The Fruit Test of a Genuine Disciple

Dear God Seekers,

We are living in the last days when men call darkness light and light darkness. We live in a generation when grace is used as a license for sin, and the false doctrine of eternal security is preached around the world. The lines that separate good from evil have intentionally been blurred by the enemy, so that many have entered into compromise and are not longer on the narrow path that leads to life, but are on the wide road that leads to destruction.

Our Lord taught us to test the fruit of those who claim to be His, in order to determine if they are genuine disciples or not. His original words referred to false prophets, but the same is true of disciples in general. He said:

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Mat 7:15-21)

That being said, the apostle John's first epistle gives us several examples of fruit tests, which prove whether a person is either a genuine disciple or not. 

Test That Reveals Bad Fruit
Let's begin with John’s fruit test showing the conditions proving someone is not a genuine believer:

Walking in Darkness
"If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth." (1Jn 1:6)

Claiming to be without Sin
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (1Jn 1:8)

If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. (1Jn 1:10)

Disobedience to God
"The man who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1Jn 2:4)

Hating Your Brother
"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness." (1Jn 2:9)

"But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him." (1Jn 2:11)

"Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. " (1Jn 3:15)

"If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." (1Jn 4:20)

Not Loving Others
"Anyone who does not love remains in death." (1Jn 3:14b)

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1Jn 4:8)

Denying the Son
"No one who denies the Son has the Father;" (1Jn 2:23a)

Continuing to Sin
"No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him." (1Jn 3:6)

Doing What is Sinful
"He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work." (1Jn 3:8)

Not Doing What is Right
"This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother." (1Jn 3:10)

Loving the World or Anything in the World
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1Jn 2:15)

Speaking from a Worldly Viewpoint
"They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them." (1Jn 4:5)

Not Listening to Us, the Apostles, the Word, or the Truth
"We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood." (1Jn 4:6)

Not Continuing in the Teaching of Christ

"Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God..." (2Jn 1:9a)

Summary
The man who walks in darkness, who claims to have no sin, who hates his brother, who does not love, who doesn’t listen to the truth, the Word, the apostles, and others who are truly from God, but listens to the world, who loves the world or anything in the world, who does not continue in the teaching of Christ, who does not do what is right, who keeps on sinning, and does not do what the Lord commands, does not have God, is a liar, is not a child of God, is of the devil, is from the world, is self-deceived, has the spirit of falsehood, is blind, does not know where he is going, speaks from the viewpoint of the world, and remains in death. Such a person does not live out the truth, the truth is not in him, the Word is not in him, and eternal life is not in him. It doesn’t matter if he claims to love God, to know the Lord, and have fellowship with Him, because he does not know God (1 Jn 1:6,10; 2:4,9,11,15,23a; 3:6,8,10,14-15; 4:5-6,8,20; 2Jn 1:9a).

Test That Reveals Good Fruit
Now let's examine John’s fruit test showing the conditions proving someone is in fact a genuine believer:

Walking in the Light
"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1Jn 1:7)

Confessing Our Sins
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1Jn 1:9)

Keeping His Commands
"We know that we have come to know him if we keep His commands." (1Jn 2:3)

Obeying His Word and Living as Jesus Did
"But if anyone obeys His word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did." (1Jn 2:5-6)

Continuing in the Teaching of Christ

"Whoever continues in the teaching [of Christ] has both the Father and the Son." (2Jn 1:9b)

Loving One Another
"Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble." (1Jn 2:10)

"We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers." (1Jn 3:14a)

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God." (1Jn 4:7)

"No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." (1Jn 4:12)

Doing the Will of God
"The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." (1Jn 2:17)

Doing What is Right
"If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him." (1Jn 2:29)

"Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous." (1Jn 3:7)

Acknowledging the Son
"Whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also." (1Jn 2:23b)

Cannot Go On Sinning
"No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God." (1Jn 3:9)

Listening to Us, the Apostles, the Word, or the Truth
"We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood." (1Jn 4:6)

Acknowledging That Jesus is the Son of God
"If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God." (1Jn 4:15)

Please note that this verse cannot be understood out of context with the rest of John's epistle, as explained throughout this entire article.

Believing That Jesus is the Christ
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well." (1Jn 5:1)

Summary
The man who walks in the light, as He is in the light, who confesses his sins, who keeps the Lord’s commands, who obeys His Word, who does not continue to sin, who lives as Jesus did, who continues in His teaching, who loves the Father, who loves Jesus, who loves his neighbor as himself, and who acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, and who believes that He is the Christ, has God’s seed remaining in him, has fellowship with the Lord, has been born of God, knows God, is from God, lives in God, has passed from death to life, has the Spirit of Truth, listens to the apostles and those who are from God, is in Christ, is purified by His blood from all unrighteousness, and is righteous just as He is righteous. God’s love is made complete in him, and God lives in him (1 Jn 1:7,9; 2:3,5-6,10,17,23b,29; 3:7,9,14a; 4:6-7,12,15; 5:1).

Closing Words
Dear friends, John was very clear in his epistle, as He wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He drew the lines in a very definite way between those who are genuine disciples of Christ and those who are not. He did not leave any gray area in between, but made it very black-and-white, and showed that you are either a true follower of Christ or you are not. Therefore, do not be deceived by the watered-down message, which is not the true gospel, that says once you are saved, you are always saved (regardless of how you live), or by those who preach the hyper-grace message devoid of the need for obedience to God. May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.

