Notes of Faith March 17, 2026
Pastor’s Pen Pulpit
August 12, 2001
“MARKS OF A GENUINE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD”
I John 2:3-6
Have you ever asked the question, “How can I be sure that I am truly a child of God?” John answers the question in this passage.
And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments (v. 3).
What assurance this is! Obeying His Word is proof of God’s ownership of us! God puts His Holy Spirit in our lives. He gives us His Word. The two are compatible. Our will becomes His will in reality.
Verse four contrasts the absence of obedience and the profession that it exposes:
The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
I suppose it is possible for someone to go through life deceiving himself that he knows God without obeying His Word, but he has certainly failed the test.
But whoever keeps His Word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him (v. 5)
Again we receive a wonderful assurance from our indwelling guest, the Holy Spirit. But what is involved in obeying the Word? James 1:22-25 answers this question.
But prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.
I John 2:6 shows us the example that the one who obeys will follow:
. . . the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the
same manner as He walked (v. 6).
What a mandate - Christ our example (John 15:10). The greatest, most influential and tangible evidence of the validity and tenability of Biblical Christianity is the living evidence that a true Christian is to reflect in his/her life.
Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:15).
If we fall short of having this assurance we should be concerned. Stop and ask yourself, “Do I have this indication that I know Him?” This is a serious question for you and me. Let’s look into our hearts a little closer today. Do we need to make some changes? God bless.
Love to you all,
Pastor Charles Covington
If you are still reading this you may be challenged today… We all fail to keep His commandments and will as long as we are in this earthly body of sin. But God is transforming our hearts and mind to be like that of Jesus who obeyed all commandments. Our pursuit in life should be one of obedience. When we fall short, we should repent of our sin, and press on toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, striving to obey through the power of God within us, the gift of His Spirit. Let us pray for His strength to obey and receive the blessings of obedience. Following Jesus is not easy. Being a Christian is not easy. Picking up your cross daily is not easy. Leaving your sin on the cross of Jesus and not taking it back, is not easy. LIFE is not easy. But God… God has called us to Himself and provides all that we need to live pleasing to Him. To obey is a good thing. Follow Jesus in His sufferings and sacrifice of obedience.
Pastor Dale