The Constant Church of God presents clear answers to your questions, directly from the Bible!

“Do you know the Lord?

You may have been asked that question yourself.

What does it mean?

There is only one indisputable, irrefutable source we can turn to.

God’s book.

The Bible.

So let God Himself answer this question.

Open your Bible to the book of First John and look at what God Himself inspired His apostle to write in chapter 2 and verse 3.

3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

So, for us to really know Him, God says we need to keep His Ten Commandments.

Now, notice verse 4.

4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

These are not MY words. That is God Himself speaking.

Continuing with verse 5.

5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

6 He who says he abides [or remains] in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

In other words, for us to say that we know the Lord, we must live God’s way of life.

A way of life that is characterized by keeping God’s law, the Ten Commandments.

Which, when summed up, have to do with loving the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul and mind and loving our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40).

So then, there is a lot more to knowing the Lord than merely saying the words “I know the Lord.”

It requires obedience.

Keeping His law.

It means living a certain way of life.

God’s way of life.

In other words, knowing the Lord requires living in the way of GODLINESS!

Godliness is an overused, misused, misunderstood religious-sounding word.

And so godliness or being godly has very little or no practical application to the lives of most people today.

Yet godliness is crucial to know the Lord.

Godliness requires becoming more and more like God; thinking the way He thinks; liking the things He likes; hating what He hates; acting and reacting like He acts and reacts.

Godliness involves practicing, living God’s way of life.

The way of life that produces the abundant life NOW and eventually leads to the abundant life FOREVER!

Godliness requires we become more and more like God.

Developing the same holy, righteous, perfect character He has.

Until that day we become 100% like Him.

And that’s not easy.

It’s hard and it’s tough.

There will be obstacles and setbacks.

Trouble. Pain and suffering. Persecution and rejection.

By friends. Family. People we love and care about.

Whose opinions we value and hold dear.

You see, God’s way of life is not comfortable nor popular. It’s totally opposite to society’s way.

Going along to get along takes us away from God’s way of godliness.

Jesus Christ Himself instructed His disciples how to live according to godliness.

Matthew chapter 5 and verse 43.

43 You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy;

44 But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

45 To show that you are the children of your Father in heaven . . .

When we’re ridiculed and insulted, we don’t respond with the same ridicule and insults.

Not many people are willing to do that.

It's going to require commitment, dedication and determination.

We’re to do good to those who hate us. And pray for those who despise us.

And that’s how we really know God and He really knows us by practicing the same godly lifestyle He has.

So you see, do you know the Lord has to do with a lot more than just saying, “Oh, I know who He is and I love Him and He loves me.”

The apostle Paul encouraged the young evangelist Timothy to “exercise himself toward godliness.”

What does that mean in a practical way?

Exercising ourselves unto godliness requires we put in the time and the effort to give the very best we can on the job.

We don’t cut corners.

We go above and beyond.

When we’re driving, we obey the traffic laws.

We’re courteous and considerate. We let other drivers in when they’re in a tight spot and need to get in.

If there's a vacant parking slot another driver wants to park in, we let him or her take it.

Now then, how many of those claiming “I know the Lord” are willing to exercise godliness on a daily basis?

Probably very few.

Maybe a handful.

The apostle Paul also wrote, “Godliness is profitable unto all things."

All things.

Not just those things we enjoy doing. Or just doing the easy things.

All means all.

Even the ones we dread doing.

The ones that cause us to put in effort.  The things that are uncomfortable or inconvenient.

It requires self-discipline to do the things that need to get done even if we really don’t feel like doing them.

And doing them in the way, in the manner and with the attitude that God expects.

That’s godliness.

And that becomes OUR way of life.

And the result is living the abundant life NOW and the promise of the abundant life forever.

So when God sees us developing the same mind, the same way of thinking, the same kind of behaving He has, He is pleased.

Knowing the Lord involves exercising godliness.

It means living life God’s way.

Not our way and not the way of this world.

From now on.

All the time.

Every day.

This is Ross Abasolo with the Constant Church of God.

Join us again next time to hear more about what the Bible actually says!