Attribution notice: All Scriptures are taken from the New International Version (NIV1984), copyright Zondervan, used by permission, all rights reserved.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Black and White, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Drifting Away, Is Obedience Optional?, The Apostasy Parables, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Aim for Perfection, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, The Straight and Narrow Path, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, Separation from the World, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, and Doing What is Right. You can find more of my articles related to Seeking the Lord on the Home page of this blog. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

What We Should Always Be Doing

There are several things that the Bible says we should always be doing. I have found at least twenty-two of them in Scripture. Let's take a look at God's Word and see what they are.

Always Pray
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. (Luk 18:1)

Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."  (Luk 21:36)

Always Do What Pleases the Lord
"The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him." (Joh 8:29)

Always Keep Your Conscience Clear
"So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man." (Act 24:16)

Always Do As Love Does

[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1Co 13:7)

Always Give Yourselves Fully to the Work of the Lord
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1Co 15:58)

Always Being Given Over to Death for Jesus

"For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body." (2Co 4:11)

Always Confident
"Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord." (2Co 5:6)

Always Giving Thanks to God for Everything
"Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph 5:20)

Always Pray in the Spirit
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." (Eph 6:18)

Always Rejoice in the Lord
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Php 4:4)

Rejoice always, (1Th 5:16)

Always Full of Grace
"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Col 4:6)

Always Strive To Do What Is Good For Each Other
"Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else." (1Th 5:15)

Always Be Gentle
"...to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone." (Tit 3:2)

Always Be Prepared to Give an Answer
"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect," (1Pe 3:15)

Always Keep Your Eyes on the Lord
"I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken." (Psa 16:8)

Always Be Mindful of God's Unfailing Love
"...for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness." (Psa 26:3)

Always Extol and Praise the Lord
"I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips." (Psa 34:1). We never take a vacation from praising God.

"For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good." (Psa 52:9)

Always Have Hope
"As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." (Psa 71:14)

Always Seek His Face 
"Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always." (Psa 105:4)

Always Do What is Right
"Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right." (Psa 106:3)

Always Obey God's Commandments
"I will always obey your law, for ever and ever." (Psa 119:44)

Always Trust God
"Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." (Psa 62:8)

My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times. (Psa 119:20)

Closing Words

Therefore, based on what we have read in God's Word, there are certain things we must always do. To summarize them, we should always pray, always do what pleases the Lord, always keep your conscience clear, always do as love does, always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, always being given over to death for Jesus, always be confident, always give thanks to God for everything, always pray in the Spirit, always rejoice in the Lord, always be full of grace, always strive to do what is good for each other, always be gentle, always be prepared to give an answer, always keep your eyes on the Lord, always be mindful of God's unfailing love, always extol and praise the Lord, always have hope, always seek the Lord's face, always do what is right, always obey God's commandments, and no matter what, always trust God. May the Lord help us to do so. Amen.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: The Top Ten Things Jesus Taught, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, The Wardrobe of the Saints, Following in His Steps, and Living on Earth as They Do in Heaven. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. 

Knowing the Lord

It's one thing to say you know the Lord and it's quite another thing to actually know Him. There needs to be evidence or proof that you know Him, which the Bible calls the fruit of repentance.

There is a difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus. You can know about a historical figure like George Washington, but you don't know him. The same is true of any Bible character. No matter how well you know the life of that person, you don't know them personally. You can know all the facts about Jesus and believe they are true, but still not know Him. You can know about God without knowing God personally. But He wants you to know Him personally and to know His Son Jesus Christ. Let's see what the Scripture has to say about knowing Him.

To Know Him is to Keep His Commandments

John the apostle said, "By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 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." (1Jn 2:3-4).

How do you know that you have come to know Him? You know it if you keep His commandments. The one who claims to know Him but does not keep His commandments is a liar. Such a person does not know Him, and does not have the truth within him.

To Know Him is to Love
Everyone who loves, knows God, and the one who does not love does not know God. John said, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love." (1Jn 4:7-8). To love goes hand in hand with knowing God.

Listen to the word of the Lord spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, who said, "'He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?' declares the Lord." (Jer 22:15-16, NIV). The Lord indicated through Jeremiah what it means to know Him. To know the Lord means doing what is right and just, and defending the cause of the poor and needy. Did you ever realize that?

James said the same thing when he wrote, "If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (Jas 1:26-27)

To Know Jesus is to Know the Father
If you know Jesus, then you know the Father, too. Jesus said, "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." (Joh 14:7)

In fact, there is no other way to know the Father, except through knowing Jesus Christ. He said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (Joh 14:6). If you know Jesus, you will know the Father. If you don't know Jesus, you will not know the Father.

John wrote: "And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." (1Jn 5:20). The Son of God has given us understanding so that we may know God the Father who is true. He is the true God and eternal life.

To Know Him is to Have Eternal Life
He prayed, "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (Jn 17:3, NIV). Therefore, eternal life is knowing the only true God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Paul the apostle understood this when he wrote, "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead." (Php 3:10-11, NIV). He understood that what matters is to know the Lord and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being like Him in His death. His purpose in doing so was in order that he might attain to the resurrection from the dead. Thus attaining to the resurrection is the direct consequence of knowing the Lord.

To Know Him is to Know the Spirit
Jesus said, "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you." (Joh 14:16-17). The reason the children of God know the Spirit of truth is because He abides with them and is in them.

To Know God the Father Like Jesus Did

Jesus declared that He knows the Father. He said, "I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me." (Joh 7:29). Jesus knew Him, because He was from Him. That's how Jesus knew God. Likewise, if you are born of God, you too will know Him.

To Know Him is to Keep His Word
Jesus answered, "If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, 'He is our God'; and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word." (Joh 8:54-55). The Lord Jesus during His life on earth knew the Father and kept His Word.

