Introduction: Perhaps you are joining us for the first time today.

Here is what we have looked at so far:

  1. And ______of First John
  2. Jesus is ______– I John 1:1-4
  3. God is ______– I John 1:5-10
  4. Jesus is ______– I John 2:1-2

Today the title is: God is ______– I John 2:3-11

In this message I want to answer the question,“How can we ______that we ______God?”

  1. We ______(obey) His Commandments – v. 3-5
  1. We can know that we know Him – v. 3

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.”

Other translations translate this verse to read like this:

Next, would you underline the word, “know”. This word is speaking about ______knowledge.

Are you aware that obedience is the foundation of our modern society? Think with me about these institutions:

  1. We can ______that we know Him – v. 4

“He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

In this verse we see that ______are tested by ______!

John makes it plain that those who profess with their mouth, but do not back it up with their lives…

“is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

  1. We can ______that we know Him – v. 5

“But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.”

This I believe is a faith that has ______UP!

  1. We ______just as He walked – v. 6-8

Our ______matters. In your notes circle the phrase,

“walk just as He walked.”

How can we know that we know Him?

  1. We ______as He walked – v. 6

“He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”

How did Jesus walk?

  1. We ______as He obeyed – v. 7

“Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.”

  • Heb. 10:7 - “Then I said, 'Behold, I have come-- In the volume of the book it is written of Me-- To do Your will, O God.' "
  • John 4:34 - “Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.”
  1. We ______as He lived – v. 8

“Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.”

As disciples of Jesus, the ______we are to the light (to Christ), the less and less darkness there is around us, thus the darkness is ______away.

  1. We ______the Brethren – v. 9-11

We can ______that we know Him when we love one another. When we love the brethren, or the brotherhood.

  1. Some only _____ the light – v. 9

“He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now”

  1. Some actually ______in the light – v. 10
  1. Some are ______by darkness – v. 11

“But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

Conclusion: God is ______! So how can we KNOW that we KNOW Him? There are three very clear ways:

  1. We ______His Commandments – v. 3-5
  2. We ______just as He Walked – v. 6-8
  3. We ______the Brethren – v. 9-11

Now, using these criteria alone is the evidence present that you in fact do KNOW God?

  • List any commandments that you know that you are obeying:
  • What do you believe is God’s will for your life today?
  • How are you demonstrating that you love others in God’s family?

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