Really Knowing God Most Important

[Rockson]

So I call this Really Knowing God....Most Important.

One can't help but be startled when reading Matt 7: 19,23 when it says the following,

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’ Matt 7:19,23

So what do we see. Many who would claim they're Christians will be shocked to discover they were not, that is according to what Jesus says. There can't be anything more terrifying than to hear what Jesus said to them, (or will say) It should serve to prompt us to do inventory! Some might claim doing such a thing takes away confidence. It appeals to the possibility that one might doubt their position in Christ.....AND YET......Matt7:19,29 remains as a sobering red alert warning to those who have ears to ear.

So what is it we read. Many....MANY will think they were Christians when in fact as far as God is concerned they weren't. What things are spoken about? In the passage we see the ones not approved say the following, ‘"Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’

A big mistake I believe has been made by cessatonalist. Some look to this and delight to say, "See there! People who would seek to operate in this way Jesus said won't even be thought of as believers. We believe those things are passed away so we stand among God's approved."

A big mistake I think. Was Jesus really saying ones who do things like drive out demons or perform miracles in his Name that they're not approved because of those things? Or was he rather saying you can do or seek to do all the basic instructions I've given my disciples for all time and still be missing it. If you don't have any daily fellowship with God through a reasonable portion of the day with praise and worship where you get into the manifested presence of God where you hear and know his voice or leadings.....where you don't know just about God BUT WHERE YOU KNOW HIM.

 

[Rockson]

Part II

Really Knowing God Most Important

God intended that MAN would NOT just know about him BUT would KNOW HIM. With Adam and Eve God came down to them and they actually fellowshipped and talked in the cool of the day. It was a REAL vital fellowship and relationship! God wants a reality with us and not just a religious form! Even the best religious forms without genuine fellowship with God is a type of idolatry for the reason it replaces or substitutes God himself.

I've said many times some worship their theology....but not the God of the theology! Here's food for thought......theology while very important can be a substititure for God that is without the fellowship of his Spirit. It can give one the impression they're so very, very devout, they love talking the Bible and spend hours upon hours doing so.....they may even go to the seminary and get diplomas and degrees.....still doesn't mean one is walking in REAL fellowship and relationship with him.

Things that may be in the form of a religion may even be blessed of God.....one will be rewarded for service, but one can attend church with a perfect attendance, work in every ministry......they're an usher, a Sunday school teacher, they work in the parking lot, or serve coffee in the church even give a generous amount of their funds away...they can be a member of their church in good standing......ALL THOSE THINGS CAN BE GOOD.....But......what about your relationship with God himself, you're fellowship with him on a daily basis?

Does it exist? Or is it rather like a very small side thing. We don't want to encourage legalism .....but how much time do we give God each day? Jesus never really gave a space of time revealed but here's a principle. If we give the world 2-3 hour a day for worldly entertainment even though some of it may be good......but we give God 10 minutes.....well how about we just turn that around? Give the world the crumb of time but God the main share?

Doesn't mean one is always going to achieve that hour or two a day in fellowship.....things of life happen.....but what is one's continual pattern of life as a usual thing? That I think is what Jesus looks at. Paul the Apostle stated the following, "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection " Phil 3:11 Ones asks, "Well I thought he did know him!" He did. What he's saying is he wanted his relationship and fellowship with God to be very real to his spirit in a manifested way where it's not just the word but with power of Jesus resurrection. That only comes not just by mentally assenting to certain doctrines but by developing that rich and deep fellowship with the Lord. I trust we'd all take this very seriously.

 

[civic]

So I call this Really knowing God....Most Important.

One can't help but be startled when reading Matt 7: 19,23 when it says the following,

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’ Matt 7:19,23

So what do we see. Many who would claim they're Christians will be shocked to discover they were not, that is according to what Jesus says. There can't be anything more terrifying than to hear what Jesus said to them, (or will say) It should serve to prompt us to do inventory! Some might claim doing such a thing takes away confidence. It appeals to the possibility that one might doubt their position in Christ.....AND YET......Matt7:19,29 remains as a sobering red alert warning to those who have ears to ear.

