The Test of True Intimacy

Focus: 1 John 2:3–4 (KJV) states: "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 

The ultimate proof of a saving relationship with God is not our emotional feelings or verbal claims, but our active obedience to His Word. It is a dangerous deception for a person to claim to have deep, intimate spiritual "knowledge" of God while simultaneously living a life of willful, unrepentant disobedience. How do we verify intimacy? The fruit is obedience. If someone brags about their theology, their church attendance, or their close walk with God, yet routinely ignores God's instructions, such a person is living a lie. Obedience is the visible receipt of invisible faith.

Joshua succeeded Moses as the leader of Israel. His entire life was built on a deep relationship with the Lord. God explicitly commanded him to keep the Book of the Law constantly on his lips and to meditate on it day and night, so that he could observe to do according to all that is written therein. Joshua didn't just talk about God; he walked out God's strategies step-by-step, even when they didn't make human sense (like marching silently around the massive walls of Jericho). His obedience proved his genuine knowledge of God, leading to absolute victory. In sharp contrast stood Achan, an Israelite soldier. Outwardly, Achan was part of the covenant community. He marched in the same holy procession around Jericho and shouted the same praises. He certainly would have claimed knowing the Lord. However, when God gave a strict commandment that all the silver, gold, and garments from Jericho were "accursed" and belonged entirely to the Lord's treasury, Achan rebelled. Driven by greed, Achan stole a beautiful Babylonian garment and wedges of gold, hiding them under the dirt inside his tent. He thought his secret was safe, but his deliberate disobedience proved he did not truly revere or know God. His hidden sin stripped Israel of God's protection, resulting in military defeat at the city of Ai until his lie was completely exposed and judged. Achan claimed the identity of a believer, but his lack of obedience labeled him a liar.

Look at your lifestyle over the past few days. Does your private behavior match your public profession? Identify any area where you are saying one thing but doing another. Is there a specific commandment of God that you are currently ignoring or hiding (e.g., unforgiveness, dishonesty in finances, or compromised entertainment choices)? Drag it into the light of repentance today. Remember that keeping God's commandments is not about earning your way to heaven through mechanical rules. It is the natural, loving response of a heart that truly knows how much it is loved by God.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times my lips have confessed your name, but my actions have denied your lordship. Search my heart today and expose any hidden areas of disobedience or compromise. I don't want to live a life of religious pretense like Achan. I want to know you deeply, intimately, and truly. Grant me the grace and the strength to walk in the same radical obedience that Joshua displayed, so that my life may bear witness to the truth of your Word, in Jesus' name, Amen.

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