To Know Him is to Let Him Be at the Helm
When you know the Lord, He will be at the helm of your life, guiding you through all the storms, as the beautiful painting by artist Danny Hahlbohm depicts.  He will be the one to steer and keep you from crashing against the rocks or perishing in the depths of the raging sea. He will be not only your Savior but also your Lord, which means He will call the shots and you will do as He says.

Those Who Do Not Know Him
There are many people in the world who say of the Lord, "He is our God," yet they do not know Him. They are liars. They say they believe in Jesus, but they do not know Him, since they don't keep His commandments. As Jesus said, those who know Him will keep His Word.

The world does not know Him. They may have their institutional churches where they claim to worship God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. But if someone comes along who is not part of the institutional church and is not wearing one of the denominational labels, they don't know him. The apostle John said, "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." (1Jn 3:1, NIV). While the world may have religion, they do not know God, so they are missing out on the most wonderful and important thing.

In fact, their failure to know Him is so complete that even when God's Son Himself, the one through whom God made the world, came into the world, they did not know Him. "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him." (Joh 1:10).

The world through its wisdom does not know God. As Paul said, "For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." (1Co 1:21).

Those who do not know God walk in lustful passion, but those who know Him also know how to possess their vessel in holiness and honor. Paul said, "It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God." (1Th 4:3-5, NIV).

Let me cite a few examples from Scripture of those who did not know the Lord.

Pharaoh
The first one is the Pharaoh of Egypt when Moses delivered to him the Lord's command to let His people go. Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, I will not let Israel go." (Exo 5:2). Pharaoh himself said he did not know the Lord and he refused to obey His voice. He ignorantly said, "Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?" Thus He placed himself above God and his own will above the will of God.

Post-Joshua Generation
Another example is the generation in Israel that arose after the death of Joshua. Scripture states: "All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel. Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals, and they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked the LORD to anger." (Jdg 2:10-12). This demonstrates that even when people have a godly heritage, if they themselves don't know the Lord, then they will choose to do evil in the sight of the Lord. In the case of the post-Joshua generation, they served idols, forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, and followed other gods, bowing down to them and provoking the Lord to anger.

The sons of Eli
A great case in point was the sons of Eli the high priest, Hophni and Phinehas, who did not know the Lord, although they themselves were priests. "Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the LORD." (1Sa 2:12). Scripture tells us that the sin of these young men was very great in the sight of the Lord. They despised the offering of the Lord by demanding the meat of the offerings the people brought to the Lord, and fattening themselves with the choicest of every offering. They refused to listen to the voice of their father Eli, who tried to tell them not to do that.

What they were doing was so evil that the Lord desired to put them to death, and ultimately He did put them to death. They both died on the same day in a battle with the Philistines, in which the ark of the Lord was captured by the enemy. That day when their father Eli heard the news, he fell off his chair, broke his neck and died. Then his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas went into labor and gave birth to a child that she named Ichabod, which means the glory has departed. Immediately afterward she died, too.

The example of Eli's sons demonstrates that even those who are in ministry, such as priests and pastors, may themselves not even know the Lord. It also teaches us how God views such hypocrites and ultimately judges them, unless they repent.

The Northern Kingdom of Israel
During the period of the Northern Kingdom of Israel's decline and fall in the 8th century BC, the people cast off the law of God and dealt treacherously against the Lord. These revolters went deep into depravity, played the harlot, and defiled themselves. The Lord spoke of them through the prophet Hosea saying, "Their deeds will not allow them to return to their God. For a spirit of harlotry is within them, And they do not know the LORD. (Hos 5:4). They did not know the Lord, and even when they tried to seek the Lord, they were unable to find Him, because He had withdrawn Himself from them. As we know, the Lord sent them off into captivity, because of their sins.

Samuel the Prophet
There was even a time when the prophet Samuel, when he was a small boy living in the temple with Eli the high priest, did not yet know the Lord. Scripture says, "Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor had the word of the LORD yet been revealed to him." (1Sa 3:7). Consequently he did not yet know the voice of the Lord or recognize it when God spoke to him. But as Samuel grew, he came to know the Lord, he learned to hear the Lord's voice clearly. In fact, he became a mighty prophet of God. The Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground (1 Sam 3:19).

The example of Samuel shows us that we are not born knowing the Lord. Even those who may one day become mighty prophets of God must come to know the Lord personally at some point in their life.

Some of Those Who Say, "Lord, Lord"
Not everyone who says, "Lord, Lord" actually knows Him. Jesus warned that there would be people who call Him Lord and even operate in supernatural power, but do not know Him. He said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.'" (Mat 7:21-23). So while people may operate in powerful manifestations, the real evidence of whether they know the Lord is their fruits. You will know them by their fruits (Mat 7:20).

Judas Iscariot
Perhaps Judas Iscariot is the best example of one such person who was a disciple of Christ. He was appointed by Jesus to be one of His twelve apostles, and he was sent out to preach the gospel, heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead. Yet he did not know the Lord, but betrayed Him for only thirty pieces of silver.

As Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Mt 6:24, NIV)

Saul of Tarsus
One final example I'd like to give is Saul of Tarsus before his conversion to Christ. As a Jewish Pharisee who did not know the Lord, he was very religious, having been educated under Gamaliel strictly according to the law of Moses. He was zealous for God, persecuting Christians to death, binding and putting them into prisons. Yet he did not know the Lord. Here is the account of his conversion:

"Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do." (Act 9:1-6)

When Jesus Christ the Son of the Most High God appeared in a blinding light to this very zealous, religious man, he did not even recognize Him. He said, "Who are You, Lord?" Again, it underscores how one can be very religious and zealous for their cause, yet not even know the Lord. But that day Saul came to know the Lord and his whole life changed. The Christians said of him "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy."