So what is it we read. Many....MANY will think they were Christians when in fact as far as God is concerned they weren't. What things are spoken about? In the passage we see the ones not approved say the following, ‘"Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’

A big mistake I believe has been made by cessatonalist. Some look to this and delight to say, "See there! People who would seek to operate in this way Jesus said won't even be thought of as believers. We believe those things are passed away so we stand among God's approved."

A big mistake I think. Was Jesus really saying ones who do things like drive out demons or perform miracles in his Name that they're not approved because of those things? Or was he rather saying you can do or seek to do all the basic instructions I've given my disciples for all time and still be missing it. If you don't have any daily fellowship with God through a reasonable portion of the day with praise and worship where you get into the manifested presence of God where you hear and know his voice or leadings.....where you don't know just about God BUT WHERE YOU KNOW HIM.

We know while Jesus walked this earth He sent them out in Two's and they performed those same miracles and after His Ascension in the book of Acts these same miracles were performed by the Apostles. And just for the record I'm a cessationist. . That is a bad argument.

 

[Rockson]

We know while Jesus walked this earth He sent them out in Two's and they performed those same miracles and after His Ascension in the book of Acts these same miracles were performed by the Apostles. And just for the record I'm a cessationist. . That is a bad argument.

I'm not myself but you know what and I think and hope you'd agree. I think it's a far, far more important issue in regard to what I raise. Are we all making sure our fellowship with the Lord is real and vital. It can be very important to have right theology, and some theological positions more important than

others but if I could talk people into bringing them into a place of their achieving a real deep and rich fellowship with God some of the secondary things would take care of themselves. The why of this is because when the fellowship with the Lord is deep,

solid and good you actually can begin to KNOW THINGS by an inward witness. One still needs to go to the WORD the Bible to substantiale their beliefs but here's the thing. The Spirit (when one had good fellowship) will give one an inward witness knowing something is amiss with a certain belief.

Give you this example. My father-in -law (years before I knew him) was talking to different religious groups. The JW's came to his home and he didn't know why but he said he just KNEW they were off....he said I can't explain it but I just KNOW they're wrong and not to get involved with them, (that is from a religious standpoint) How did he know this? By the Spirit bearing witness with his Spirit giving him a red light.

(more could be said)

 

[Rockson]

Pastors of churches (doesn't matter what kind) have been known to admit this. They become so busy in church work....going to meetings after meetings, visiting people doing actually good things. They many times come to a place where they don't sense God. He feels like he's a million miles away. Even with preparing sermons and learning about God.....all focus on doing things thinking that equates to loving God and God understands....no

need to pray....or fellowship with him......but God says no.....your other things are important but your vital fellowship and relationship with me is more so. Or to put it another way imagine a marriage where one spouse doesn't talk to their partner. They walk by them and don't say a word. A day goes by.....two days, three.....and before you know it's a month. The other spouse comes in their room and see their reading a book

that's all about them. Reading about them....not talking to them who are there right with them. What a lovely marriage that would be right? A marriage in name only but with no fellowship and relationship. Lesson : we need to be charged up or filled with his Spirit on a daily basis. This thing has to be REAL and I think based on Matt 7 God demands that it be so.

 

[Soyeong]

So I call this Really Knowing God....Most Important.

One can't help but be startled when reading Matt 7: 19,23 when it says the following,

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’ Matt 7:19,23

So what do we see. Many who would claim they're Christians will be shocked to discover they were not, that is according to what Jesus says. There can't be anything more terrifying than to hear what Jesus said to them, (or will say) It should serve to prompt us to do inventory! Some might claim doing such a thing takes away confidence. It appeals to the possibility that one might doubt their position in Christ.....AND YET......Matt7:19,29 remains as a sobering red alert warning to those who have ears to ear.

So what is it we read. Many....MANY will think they were Christians when in fact as far as God is concerned they weren't. What things are spoken about? In the passage we see the ones not approved say the following, ‘"Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’

A big mistake I believe has been made by cessatonalist. Some look to this and delight to say, "See there! People who would seek to operate in this way Jesus said won't even be thought of as believers. We believe those things are passed away so we stand among God's approved."

A big mistake I think. Was Jesus really saying ones who do things like drive out demons or perform miracles in his Name that they're not approved because of those things? Or was he rather saying you can do or seek to do all the basic instructions I've given my disciples for all time and still be missing it. If you don't have any daily fellowship with God through a reasonable portion of the day with praise and worship where you get into the manifested presence of God where you hear and know his voice or leadings.....where you don't know just about God BUT WHERE YOU KNOW HIM.

