HOW DO YOU KNOW ?

 

How Do You Know?

SRB 19 Nov 2025​

Matt 7:21–23 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.

Obviously, Christ Yeshua was talking about someone else. I can be sure it is not about me since the people in my church compliment me on my knowledge of scripture, my generous giving, and the many times I volunteer for committees and projects. So, it cannot be referring to me.

That part about “the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” is proved by all the things I mentioned previously, right?

…. Or maybe I am missing something. Perhaps the evidence of my status with our Father has little to do with my outward contributions to a local church? If so, what else is there?

Jer 9:23–24 YLT Thus said Jehovah: Let not the wise boast himself in his wisdom, Nor let the mighty boast himself in his might, Let not the rich boast himself in his riches, but in this let the boaster boast himself, In understanding and knowing Me, For I am Jehovah, doing kindness, Judgment, and righteousness, in the earth. For in these I have delighted, An affirmation of Jehovah.

(I like the Young’s Literal Translation since it does not remove God’s name found in the oldest manuscripts from the bible (even though he uses Jehovah rather than Yahweh.)

So, we must know Him. That’s easy, right? For those who have spent years at the feet of their preachers and teachers, believing that they know God is automatic. But do they?

We are told that we must believe in someone else, too.

John 6:28–29 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

That is another easy answer for those who choose to believe what man has taught. I rarely meet anyone who questions those things that their church has taught. There are many responses to questions about the major change of American culture that apparently started in the 1950’s that caused young people to be more concerned with “fitting in” with their social environment than to facts and objective thought. In short, we feel the need to be accepted.

Ideas become facts because majority opinion has more power than truth. This runs counter to the Apostle Paul’s remarks about the Berean church searching scripture to see if Paul’s words agreed with the contents of their books and letters.

Rarely do Christians do that, and those who do and find valid questions get pushed away.

So, again with the initial question: how do I know if I am a true follower of the Son of God? I submit it has nothing to do with my contributions to a local church. Instead, it has everything to do with knowing Yahweh and Yeshua and obeying their commands.

Every teaching from Yeshua that appears in our New Testament came from His Father.   John 7:16  If I am looking to see what God’s commands are; I look to the words of Yeshua first.

A final note: we must know the truth given to us by the spirit of God.. Now, this sounds simple while it is in print. It is not so simple if I had not already received the spirit of God.

Yahweh chooses those who He will elect. He calls them to know His Son. Those who know His Son are baptized into the New Covenant and received the spirit of God. Most folks would say “I already know that.” I once thought that I knew that. I once believed that I knew that as well. Until it really happened. The impossible part here is that those who have not learned God’s truth cannot understand what I just wrote. It seems like so much arrogance, and that is probably why those who do understand are reluctant to share this information. The world around us, having had 2000 years to polish their deceptions, have got a firm grip on religion.

In order to understand scripture, one’s desire for truth must become a passion. It is better done in small groups with others who seek truth. Seeking God with all you have and asking Him for truth – and waiting on Him to answer - is important.. I think it must be acknowledged that God will know if you are sincerely seeking Him – frauds need not apply.

I think many will do like the Jews and seek some sign that these words are true. The Jews wanted one from Yeshua as well, and it was not that long before the sign was given.:

Matt 12:38–41 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

So, anticipating a question to all this, I’ll answer what I think will be asked: how do I receive the truth?

Answer: I’m certain that many remember all the warnings that were given in scripture regarding evil people arising and distort the teachings of Yeshua and His Apostles.  Jude 1:3-4 There will be wolves in sheep’s disguise and may deceive even “the elect.” Matthew 24:24

Do you think that these warnings were for only the first century people? Second century? A short internet search should quickly show that this deception has never stopped. It is going on today. Where can you find it? Look around. Search your church’s statements of faith. Look at the doctrines you are being taught with their “proof texts.’

The corruption of scriptures is real. There will be those “authorities” who understand Greek or Hebrew and dismiss all those errors as minor - with no true impact. Friends, those minor errors, those additions, those mistranslated words have hidden the truth from the masses.

So, what do we do to get the truth? First, we believe Yahweh:

Jer 31:30–34a YLT Lo, days are coming, an affirmation of Jehovah, And I have made with the house of Israel And with the house of Judah a new covenant, Not like the covenant that I made with their fathers, In the day of My laying hold on their hand, To bring them out of the land of Egypt, In that they made void My covenant, And I ruled over them—an affirmation of Jehovah. For this is the covenant that I make, With the house of Israel, after those days, An affirmation of Jehovah, I have given My law in their inward part, and on their heart I do write it, And I have been to them for God, And they are to me for a people. And they do not teach any more each his neighbor, and each his brother, Saying, Know ye Jehovah, For they all know Me, from their least unto their greatest.

Gal 3:5–7 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.

Isaiah 54:13 All your children shall be taught by the LORD, Yahweh and great shall be the peace of your children.

John 6:44–45 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

1 Thess 4:8–9 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,

1 John 2:26–27 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

There are those among you who desire that people do not accept these passages literally. I can certainly understand their concern. They are dealing with those who are not the Elect of God. They are Christians according to the customs of their churches only. The huge difference between my understanding and the local church pastor or teacher is that my view includes ONLY those whom God has given His spirit. Your local church leaders think that all of you already have God’s spirit. They do not want anyone to rock their boat.

James 3:1-2 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

Jas 1:5–8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways

Finally, I want to close these thoughts with this passage that I hope inspires deeper thought by the readers. It is so important.

Phil 2:12–13 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

When God gives you His Truth, it will be unshakeable. You will not fear discussing it with anyone. You will not be timid when questioned. You will not be angry with those who doubt you.

May I say, if your belief is not open for a mature discussion, you probably don’t believe it. If you cannot explain the reason for your belief, then it is not your belief – it came from someone else.