1 John 2:4-5 TPT “If someone claims, “I have come to know God by experience,” yet doesn’t keep God’s commands, he is a phony and the truth finds no place in him.
5 But the love of God will be perfected within the one who obeys God’s Word. We can be sure that we’ve truly come to live in intimacy with God,”
A person may have experienced visions and dreams, seen demons and angels, heard God, performed deliverance, experienced a miracle, received breakthroughs, and even been rescued from some danger, but the Bible clearly says such experiences do not mean you have come to know God intimately. Why? Because even unbelievers or pagans can experience spiritual events. Many Christians boast of seeing Jesus or demons and presume that seals their identity. If you saw the president of the US, does that make you a citizen automatically? No, it does not.
The Bible defines we come to know Him, love Him, and become intimate as we keep and walk in His commandments or ways. You must be a person who knows the Word, keeps the Word, and lives the Word. Otherwise, the Bible clearly says such a person who does not know or keep His commandments is a phony baloney. So then, what is more important with your time? Then we come to the most important question for an individual, which is whether you have read the whole Bible and continue to do so? Or are you a liar? But even so, have you really read to know or read to skim and say you did when, in truth, you have not? It is a very simple action and assignment for those who claim to “believe!”
Additional Comments
Why is it that in my spirit, I feel that we have people in my church who have been here for many many years and have not read the whole Bible but have sought the book “Bible for Dummies” and pretended and lied about having read the WHOLE BIBLE?
Verse 5 says the love of God is perfected within the one who obeys God’s Word. You may have read, but did you read to Love, or did you read because you were told to do so? And for those who have read, you need to apply and read to love rather than out of religious duty or fear.
What you put in is what you get out. What you sow is what you reap. If you try to find shortcuts, you get lost and lose time. If you get greedy, you end up poor.
Do not try to beat the process of God or think you are exceptional and will get some free pass or waiver. God is no respector of men. It means you’re not all that so stop acting like you are all that. Therefore, stay in your lane and wait in line and work on humility.
The experiences are there to validate what we carry in our hearts and spirits, which is the Living Word of God.
Pastor Steve Kim