And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. (4) He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (5) But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. (6) He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.  – 1 John 2:3-6

How do you know that you know God and are known of Him? How do you know that you are born again, that your eyes are open to see His Kingdom, and that you are saved from the wrath to come? How do you know for sure that you are seated with Christ in heavenly places, that Heaven is your home and your future dwelling place for all eternity?

1 John 2:3-6 answers this question, but it’s important to understand that the truth that this passage presents is not a “How to” formula, but evidence. It’s not a road to Heaven, but a proof of address. It’s not a means to an end, but a Man who justified us with His end.

Broken down into its basic parts, the question of whether you truly know God can only be answered once you have looked inside yourself with honesty of the most brutal kind and discovered there the answer to three additional questions that are foundational to the truth of who you really are: Do you keep His commandments (verses 3-4)? Do you keep His Word (verse 5)? Do you walk as He walked (verse 6)? Whether it’s a bitter truth or a blessed truth, it’s the truth that can ultimately set you free.

Do you keep his commandments (verses 3-4)? In other words, do you understand and hold to God’s expectations? Is this your lifestyle? Do you understand the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law? Are you grieved when you fall short of the spirit of the law, or when you see the letter of the law imposed without compassion?

Do you keep His word (verse 5)?

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. – John 14:23-24

Do you love the Bible and desire to follow it’s direction and principles? Do you love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind? Do you love your neighbor as yourself? If the love of God (love for God, love for His word, love for others), is being perfected in you, then you know that you are in Him.

Do you walk as He walked (verse 6)? How do you know?

If you keep His word, then you know how He walked, and you know if you are walking as He walked. You will also recognize when you are not walking as He walked. The Holy Spirit will bring this to light. Your heart will be broken and you will quickly claim 1 John 1:9 by confessing your sins, knowing that He is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” and knowing that He can and will set you back on the right path.

What is my “walk”? It’s my words and my deeds. My walk is my character, my affections and what I do with my time. If I am walking as He walked in all of these areas then I know that I am abiding in Him.

How do you know that you know Him? If you know Him, you will know. It is not that we know Him because we keep His commandments; it is that we keep His commandments because we know Him. It is not that we love Him because we keep His word; it is that we keep His word because we love Him. It is not that we abide in Him because we walk as He walked; it is that we walk as He walked because we are abiding in Him.

If this is confusing to you, contact me. I would love to help you to know that you know Him.

John C. Lawton
John@JohnCLawton.org