“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15 ESV)
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28 ESV)
Now God knows who all of us are, because he created us. But this is speaking of knowing more in an intimate relationship sense. This is to know someone experientially via first-hand acquaintance. The same word “know” was used by the virgin Mary when the angel of God informed her that she would be with child and would give birth to the Christ. She asked the angel, “How will this be since I do not know a man?” So this “know” has to do with intimate knowledge via intimate (personal) relationship with God.
Those who are known by God in this intimate of relationship sense then are those who listen to him, but not just with their ears, but who give heed to his words, who are receptive and attentive to the words of the Lord, and who respond to what they have heard from the Lord with obedience. For to follow Jesus is to obey him in all that he says that we are to do and to be and to say. It doesn’t mean that we will be absolutely perfect in every way (1 John 2:1-2), but that heeding his words and obeying him is our practice.
Many people are teaching John 10:28-30 absent of verse 27, and they are applying these promises broadly to all who give lip service to the Lord Jesus, even if by their actions they deny him. So to leave out verse 27, which gives us the knowledge of who these promises are for, appears to be purposeful in order to deceive. For why else leave out verse 27 when it specifically tells us who the promises are for? They are for those who are heeding God’s words and who are following him in obedience to his ways and to his commands.
“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (1 John 2:3-6 ESV)
And this word “know” in this passage has the same meaning as that of John 10:27. This knowing has to do with intimacy of relationship and not just the knowing of God, of his existence. And this intimacy of knowledge is formed through experience in this relationship with God via paying attention to what he teaches and then to follow what he says with obedience. And his word teaches us that we come to know him via us dying with him to sin and us being raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, and us denying self and us following him in obedience to his commands (see Romans 6:1-23).
But this is not optional! For Jesus said that to come after him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, by the grace of God, and follow him in obedience to his commands, then we have the hope of salvation from sin and of eternal life with God (see Luke 9:23-26). And we are to follow his example in living the kind of life that he lived.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)
So, knowing Jesus/God intimately is not via just making a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus. We must walk the walk and not just talk it. We must live the life that Jesus died to give us, which is a life free from slavery to sin and empowered of the Spirit of God to live holy and obedient lives to our Lord. For the faith that comes from God and is persuaded of God, and is gifted to us of God, involves us dying with Christ to sin and us now walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands. It is not lip service only.
[Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Ac 26:18]
So, for us to be in this intimate relationship with God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – we must deny self, die with him to sin (not just once, but daily), and walk (in conduct, in practice) according to his commandments, and according to his will and purpose for our lives. For God has a plan and a purpose for our lives collectively and individually, and so we are to, by the grace of God, find out what that purpose is and then follow our Lord in obedience in doing what he says, as empowered by God.
But if we refuse, and we decide to go our own way, instead, while still claiming Jesus as Lord and salvation from sin and eternal life with God as our possession, we must know that he will declare to us that he never knew us (in an intimate relationship), and that we must depart from him, because we are workers of lawlessness because we refused to obey God (Matthew 7:21-23).
[Matt 7:13-14; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg
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