In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus said that only those who do the will of the Father will enter the Kingdom of Heaven in contrast with saying that he would tell those who are workers of lawlessness to depart from him because he never knew them, so the stated problem was not that they weren't spending enough time in daily fellowship with God, but that they were workers of lawlessness.

In Exodus 33:13, Moses wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him to walk in His way that he and Israel might know Him, and in 1 Kings 2:1-3, God taught how to walk in His way through His law. In Jeremiah 9:3 and 9:6, they did not know God and refused to know Him because in 9:13, they had forsaken God's law, while in 9:24, those who know God know that He delights in practicing steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in all of the earth, so delighting in practicing those and other aspects of God's nature in obedience to His law is the way to know God, which is the same way to know Jesus because he is the exact image of God's nature (Hebrews 1:3). In 1 John 2:4, those who say that they know Jesus, but don't obey His commands are liars, and in 1 John 3:4-6, those who continue to practice sin in transgression of God's law have neither seen nor known him, so knowing God and Jesus is the goal of the law, which is eternal life (John 17:3).

 

[Rockson]

In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus said that only those who do the will of the Father will enter the Kingdom of Heaven in contrast with saying that he would tell those who are workers of lawlessness to depart from him because he never knew them, so the stated problem was not that they weren't spending enough time in daily fellowship with God, but that they were workers of lawlessness.

In Exodus 33:13, Moses wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him to walk in His way that he and Israel might know Him, and in 1 Kings 2:1-3, God taught how to walk in His way through His law. In Jeremiah 9:3 and 9:6, they did not know God and refused to know Him because in 9:13, they had forsaken God's law, while in 9:24, those who know God know that He delights in practicing steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in all of the earth, so delighting in practicing those and other aspects of God's nature in obedience to His law is the way to know God, which is the same way to know Jesus because he is the exact image of God's nature (Hebrews 1:3). In 1 John 2:4, those who say that they know Jesus, but don't obey His commands are liars, and in 1 John 3:4-6, those who continue to practice sin in transgression of God's law have neither seen nor known him, so knowing God and Jesus is the goal of the law, which is eternal life (John 17:3).

Interesting post and I won't say there's no truth to anything you've said. But if you don't have relationship and fellowship with God all one has is a religious form of godliness. And one can know the basic will of God through his word. But what about God's personal will for one's life? You won't find anywhere in the Bible where it states you're to do this with your life or that. That takes waiting upon God in prayer. Also a religious form won't REALLY bring one victory over sin.....one needs God's manifested presence to achieve that where he'll rise up with his resurrection power in us but that only comes forth when one is in fellowship.

 

[Soyeong]

Interesting post and I won't say there's no truth to anything you've said. But if you don't have relationship and fellowship with God all one has is a religious form of godliness. And one can know the basic will of God through his word. But what about God's personal will for one's life? You won't find anywhere in the Bible where it states you're to do this with your life or that. That takes waiting upon God in prayer. Also a religious form won't REALLY bring one victory over sin.....one needs God's manifested presence to achieve that where he'll rise up with his resurrection power in us but that only comes forth when one is in fellowship.

While there is certainly a place for God's personal will in our lives, I don't see anything in Matthew 7 that suggests that that is what Jesus was referring to while there is a large extent to which God has already made His will for our lives known through what He has instructed in His law. Again, Matthew 7:21-23 uses a parallel statement to contrast doing the Father's will with those who are workers of lawlessness. Likewise, Psalms 40:8 uses a parallel statement to equate delighting in doing the Father's will with His law being upon his heart. In John 6:46, Jesus asked why they called him "Lord, Lord", but did not do what he said. God's law is His instructions for how to manifest His presence. For example, by doing good works in obedience to God's law, we are manifesting His goodness, and by doing that we are knowing God through practicing His goodness.

 

[Rockson]

Likewise, Psalms 40:8 uses a parallel statement to equate delighting in doing the Father's will with His law being upon his heart.

Well then read through the Psalms and see just how many times it speaks of coming before his presence with singing and also developing a prayer life. I'd say that's not just going by a rule book of a law like its a list of do's and don't but rather the personal fellowship and relationship is a must.