Knowing God

Knowing God

(Jn.14-17; 1Jn.3:6; Gal.4:9)

What does it mean to truly know God? According to some, that merely means calling yourself after Him, regardless of your conduct. Claiming you're going to heaven without doing what's required to get there.

To think that we would just somehow walk right in to heaven without doing all of what God commands shows the true nature of man's ignorance, foolish carnal wisdom, and prideful arrogance. It's dishonest, friends, and it is one hundred percent contrary to everything we find in scripture.

How many are convinced that just attending worship, whenever they so choose, is meeting the requirements? Somehow that by checking the box of going to worship services as you feel is adequate, meeting the "minimum" requirements, is doing your part and God should just welcome you with open arms right into heaven! How arrogant. How foolish. How hopelessly lost is that attitude and practice. Shameful it is. 

"No Lord, don't demand more of me, I have worldly business to which I must attend. Now, You be sure to welcome me into heaven though because I've done what You asked."

Let's think about that, shall we? This attitude and practice is much like, if not completely mirroring, the behavior of Saul when he was sent to destroy the Amalekites along with King Agag (1Sam.15). Was God pleased? Was Samuel in any mood to hear the foolish excuses and blame shifting of Saul? Did Saul keep his kingdom and was he praised for his obedience? No, no, and no! Friends, the Lord has not changed. When He commands that we keep all of His commands faithfully, He means it. It's not supposed to be easy, nothing worth having is easy. It takes work, diligent and difficult work. It is truly a battle every single moment of every single day.

Falling short in our attendance is just one example, it is every bit as wrong to refuse to walk daily upon the straight and narrow road of life outside of those four walls of the meeting house. To refuse to walk worthy of our calling...will God accept us? Does God know us when we refuse to follow His Son and instead follow satan?

Reading over Matthew 7:13-23, what impression does that passage leave with you? 

If we're not walking with the Lord, in constant communication with Him, and serving Him faithfully each day...will our reward be heaven, where we will be around the throne of God worshipping and praising Him for eternity? Is it any wonder the phrase "I never knew you" is used by God in this passage? If we're not with Him here, we won't make it there. If we don't truly know Him here, we won't be with Him in heaven.

Here's, essentially, our "to-do" list when we choose to not be faithful to God:

Ignore God's command to gather with your brethren to worship God and to study His word.

Ignore God's command to live daily serving Him and fighting against satan.

Ignore God's command to put to death the ways of the flesh.

Ignore God's command to love Him with all your heart, soul, and mind and your neighbor as yourself.

Ignore God's command to fully devote your life and your energies to growing in your service to Him.

Ignore God.

Throw away salvation. 

Put your Savior back up on that cross, spit on Him, revile Him, scream "Crucify! Crucify!", and when you refuse to change when you are reproved by those trying to help you correct your life, shout "His blood be on us and our children!". 

This is the life and spirit which we choose to live when we reject God and His commands...and we still somehow call ourselves Christians. Unbelievable. It is despicable, it is the lowest of lows, it is evil, it is sin! Friends, why would we do this to God and to our Savior? We act this way and actually think we're going to spend eternity right there next to our Lord? Next to the very One we are despising by our conduct and whose name we bring shame upon by refusing to do what that name demands, to follow Christ?

Lest we read this with someone else in mind and don't first make applications to ourselves, choosing instead to cast the light away from our own misdeeds, may we all take a moment to consider our own ways. Let us all stop and consider what we do and don't do, whether we ourselves are truly walking worthy of the name we wear. May we investigate honestly to see how we can improve ourselves so that none of us will be guilty of what is being spoken of here (1Cor.10:12).

What are we going to do with our lives this day, and each moment which the Lord blesses us from now until eternity? Will we serve Him as He has commanded, or will we go back to doing what we want and offering the same lame excuses and defiled "sacrifices" unto our Lord? The choice is all ours. We can either do His will here, or we can burn for eternity. Which will you and I choose now? 

Friends, I beg you, I plead with you, serve the Lord! Serve Him faithfully, don't miss heaven. Don't crucify afresh our Savior, our King, our Friend. I implore you all, serve Him and may we all go home to our reward for a life of service when our days here are ended. Don't ignore God, don't ignore His word, walk daily with Him here so you may gather around His throne for eternity there. Be known to the Lord! Let's go home, friends.