Because he repented and put his faith in Christ, God forgave all his sins. Saul's namesake had been the first king of Israel, Saul son of Kish, who was said to be a head and shoulders taller than all his peers. Yet when Saul of Tarsus came to know Jesus personally, he changed his name to Paul, which means little. God called him to be an apostle and used him mightily to reach most of the known world of his day with the gospel. In fact, the Lord used him to write half the books of the New Testament Bible.

Destruction of Those Who Do Not Know Him
Paul taught that when the Lord is revealed from heaven, He will deal out retribution to those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. He said, "...when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power..." (2Th 1:7-9)

In the book of Job it speaks of the terrible fate of the one who does not know God: "He is driven from light into darkness, And chased from the inhabited world...Those in the west are appalled at his fate, And those in the east are seized with horror. Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, And this is the place of him who does not know God." (Job 18:18-21)

Those Who Know the Lord
Before I conclude, I would like to give some examples of those in Scripture who did know the Lord. I have already mentioned some of them like the prophet Samuel and the apostle Paul. Abraham knew the Lord and so did Jacob and Isaac. Noah was another man who knew the Lord, who walked with God. David knew the Lord and was a man after the Lord's own heart (1 Sam 13:14; Ac 13:22). Joseph knew the Lord and was persecuted both by his brothers and Potiphar's wife. The prophets Elijah and Elisha knew the Lord and so did Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, and the minor prophets. These men heard his voice and suffered persecution for the Lord's sake.

The same is true of the apostles Peter, James, John, and the rest of the original apostles, all of whom were martyred to death, except John who was banished to the island of Patmos. The Lord used John to write one of the four gospels in Scripture, three epistles, and He gave John a tremendous, apocalyptic revelation while he was suffering on the island, which became a book of the Bible called Revelation. John the Baptist knew the Lord, because he recognized Him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He prepared the way for the Lord and lived a godly life, and he was beheaded by King Herod. Stephen knew the Lord, too, and he was stoned to death. The Lord's brothers James and Jude knew the Lord, and so did the women who went to His tomb after His crucifixion. Mary the sister of Lazarus, who sat at Jesus feet, knew the Lord. And so did the one hundred and twenty disciples who were praying in the upper room in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, and who received the baptism with the Holy Spirit (Ac 2:1-6).

The Lord spoke through Jeremiah the prophet about the (then future) New Covenant that He has since inaugurated through Jesus Christ. He said: "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jer 31:34). This teaches us that under the New Covenant in Jesus' blood, all of His disciples know the Lord from the least to the greatest.

This promise is not just for Israel but for Gentiles, too! As the prophet Isaiah said, "Thus the LORD will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day. They will even worship with sacrifice and offering, and will make a vow to the LORD and perform it. (Isa 19:21)

Hope for the Backslider
Perhaps you once knew the Lord, but have since slidden back into a life of sin and worldliness, but you now want to return to the Lord. There is hope for you, just as there was hope for backslidden Israel during the decline of the Northern Kingdom, when the Lord said to them through Hosea: "And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the LORD." (Hos 2:20). Be earnest, therefore, and repent.

The Lord also held out hope for backslidden Israel after they had been carried into Babylonian exile, when He spoke these words through the prophet Jeremiah: "I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart." (Jer 24:7, NIV).

May our heart's cry be like that of Hosea, who proclaimed: "So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth." (Hos 6:3).

Putting it All Together
If you know the Lord, you will love Him and others. You will do what is right and just, and defend the cause of the poor and needy. You will keep His commandments, which means you will keep His Word. You will obey Him and do what He says. It's called obeying the gospel. You will abstain from sexual immorality and possess your vessel in holiness.

You cannot know God except through Jesus Christ. To know Jesus is to know the Father, and that is eternal life. The consequence or outcome of knowing Him is attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not only do those who know Jesus know God the Father, they also know the Spirit of truth.

This is how it was for Jesus: During His earthly existence, He knew God the Father and He knew the Spirit, too. He came from God and by keeping His Word He proved that He knew Him.

When He comes back again it will be in flaming fire with His mighty angels to deal out retribution to those who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be shut out of the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.

Therefore, knowing Jesus and knowing God is of utmost importance. It is critical that you come to know Him, because your very soul depends on it. That is why I urge you to seek the Lord to know Him more, if you already know Him, and demonstrate by your actions that you know Him. He is watching to see you do so. And if you don't know Him, then I hope that after reading this you have a desire to know Him now.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright the Lockman Foundation. Other Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan. The "At the Helm" painting is by renowned artist Danny Hahlbohm of Inspired Art, © 2018, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  Also see Known by God, The Knowledge of the Holy, Pictures of Jesus Showing the Beauty of Christ, Do You Want to Know Jesus?, You Must Be Born Again, All Things Are New, Is Obedience Optional?, The Obedience of Faith, Faith Works!, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Deleted Scriptures in the Bible?, Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian, Hearing the Lord's Voice, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Called to be Blameless, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, From Religion to Relationship, The Law of Love in the New Testament, The Law of Christ, The Cost of Discipleship, Should You Fear the Lord?, Escaping from Dead Religion, Baptized with the Spirit, and Holy Fire Baptism.

You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Known by God

There are three essential aspects of our walk with Jesus Christ - knowing Him, making Him known, and being known by Him. Today I'd like to focus for a moment on the last one.

The apostle Paul said to the Galatians, "But now that you know God or rather are known by God —how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?" (Gal 4:9, NIV). He thought it was more appropriate to say they were known by God than that they knew God. Perhaps that's because right now we only know God in part (1 Cor 13:9). Even the apostle Paul admitted that he himself only knew God in part.

