The Proclaimer

Do You Know The Lord?

John makes it clear in the first chapter of his first epistle that there must be a consistency in what we profess and what we practice.  We cannot claim fellowship with God and “walk in darkness” (v.6).  We must “walk in the light” for such fellowship with God to exist (v. 7).  In this we see contrasted two distinct attitudes of heart – one lives his life without concern for pleasing God, the other lives each day trying to live in strict accordance with the will of God.  Both sin, but their attitude toward that sin is totally different.  One will even deny his sin (v. 8), the other longs to confess it so that he may continue his walk in the light (v.9).  John says all of this to encourage us not to sin (2:1), but if we do sin we must remember that’s why Christ died, “and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.  And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:2, 3).

Herein lies the difference between professed and true disciples.  It is the doing of God’s will that demonstrates true allegiance to the Lord.  As Jesus expressed it, “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).  For this reason James can say, “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves” (James 1:22).  Jesus speaks of those who will be shocked in the judgment day when He tells them, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt. 7:23).  Self delusion is not only possible, it exists today as some who profess to be Christians forget two things pointed out by John.

First of all, we must keep His commandments to know that we know Him.  To truly know and please God we must do His will.  A great many in the religious world think they can know God without obeying Him.  In fact they believe and teach that man can do nothing to know God, and that if man must do anything he is not saved by God’s grace.  They believe that works of obedience somehow nullify God’s grace.

 But the Scriptures clearly teach that faith is made complete through works of obedience (James 2:22).  In fact, James makes it clear, “You see then that by works a man is justified, and not be faith only” (James 2:24).  This does not, however, imply that we earn our salvation by meritorious works or works of obedience, for this would require us to be perfect law keepers, and we are not (Rom. 3:23).  Nevertheless, works alone will not save us any more than faith alone.

Equally important is what we do.  Many have substituted “religious activity” done in “the name of the Lord” (Matt. 7:21-23) for keeping His commandments.  The only “doing” acceptable to God is that which He has directed, and any claim to “know” Him apart from this is false and futile regardless of how genuine and sincere we are in our doing.  It is entirely possible for one to by genuinely and sincerely wrong in what he does.

This is not to say that attitude is not important, for it is.  Paul writes to the Romans saying, “But God be thanked that though you were servants of sin, yet you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered” (Romans 6:17).  Our obedience must be “from the heart” to be acceptable to God.  That is, our obedience emanates from a heart that genuinely and sincerely wants to do exactly what God has commanded.  Then, and only then can “we know that we know him.”

                                                                                     -- Clark Dugger

The Proclaimer