To abide is to remain steadfast and connected.