He said, "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Cor 13:12, NIV)

Those who truly belong to the Lord are fully known by Him. David described in Psalm 139 just how completely God knew Him, when he wrote:

"You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you." (Ps 139:1-18, NIV).

That's how intimately God knows those who belong to Him. At this time, we cannot say we know God that same way, but we will when we see Him face to face. Then we shall know Him fully, even as we are fully known.

Yet not everyone who says to Jesus, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father in heaven. (Mt 7:21). There are people who operate in the supernatural, prophesying and driving out demons in the name of Jesus, and who call Him "Lord," but He does not know them. And on judgment day He will tell them so. He said, "Then I will tell him plainly, I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!" (Mt 7:23, NIV)

None of us would ever want to hear the Lord say those words to us, yet He does have to say that to many people, who then go away into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Mt 25:41). That is the eternal punishment that awaits those false disciples who do not do the will of the Father in heaven. The Lord will deny that He ever knew them.

Therefore it behooves us to know for sure that Christ knows us. How can we know that He does? He said to do the will of the Father in heaven, and then Christ will acknowledge us as one of His own whom He knows. Paul also said in his letter to Timothy: "'The Lord knows those who are His,' and 'Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.'" (2 Tim 2:19, NIV)

This is a key aspect that is not preached about much these days. The Lord surely knows those who are His. But if you confess Jesus as your Lord, you must turn away from wickedness. If you do not depart from all iniquity, then don't expect the Lord to know you as His own.

That's why it's best to pray sincerely as David did at the end of Psalm 139 for the Lord to search you and reveal any wicked way in you:

"Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting."
(Ps 139:23-24, NIV)

It reminds me of the words of the famous hymn, Search Me, O God, by J. Edwin Orr that goes:

"Search me, O God,
And know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior,
Know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be
Some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin
And set me free."

This is a wonderful way to express your love for God, by asking Him to search you, cleanse you from every sin, and set you free. If you truly love God, then you will be known by Him. Paul said, "The man who loves God is known by God." (1 Co 8:3, NIV). Yet many people say they love God, and not everyone who claims to love Him truly loves Him. Here is the standard by which it will be determined whether you love God.

Jesus said, "Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. He who loves me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and show Myself to him." (Joh 14:21, NIV). He also said, ""If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our home with him." (Joh 14:23, NIV). Therefore, if you want to be known by God, then you must love Him, and if you truly love Him, you will obey the commands of Jesus. You will obey His teaching.

That is the straight and narrow path that only few people are willing to take, and it's the only one that leads to eternal life. Many would rather take the wide road to destruction. If you want to be known by God, then find out what pleases the Lord. Take the commands of Jesus and obey them. Follow His teachings and do what He said. That will affect every area of your life. Let me encourage you to do that today, if you are not already doing so. Then you will have no regrets on judgment day. If you depart from sin and serve the Lord with love, then you will not have to hear Him say, "Depart from me, you evildoer, I never knew you," but will instead hear Him say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant," and you will know Him fully even as you are known.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV.

Author's note: If you would like to become a disciple, consider enrolling in our Doulos Training School. You are invited to read Knowing the Lord, The Difference Between Being a Disciple and a Believer, The Cost of Discipleship, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Separation from the World, Michael Shigaba's Encounter with Jesus, Strive to Enter the Kingdom of God, Straight and Narrow Path, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, A Warning for Married Christian Couples, What's Wrong with the Prosperity Gospel, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Carrying Your Cross or Cross Dressing?, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations, Keeping Sundays Holy - Part I, Keeping Sundays Holy - Part II, Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Three Divine Revelations, God's View of Public Bathing, and Ask for the Ancient Paths. You may access the Main Directory for this Seeking the Lord blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

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Baptized by Blazing Fire	Taken to Hell	Angelica Zambrano Second Visit to Hell
Australian Pastor Raised from the Dead	Nigerian Pastor Raised from the Dead	Revelation of Hell to Seven Colombian Youths

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping

Remember Lot’s Wife

Dear God seekers,

I want to compare and contrast the wives of Lot and Noah. There were both similarities and differences between them.

Lot’s Wife

Let’s begin with the words of our Lord Jesus, who said, "Remember Lot's wife.” (Luk 17:32). This is one of the shortest verses in the Bible, and yet has very profound meaning.

In the context, Jesus was giving instructions for those of us who are living in these last days when He returns. He told us that if we are in the field at that time, we must not turn back to get anything in the house. And if we are on the rooftop, we should not go back down to retrieve any goods inside. He reminded us of Lot’s wife as a warning to us if we do turn back. And He explicitly said, "Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” (Luk 17:33). Therefore, His admonition to remember Lot’s wife is a very important one, since she lost her life when she sought to keep it. These things happened to her as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come, as a warning to keep us from doing what she did and coming under the same judgment (1 Co 10:11).

It would be useful for us at this point to review the account of what happened to Lot’s wife in its proper context, in order to fully apprehend the lesson we are supposed to learn from it.

When Abraham (then called Abram) moved to Canaan from Haran with his wife Sarah (then called Sarai) and his nephew Lot, God promised to give him the land of Canaan (Gen 12:5). Both Abraham and Lot had flocks and herds and the land could not sustain them, so strife erupted between their herdsmen. Then Abraham proposed a way to resolve the strife by separating from each other. He offered Lot to go any place he wished in the land, and Lot chose to settle in the beautiful, well-watered valley of the Jordan, which was like the garden of the Lord. So he journeyed eastward and eventually settled in Sodom, while Abraham settled in Canaan, so this is how they separated.

“Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD. The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.’” (Gen 13:13-15)

A few years later, the Lord appeared to Abraham at his tent by the oaks of Mamre. And the LORD said, "The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know." (Gen 18:20-21). So Abraham proceeded to negotiate with the Lord to spare the righteous, rather than destroy them with the wicked who lived in that place. Because of Abraham’s intercession, the Lord sent two angels to Lot in Sodom, in order to rescue him and his family before they destroyed the city.

“Then the two men said to Lot, ‘Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place; for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the LORD that the LORD has sent us to destroy it.’" (Gen 19:12-13)

For Lot’s sake, the Lord would have spared anyone who belonged to his household. But as it was, neither of his sons-in-law believed Lot when he tried to warn them. So the only family members that escaped with Lot were his wife and two daughters.

“When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, ‘Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.’ But he hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the LORD was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city. When they had brought them outside, one said, ‘Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.’" (Gen 19:15-17)

Lot's Wife pillar, Mount Sodom, Israel

Lot was the only righteous person in his family, but his wife and daughters were spared for his sake. They were strictly warned not to look behind them, and not to stay in the valley, but to run for their lives and escape to the mountains. Lot negotiated with the angel to escape to the nearby town of Zoar, rather than the mountains, which they did with the angel’s permission. However, on the way, Lot’s wife looked back.

“By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” (Gen 19:23-26, NIV)

It is very likely that the angel of the Lord was leading them as they escaped to Zoar, followed by Lot’s wife and daughters, with Lot in the rear to make sure everybody made it safely. When Lot’s wife looked back, she may have been in front of Lot in the group, so that he saw her at the moment she turned around and became a pillar of salt. If she had been behind him, as the NASB version states, he would not have seen this happen, since he was forbidden to look behind him. However, the NIV version agrees with the Hebrew text of Scripture, which does not indicate that Lot’s wife was behind him, but that she looked behind her.

Based on this account, we may conclude that Lot’s wife was a worldly woman, who loved the city of Sodom and its unprincipled men, and who was not oppressed by their sensual conduct as righteous Lot was, nor was she tormented as he was in his soul day after day by their lawless deeds (2Pe 2:7-8). All she had to do was obey the angel’s orders to escape and not look back. But she ignored the Lord's command and looked back, because she loved this world and the life she had in Sodom. That is why she came under judgment with that city and lost her life. She had been shown grace by being given the chance to escape destruction, but she resisted the grace of God, because of her worldliness.

It did not matter that she was related to a righteous man by marriage. You can be the wife of a godly preacher, but still perish. You can be the son or daughter of righteous parents and still perish.

The fact that Lot's wife perished when she looked back is a warning not only against loving our lives in this world, but also against worldliness. James warned, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (Jas 4:4). And John said, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1Jn 2:15).

Noah’s Wife
Now let’s look at the wife of Noah to see the similarities and differences she had with Lot’s wife.

God decided to destroy the earth because of the wickedness of men.

“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” (Gen 6:5-8)

The reason why Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord and why the Lord decided to spare Noah was that He was a righteous and blameless man who walked with God. It says, “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.”(Gen 6:9b)

The reason the Lord spared his family was not that they were righteous, but for Noah’s sake and to repopulate the earth. The apostle Peter said God, “preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly.” (2Pe 2:5). Peter emphasized that Noah was a preacher of righteousness, and the seven others were spared with him.

He preached righteousness to a wicked generation, while he built the ark, but nobody took heed to what he said. Noah himself did not come up with the pattern for the ark or its dimensions and specifications. God gave him the instructions with all the specifications, and Noah obediently followed them by building the ark accordingly. “Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.” (Gen 6:22)

Before the flood came, God commanded Noah to enter the ark with his family. “Then the LORD said to Noah, ‘Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time.’” (Gen 7:1). Again, the Lord emphasized that he saw Noah alone as righteous before Him in that time.

Entering the ark was the condition the Lord gave Noah for salvation. If Noah, along with his wife and household, were to be rescued from destruction, all they needed to do was enter the ark and remain in it. Once they entered, there was no going outside for fresh air while they waited for the rain to begin. Noah’s wife obeyed and stayed in the ark. That’s a key difference between her and Lot’s wife, who disobeyed. Noah’s wife did not love the world as Lot’s wife did.

The ark is a type of Christ, according to Peter (1 Pe 3:20-21). If you don’t stay in Christ, who is the ark, you cannot be saved. It’s not a guaranteed salvation, which is certain to happen, no matter what you choose to do. You have to remain in Christ. You must obey Him.

Jesus taught us to abide in Him when He said, "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (Joh 15:6-7)

Jesus also taught us to obey Him when He said, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. (Joh 15:10)

The apostle John taught us to abide in Him. “The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”  (1Jn 3:24)

Putting it All Together
In summary, Lot’s wife was a bad example of what not to do, and Noah’s wife was a godly example for us to follow. Both women were married to righteous men at a time when God was sending destruction upon the wicked people of the earth. While neither woman was named in Scripture, God extended grace to both of them, and gave them some simple commands to follow.

Noah’s wife received the grace of God unto salvation, but Lot’s wife received God’s grace in vain. Noah’s wife believed and obeyed the Lord’s command, but Lot’s wife did not believe and disobeyed. Noah’s wife cared not for this world, and had no problem separating from it, but Lot’s wife loved this world. Noah’s wife lost her life and in doing so preserved it, but Lot’s wife sought to keep her life and in doing so lost it. Noah’s wife escaped destruction, but Lot’s wife did not.

