| Being Known by God |
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Matthew 7:21&23, John 14:23, 1 Cor. 8:3 (NIV)
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. *' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' *Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. *But the man who loves God is known by God.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. *' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' *Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. *But the man who loves God is known by God.
It is possible for a person to claim to know you when in reality you do not know him or her from Adam. You may have met them once or twice before, but that is simply not a strong enough basis for them to contend that they know you or have established a strong relationship with you. This analogy also applies in our relationship with God. Anybody can say that they know God, but only God can say if He genuinely has a relationship with them.In our text above, Jesus clearly outlines His criteria for knowing or maintaining a relationship with someone. The criteria is loving God and doing His will. Sincerely loving God in response to His great love for us is the foundation for knowing Him and doing His will, John 14:15. Doing God's will goes beyond serving in His vineyard. It requires progressively walking in God's righteous ways.
The Bible refers to the 'things of the world' as the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life, 1John 2:15-16. We cannot say we love God, yet continue to love the things of the world and live our lives however we choose. The present high growth rate of iniquity in the world is targeted at causing the love of God to grow cold in the hearts of men, Matt. 24:12. In the NIV, 2 Timothy 2:19 says, nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."
PRAYER: Tell God how much you love Him and express to Him your desire to know Him, to do His will and to consistently please Him.
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