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Knowing God?

1 John 2:3-11

You can know God personally.

Verse 3

We can know God by obeying His commandments. John is not talking about salvation here. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

God’s Word contains His commandments. In His Word God expresses Himself. We learn His will. We learn His likes and dislikes and His desires. We know God by His Spirit, His Word, and by obeying His commandments.

Verse 4

We as believers can lie to ourselves and practice sinful lifestyles. We rationalize saying, “I said the sinners prayer. I attend church services. I’m good with God now” But the inner life of anger, resentment, and an unforgiving spirit continues. The answer is to repent and seek God’s forgiveness and healing. Sometimes this is a process and not a one time action.

The opposite is true. If we keep His commandments, place the truth in us then we will know Him. What are His commandments? In Matthew 22:36-40 tells us there are two: Love God and love others. How do we place the truth in us? First be born again. Jesus sends the Spirit of Truth to dwell within us when we become born again.

Second, read and study the Word of God.

Verse 5

The love of God is introduced here. There is a link between the love of God and knowing God. Keeping God’s commandments results in knowing God, experiencing His love, and being in Him. Moses is an example of this. In Psalm 103:7, we read Moses knew God and the children of Israel knew about God.

In Exodus 33 we read Moses obeyed God and he desired to know God. On the other hand the children of Israel kept their distance from God. We experience the love of God as we embrace what God has done for us at the cross; the forgiveness of our sins.

We as believers are in Christ. This means we are identified with Him. He is the vine and we are the branches. As we abide (remain) in the vine we will produce the fruit of righteousness.

Verse 6

To abide in Jesus is to remain with Him. He is our life. How did Jesus walk? In what ways can our manner of life be like His?
1. Jesus spent time with the Father by praying often (Mark 6:46, Luke 6:12).

2. Jesus taught and He shared the gospel (Mark 1:14-15).

3. Jesus resisted the devil (Matt 4:1-11).

4. Jesus did those things which pleased the Father (John 8:29).

Verse 7

What was the old commandment? There were two. The first is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18).

Verse 8

What made these two commandments new was Jesus combining them and saying the whole law was fulfilled by them.

Verses 9-11

There is a link between obeying God (i.e. walking in the light) and loving our brothers in Christ. Loving your brother is a demonstration that you know God and obey Him. Sadly there are brothers and sisters in Christ who harbor anger and resentments towards their brothers or sisters. May I suggest you listen to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to heal and repair the relationship. There are other instances where reconciliation has taken place but there is still a separation of some kind. It’s difficult to be around this person. Pray for them and for your continued healing. Pray for wisdom to know what to do or not to do next. Pray for endurance especially if this person is in your daily life.

In conclusion, God has given us His Holy Spirit and His Word so that we may know Him. Our part is to diligently pursue God by praying, reading and studying His Word. Be open to the Spirit’s leading.

We can test our knowledge of Him by our obedience to Him. Do you really believe He loves you? Do you believe He wants what is best for you? Do you trust Him? If so, then obey Him.

Daniel 2.31-45 “The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

Today’s passage contains one of the most prophetic descriptions of the bible. 

In our passage we find out who is really in control over the affairs of mankind namely our Lord God.

King Nebuchadnezzar was given a dream that troubled his spirit Dan 2.1 and sought understanding from the learned men of the court and could not find any solace from them. Friends whenever we are troubled we must turn to a living God if we want understanding. Daniel and his companions pray and seek understanding from the Lord. A great reminder for us if we seek answers let us like Daniel and his companions turn to our Father.

Here is where we pick up our study - Daniel after giving glory to the Lord for His answered prayer brings the interpretation to the king. In verses 31-34 Daniel relays the Lord's dream and gives us understanding of the four major empires that this world has and will be privileged to until the Messianic Kingdom of our God. He starts with the kingdom of Babylon which he was to be a part of will the children of Israel be held until the captivity is completed according to the word of God. Daniel gives the description of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom and lays out the next three kingdoms that will follow his.

Daniel also makes mention of “a stone was cut out by no human hand” v34 which is the second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew 21.44 Jesus tells us “ And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” When Christ returns to this planet He will abolish all forms of earthly government and set up His Father’s kingdom and what a  beautiful time that will be.

We can look back on history and see that Daniel’s description of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is true - every part and every kingdom just as the Lord made known. Nebuchadnezzar saw an idol because he was an idol worshipper and God spoke to him in a way he would understand. Friends God desires to speak to us today the same way he spoke to Nebuchadnezzar and He will speak to you in ways that will get your attention, so listen when He speaks to you. 

In Daniel 2.35 we read that, “the stone…became a great mountain and filled the whole earth” again this is the establishment of the millennial kingdom that we be set up at the return of Christ. We know this is a prophetic description yet to come since the church has yet to fill the whole earth. Pastor David Guzik wrote in his commentary of Daniel 2 “In those days - the last days, This described the fulfillment of this prophecy in the future. The stone cut without hands shatters a confederation of kings, represented by the feet of the image, and then God’s Kingdom will dominate the earth.”<https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Dan/Dan-2.cfm?a=852044>

In verses 36-43 Daniel breaks down the dream and gives insight to the image Nebuchadnezzar saw.

Vs37&38 is the head of gold and the Babylonian Empire which lasted 66 years.

 Vs39 Another kingdom inferior to you (silver/Medo-Persian 208 years) shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze (Graeco-Macedonia 185 years), which shall rule over all the earth. So we have two empires in one verse here.

Vs40-43 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. This was the  Roman Empire and it stood for more than 500 years. Four verses are dedicated to the “kingdom of iron” and it had two legs and ten toes which will be the last kingdom to exist before Christ sets up the kingdom of our Lord at His return.

In verses 44And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.

All these kingdoms will come and they will pass away but the kingdom of our God is without end a kingdom that we are apart of now and we will be a part of the future eternal kingdom. Friends there is so much more in this passage of scripture that we could spend weeks on. One thing that stood out to me as I made preparations to share it with our Tuesday morning group was this - there is a “rock cut not with human hands” this Rock cut not be human hands is our Lord Jesus and it is He that should keep our attention on. It is He that we should look for in any bible study. He is the Living Word and He can be found on every page of the bible if you look for Him. Let me close with this point again from Matthew 21 we will either fall upon the rock and be broken or He will fall upon us and grind us to dust. Choose wisely brothers and sisters and like Daniel proclaims here in verse 45 “the dream is certain and its interpretation is sure”.   

Lord let us fall on you and be broken because You love us enough to take us as we are and put us back together for your glorious work here on earth. Amen