Remember Lot’s wife. Don’t look back. Jesus said, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luk 9:62). Rather than love this world or the things of this world, separate from it. Escape for your life! If you don’t, you will be swept away. Flee from the coming wrath. Save yourselves from this corrupt generation (Ac 2:40)! If you don’t know the Lord, then repent and be baptized in Jesus’ name for the forgiveness of sins. If you do know Him, then remain in Christ and obey His commands.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, where noted. The photo of the Lot's Wife salt pillar is a geological formation on Mount Sodom, overlooking the Dead Sea (from Wikimedia Commons). Wikipedia states: "The site of the present Dead Sea Works, a large operation for the extraction of Dead Sea minerals, is called 'Sdom' (סדום) according to its traditional Arab name, Khirbet as-sudūm. Nearby is unique Mount Sodom (הר סדום in Hebrew) consisting mainly of salt. In the Plain of Sdom (מישור סדום) to the south there are a few springs and two small agricultural villages."

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like No Turning Back, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Separation from the World, Don't Look Back (poem), Come Out of Her, Garments of Godliness, Keeping Your Body Pure and Holy, Keeping Sundays Holy, Faith Works!, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Two Divine Revelations, The Straight and Narrow Path, and Ask for the Ancient Paths. I highly recommend reading, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies, Conditions of the New Covenant, and Holy Fire Baptism. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Aim for Perfection

These days it seems like most so-called Christians have given up on the idea of perfection.  They are willing to settle for compromise with the world and sin in their own lives, doing so under the excuse of grace.  But grace is not a license for sin.  So I’d like to examine the Scriptural standard for the life of every disciple of Christ.  The standard is perfection.   To be more precise, it is sinless perfection.

You May Not Sin
Jesus spoke to the man whose hand was healed, and warned him not to sin anymore. “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.’” (Joh 5:14).  Why would Jesus tell him to sin no more, if it were not possible?  Wouldn’t that only frustrate the man? No, the Lord would not command him to do something that was impossible.

He said, “sin no more.” That expression comes from the Greek words “harmatano meketi.”  The word “harmatano” means “to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize), that is, (figuratively) to err, especially (morally) to sin: - for your faults, offend, sin, trespass” (Strongs).  And meketi means, “no further: - any longer, (not) henceforth, hereafter, no henceforward (longer, more, soon), not any more.”  “Meketi” comes from the Greek root word “me,” which is a primary particle of qualified negation, such as “not, neither, never, no, none, nor, or without” (Strongs). And the other root word “eti” means “yet”, still (of time or degree): - after that, also, ever, (any) further, (t-) henceforth (more), hereafter, (any) longer, (any) more (-one), now, still, yet.” Therefore, "meketi" emphasizes the discontinuation of an act already in progress and the negation of an act in the future.

After Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery, He used that same expression to warn her to leave her life of sin.  “She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.’” (Joh 8:11).  That expression once again comes from the Greek words “harmatano meketi.”

The apostle John wrote his epistle, so that his readers may not sin.  “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”  (1Jn 2:1-2)

John said, "You may not sin." That expression comes from the Greek words “me harmatano” meaning "sin not" just as the apostle Paul used in his epistle to the Corinthians, when he wrote, "Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame." (1Co 15:34). Other English versions say, “sin not” (KJV) or “do not go on sinning” (ESV).

John taught that sin has no place in the life of one who is born again. He said, “We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.” (1Jn 5:18).

I believe the Lord would say the same to us today as He and His apostles said then, "Do not sin anymore."

Depart from Iniquity
The apostle Paul said, "Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.'" (2Ti 2:19). He explicitly said we must abstain from wickedness, which means to refrain from indulgence in it, or to restrain oneself from doing it or enjoying it. Other versions say "depart from iniquity" or "depart from unrighteousness."  This leaves no room for any unrighteousness at all in our lives. We have a responsibility to depart from it.

Abstain from Sinful Desires
Likewise, the apostle Peter said, "Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul." (1 Pe 2:11, NIV). It should be obvious from Scriptures like this that all sin is forbidden for the saints.

Do No Evil
The Holy Spirit spoke through the mouth of Isaiah saying, "Cease to do evil!" (Is 1:16b). Likewise, the apostle Paul prayed for the Corinthians that they would do no evil. He said, "Now I pray to God that ye do no evil." (2Co 13:7a, KJV). The Greek word for "evil" here is "kakos", which means that which is  worthless, depraved, sick, injurious, bad, evil, harmful, or wicked. This should be our prayer also for ourselves and others that we would do no evil, in other words do nothing wicked, wrong, bad, harmful, or sinful in any way. This is even more important than praying that we would be spared from suffering evil.

Be Perfect
Jesus said, "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mat 5:48).  The word “perfect” is “teleios” in the Greek, meaning “complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); completeness: - of full age, man, perfect.”  When Jesus said, “as your heavenly Father is perfect,” it clarified that was talking about godly perfection.  Obviously what Jesus referred to was moral perfection of the same kind that our Father in heaven has.  He would not command us to do something that was impossible, so we know this is attainable.

The apostle Paul also said that Epaphras prayed earnestly for the Colossians so that they may “stand perfect.” He said, “Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.” (Col 4:12)

Likewise, that was the way Paul prayed for the Corinthians.  In the context of praying that they would do no evil (2 Cor 13:7), as I mentioned previously, He said, "But we pray also for this, your perfection." (2 Co 13:9b, MKJV). The word “perfect” is “katartisis” in the Greek, meaning “perfection” (Strongs). That is the goal.

