John commends the members of the churches he is writing to here for the genuineness of their faith. They were not like the members of the many philosophical societies that were a popular aspect of Roman culture at this time. They did not just sit around listening to lectures and discussing theories. No, they didn’t just know about God, they had been brought into a real relationship with God through Christ. They knew God first-hand. And this knowledge was empowering and transformational. If I were to tell you that I know the president of the United States, you would be justifiably incredulous. I know about him, but I don’t know him. When it comes to knowing persons, we assume that there must be a personal relationship involved. How can you really know another person unless you have a personal relationship with them? It is of course useful to know about someone when building a relationship with them, but the facts alone do not suffice for knowing persons. It is likewise important to know about God. But the only way these facts can ever become a matter of real knowledge is if you come to know God for yourself by relating to him. You can know God because he has initiated the relationship. He has forgiven you and is now knocking on the door of your heart. He has come to be your God. He has started the conversation. It is now for you to reply. What is your reply?
Reflect on what God has been saying to you lately. Give thanks to him and ask him to guide you into a deeper relationship with him.
Read 1 John 2:12-14
