Christian Living

Do I Really Know God?

by Lloyd Ocampo
09/09/16
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“Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (1 John 3:6-9)

The above scriptures reference a truth uncommonly preached in churches during these last and evil days.  People love themselves and their pleasures more than they do God (2 Timothy 3:1-5).  They are more so concerned about their earthly lives and not their heavenly futures.  And because we live in this era, many who occupy the priestly office have taken on a debased interpretation of the scriptures so as to preserve their earthly careers as ‘preachers.’  They have replaced God’s messages of holiness and righteousness with messages that simply do not compel sinners and backsliders to come out of their sins.  Instead, they stand in fear of losing their carnally built empires if true righteousness were preached.

These types of preachers walk unworthy of the vocation, if at all they have been called to it.  They preach messages that make people feel good when they are not good.  They comfort sinners in their sins with sermons that uphold their state of sinfulness because they themselves are ensnared in a web of ungodliness.  They stand up for, campaign for, and fight for the acts of fornication, drunkenness, homosexuality, and God knows whatever else.  These are wolves in sheep’s clothing who care nothing about the best good of the people’s eternal future.  They are unlit lamps in the dark that can show no one the way to God (Matthew 7:13-20).  Yet they are praised and lauded by the fallen and the unenlightened because their messages give the people a form of godliness yet deny the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5).

People, where are we?

According to 1 John 3:6-9 above, can you say you really know God?  Despite your tenure in church, if you are living in sin, continue to sin, sin every now and then, or even once in a ‘blue moon,’ the word says you HAVE NOT seen Him and DO NOT know him.  With this blunt truth, where can we hide?  Certainly not in the fact that we’ve been in church all our lives.  Definitely not in the fact that we sing in the choir, belong to the usher board, or work in some capacity for the ministry to which we belong.  These outward activities that we involve ourselves with in the church DO NOT speak to whether we know God.  Rather, our deliverance from sin and freedom to walk this Christian walk without sinning is proof assured that WE HAVE seen God and DO KNOW Him too.

How long will you substitute your life in the church for a true life in God?

 In the end, many church-goers will be denied by Christ because they never got to know Him.  And a main part of the process in knowing him is in letting go of any sin that the word reveals is in you.  In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus said that there would be many in that day that would bring before Him their church resumes and try to use all that they have done in and for the church as labors of love that should not go unseen, but used to guarantee their place in Heaven.  In this passage of scripture you’ll notice that our Lord never denied the claims of those who cast out devils in His name, prophesied in His name, or did many wonderful works (e.g. established missions, build churches, fed the hungry, tended to the needy etc.).  Instead, Jesus will profess that He never knew them and will continue to say, “…depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

What a frightening thought. 

However, you can be assured that you are not named among those that Jesus will be speaking these words to.  All you have to do is let God once and for all deliver you from your sins and have a mind to never walk in them any longer – God will do the rest as you seek Him out for strength and power to stand in the freedom and deliverance of your salvation.  Additionally, you have to belong to a church that will strengthen you in your walk with God; one that will compel you to live accountable to the word.  Then will you SEE HIM and then will you KNOW HIM.

By:  Bishop L. Ocampo
URL:  www.igfonline.org