How to Attain Perfection
But how do we attain such perfection?  There is a responsibility on our part to be perfect, as Jesus said. We certainly have an active role in submitting to the process. However, the Lord carries out the process, as a refiner does with silver or gold. Peter said that Christ Himself will perfect you through suffering.  “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” (1Pe 5:10)

Paul also said the Lord will perfect the good work He began in you. “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Php 1:6).  Note that Paul says the Lord will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus, which means it is an ongoing work until the Lord returns or until we go to be with Him.

Therefore, while we must actively participate and make every effort to be perfect, it does not depend completely on us. Ultimately it is the Lord's work in us, without which we could never be perfect.

Now But Not Yet
So then are we perfect already, or is it still something we seek to obtain?  The apostle Paul made it clear that he had not already become perfect.  “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” (Php 3:12).  Now I can relate with that! Although he admitted he was not yet perfect, he made it his aim to reach that goal, since that was the reason Jesus Christ laid hold of him.

On the other hand, Paul also referred to himself among those who were already perfect.  He said “Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;” (Php 3:15).  Paul spoke in the first person plural in the present tense, when he said “as many as are perfect.” So we see that although Paul had not already become perfect, he was in fact leading a perfect life to the greatest extent possible at that time.  I call this "Now, But Not Yet ."

A Perfect Conscience
The gifts and sacrifices of the Law could not make the worshiper perfect in conscience.  “Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,” (Heb 9:9b). 

But those who accept the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ are not guilty, not only because of destroyed records, but because of a purged conscience.  When your conscience has been purged, it becomes perfect.

This is a glorious gift from God, because a guilty conscience makes a person miserable.  And it only keeps the person bound by sin, so they keep repeating the same thing.  But a clear conscience is liberating and free. It is no longer obligated to sin, but is obligated to righteousness.  Thank the Lord for a clear conscience!

Spirits made Perfect
The apostle writing to the Hebrews said that when you come to know the Lord, “You have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,” (Heb 12:22b-23)

We are one with the entire Body of Christ, including those who have already gone before us into glory.  They are the spirits of righteous men, women, and children made perfect.  That’s what we are, if we know Jesus and obey His commands.  Note that is says we are "made perfect" and the One who made us perfect is the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s what we are becoming, and we’ll soon join that heavenly throng.

Is Perfect Simply Being Complete?
Some people who teach about perfection say that the Greek word for “perfect” simply means being “complete.” They imply that is doesn’t really mean moral perfection as we understand it in the English language. 

But James said, “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (Jas 1:4)  James uses two different words here, “perfect” and “complete”.  The word “perfect” is “telios” in the Greek, which we have already defined as perfect.  The word “complete” is “holokleros” in the Greek, meaning “complete in every part, that is, perfectly sound (in body): - entire, whole.”  Since James said, “you may be perfect and complete,” we know there is a difference between “perfect” and “complete”.  We know that when the Scripture speaks of being perfect, it does not simply mean “complete.” Since James used both these terms side by side, we know it is God’s will for us to be perfect, and it is possible for the believer.

The Power of the Tongue in Perfection
James described a perfect man as one who does not stumble in what he says: “For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” (Jas 3:2).  He said the reason such a man is perfect is that the tongue will direct the course of one’s entire life.

Jesus said, "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” (Luk 6:45).  The mouth speaks from whatever the heart is full of.

Since the tongue merely speaks from the overflow of the heart, then the real issue is one of the heart.  Therefore, ask the Lord to give you a perfect heart, as David prayed for his son, Solomon: “and give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies and Your statutes, and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision." (1Ch 29:19)

What if You Do Sin?
And always remember, “if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”  (1Jn 2:1b-2). If we do sin, Jesus Christ is our Advocate with the Father.

John also said, “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1Jn 1:7). Aren't you glad to know that as long as you walk in the Light as He is in the Light, the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin?

Never forget, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jn 1:9). Confess your sins, and He will forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

Aim for Perfection
Make it your goal to be perfect.  Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.  Pursue holiness (Heb 12:14).  Finally, brothers, good-by. The apostle Paul said, “Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Cor 13:11)

Putting it All Together
There is no place in the Bible that says God tolerates any amount of sin. The Scriptures teach us that we are to be perfect, even as our heavenly Father is perfect.  That's God's high standard for our lives. We are to sin no more. Depart from iniquity. Committing sin is no longer allowed. If we continue in a sinful lifestyle, then something worse may happen to us than what the Lord originally healed or delivered us from.

He has promised to give us a perfect conscience that is clear and free of guilt.  When you are born again, your conscience is restored and made to be like that of a little child once again.  That sets you free to soar like an eagle and obey the Lord in true righteousness.

You can't do this yourself.  You need a definite work of the Holy Spirit in your life.  That's why we must pray for perfection for ourselves and one another.

The main culprit is the tongue, so watch your tongue.  And ask the Lord to give you a pure and perfect heart, so that the words overflowing out of it through your mouth will be perfect also, and order your whole life in a way that is pleasing to God.

You don't need to go around telling everyone you are perfect.  Just live it.  And the Lord will continue to perfect the good work He started in you until the day of Christ Jesus.  He'll always be working on something in your life, as you continue to pursue truth, righteousness, and holiness.  So if you do sin, repent and confess it, so you may be forgiven.  A daily life of repentance is the shortest path to God's mercy, and that's how I seek to live my life.

Brethren, aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "Let This Mind Be in You" and "Nothing is Impossible" paintings © 2012 are by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  I invite you to see these related articles of mine: Christian Perfection, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Called to be Blameless, Following in His Steps, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Is Obedience Optional?, Faith Works!, Obedience by the Spirit, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Doing What is Right, The Straight and Narrow Path, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, The Fiery Sufferings of the Believer, and Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God. You can access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.