What Do You Know?

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Recently as I was reading I John 5 (NIV), the word know seemed to pop out of the page. Again and again the Apostle John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit repeats this word. So, I did a bit of research using Blue Letter Bible, on that little word.

In all occasions except one, John uses the Greek word eido. Only in verse 2 does he use the Greek word ginosko. Here are the definitions per the Blue Letter Bible:

       GINOSKO: to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of, perceive

       EIDO: to see; to perceive with the eyes

Here are the six instances that stood out to me.

How do we know that we love the children of God?(GINOSKO)
v. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands. 

How do we know we have eternal life? (EIDO)
v. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 

How do we know we have what we ask of Him? (EIDO)
v. 15 And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.

What do we know about one who continues to sin? (EIDO)
v. 18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 

Do you know that you are a child of God? (EIDO)
v. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 

Do you know Him who is true? (EIDO)
v. 20 We know also 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 by being in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

In this world of so much uncertainty, I am comforted by the fact that I can KNOW a few things. I might not know what the stock market will do tomorrow, if this novel coronavirus is going to impact my mission trip in a week or if the rain will ever stop in Georgia.

But I can know that I have eternal life.

I can know that God hears my prayers.

I can know Him who is true.

I can know I am a child of God.

I can know about the one who continues in sin.

I can know if I love the children of God.

What do you know today?

What are you certain of?

What have you seen?

What have you perceived with your eyes?

Let’s focus on those things and leave the uncertainties…the unknowns to the All-Knowing God.