TWENTY ONE REASONS WE KNOW THAT WE KNOW THE LORD – PART THREE
From The HeartPublish date: 08/16/2009
We know we know the Lord because:
12. We are born again
“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His
commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the
victory that has overcome the world — our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is He who came by water and blood — Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears
witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5:1-13 NKJV
If we know God personally, the evidence is that we are truly born again and we manifest the characteristics of someone born of God; especially that we walk in the love of God. The old sin nature died – ceased to exist – and we became a new creature; alive unto God. We have eternal life now; it’s not just a future thing. He became like us so we could become like Him. If we truly know God, His life is living in us and His nature and character are manifested through us. If we know Him, we can’t help but be like Him.
13. We walk in righteousness
“If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.” 1 John 2:29 NKJV
“Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” 1 John 3:7-10 NKJV
Righteousness is the hallmark of a Christian – the evidence you are really born again. Those who claim to know God, but practice sin and unrighteousness are liars. If you are born of God, you have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and you have been delivered from the power of sin. That does not mean that you will never sin or that you are not able to sin, but that you now have the will and desire to walk in righteousness and the power of the Holy Spirit at your disposal to help you to do it. You choose to submit yourself to the Word of God to obey His commands. You make the choice to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.
“Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” 1 John 3:9 NKJV
“We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.” 1 John 5:18 NKJV
“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:1-5 NKJV
14. We purify ourselves
“And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3:3 NKJV
The child of God, who knows God, makes a concerted effort to lay sin aside and walk in purity and holiness, because he/she knows that God is pure and only the pure in heart will see Him (Psalms 24:3-4a).