Talking about God and knowing about God is one thing, but having fellowship and relationship with Him is quite another. Many people “talk the talk”, but there are very few who actually “walk the walk”. So, how is a person to know whether they really know God or not? What if they think they believe, but they are really deceived? What if all the religious practices, methods, and ways of a person are false or misdirected? How is one to know whether he or she is actually a person who knows God? John answers that question in verse three of chapter two of his book named First John:
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
Simply put, John says that we can know that we know Him “if we keep His commandments”. The question becomes, “what commandments?” The Ten Commandments? The six hundred and thirteen or so listed in the old testament? What commandments must be kept to insure that a person actually has a relationship and fellowship with God? Jesus said it this way in John's gospel chapter fourteen and verse twenty-one:
He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
There is no one better than Jesus to relay how to have a relationship with Him, and He says that a person must have and keep His commandments in order to do so. His commandments were as follows:
“Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39
This is how one knows whether or not he or she is in fellowship with God. Do you love God with everything that is within you? Do you think about Him, trust Him, and believe in Him with everything you are and will be? Do you love your neighbor the way that you love yourself? Jesus said in another place that on these two laws hang all the laws and the prophets. In other words, the whole law can be determined by these two laws: Do you love God? And Do you love people? If so, then you have fellowship with Him. If not, then He invites you to know Him, have fellowship with Him, and allow Him to show you how to accomplish what you will never be able to do on your own.
Tomorrow we will look into what John says about the one who does not keep God's commandments. Read ahead, and we'll see you then.
Until tomorrow...there is more...
Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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