Knowing God is not a vague spiritual idea—it is a lived reality that can be tested, proven, and experienced. In this episode of Light on Life, we move from revelation into relationship, uncovering how the Word of God defines what it truly means to know God. First John shows us that knowing Him is not measured by words or feelings, but by a life that guards His Word, walks in obedience, and loves Him with everything—heart, soul, mind, will, emotions, and strength. If you’ve ever wondered whether your relationship with God is real and growing, this teaching will give you clear, biblical markers to know that you truly know Him. How to Know God for Real: Loving Him With Your ALL, all on this week’s Light on Life.

This Week: How loving God with your ALL—heart, soul, mind, will, emotions, and strength—proves that you truly know Him and moves you from revelation into real relationship.

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Accept the Challenge

Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put into operation.
This weeks call is:

No Reserve.

Take inventory of your ALL.

This week: Choose one area—heart, mind, will, emotions, or strength—and fully engage it this week.

Bring God your complete attention, not partial effort. Hold nothing back. Because knowing God is not built on intention—it is proven through total surrender.

Join the Conversation

Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believers life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).

This week’s question is:

Question: Where is it hardest for you to bring your “ALL” to God—your thoughts, your will, your emotions, or your actions?  

Share: What is one area you are choosing this week to fully surrender to Him?

Remember: We grow stronger together. As you bring your ALL to God, you are not walking alone—we are pursuing Him together.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 49 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 44 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Podcast Notes:

• Well again, welcome.
• Let’s pray.

Father God, we come to you so desiring to love you with our ALL. Show us how. Open our hearts to see. Give us the yearning to grow. We give you all the glory and honor for this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Looking Back to Move Forward: From Revealed to Knowing

• In a previous podcast, we discovered that God’s Word is not given merely to inform us—it is given to reveal.
• Through the lens of the word ‘revealed’ in First John, we saw that God makes the invisible visible: His life, our identity, His love, and our authority are all brought into view through the revealed Word.
• We learned that the particular Greek word ‘revealed’ that John uses functions like an X-ray machine—it doesn’t create something new, it exposes what is already there.
• Jesus didn’t become life—He is life.
• And that same life is now revealed to us and reproduced in us through the Word when it is believed and obeyed.
• But we also saw something critical:
• You cannot walk in what has not been revealed.
• And you will not grow beyond what you refuse to apply.
• So the call was clear.
• You must see it; walk it; and live it.
• But that raises the next question.
• If God has revealed Himself to us in the new birth—what’s next?
• How do we know that we truly know Him?
• You see there is a difference between hearing and seeing truth in your Bible and knowing God.
• Even agreeing with truth doesn’t light up the scoreboard.
• Revelation opens the door—but knowing the God of revelation gets us in the room.
• And that brings us to our next step in First John.
• John now shifts from what has been revealed to how you can know—confidently—that you truly know Him.
• And he says it plainly:

1 John 2:3 (NASB 2020) — “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.”

• Now we are on the move.
• We are flowing from revelation into intimate knowing.
• Because we are not looking for a casual relationship with God.
• The world is full of casual carnality.
• No, what you crave as a Jesus follower is a deep, personal experience of knowing God.
• Who is this God?
• Can we know Him?
• Isn’t that the deepest of heart hungers?
• Not just to hear the Word but to see the God of the Word manifested in your world.
• Oh, to know Him in living color!
• And so, we come to it.

Knowing God: What It Means to Know

1 John 2:3–5 (NASB 2020) — 3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever follows His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:

• The book of First John uses the word ‘know’ twenty—six times.
• We must know what it means to know.
• And with that thought, here is the Definition of the Day.
• ‘Know’ is the Greek word ginōskō and it means to know by experience—a deep, personal knowing, not just information about God, but life lived with Him.
• In verse three, the word occurs twice.
• The second use is intensified in the Greek and means “to know intensely,” “to experience deeply,” or “to know fully.”
• Putting this together.
• “By this we know that we have come to know Him deeply—to experience Him personally and intimately.”
• But, there is a condition.
• How do we KNOW that we INTIMATELY KNOW HIM?
• Because we KEEP His commandments.
• ‘Keep’ is deep, much more than you realize.
• The word ‘keep’ in 1 John 2:3 is the Greek word tēreō, and it means more than just obeying.
• It means to guard, to watch over, to hold something as valuable.
• It carries the idea of careful, attentive obedience.
• There is nothing casual about this word.
• There is nothing occasional about this word.
• ‘Keep’ means something you protect because you know it’s valuable.
• This is a continuous way of living—where God’s Word is not just followed, it is guarded.
• God’s Word is meant to be valued, protected, and guarded in obedience.
• And with that thought, here is the Illustration of the Day.

Deep in Kentucky stands one of the most secure places on earth—Fort Knox. It houses a large portion of the United States’ gold reserves. But what makes Fort Knox remarkable is not just what’s inside—it’s how it’s guarded.

The vault is surrounded by layers of protection—steel walls, reinforced concrete, alarms, surveillance, armed guards, and constant watch. Access is restricted. Entry is controlled. Nothing is left to chance. Why? Because what’s inside is considered priceless.

They don’t treat that gold casually. They guard it—because they value it.

• That’s exactly the picture behind the word ‘keep’ in 1 John 2:3—to protect, to guard, to watch over.
• God’s Word is not something you visit occasionally—it’s something you protect intentionally.
• Don’t leave the Word unattended.
• Don’t leave ‘what thus saith the Lord’ to neglect, distraction, or compromise.
• Guard it in your heart.
• Watch over it in your life.
• Treat it like treasure because it’s the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45–46).
• What you value—you guard.
• And what you guard—you keep.

Proverbs 4:20–23 (NASB 2020) — 20 My son, pay attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 They are not to escape from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, And healing to all their body. 23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

• This is how you know that you know Him.
• This is how you know the relationship is real.
• Are His things worth your time to guard?
• We put our trash outside because it’s trash.
• It doesn’t need protection.
• Protection means safety deposit boxes, safes, and locked storage.
• In many parts of the world, believers have had to guard the Bible like treasure because owning one could cost them everything.

In the days when Scripture was restricted or outlawed, families would hide pages of the Bible in walls, under floorboards, or inside simple containers—sometimes even burying them in the ground—just to keep the Word safe.

Not their gold rings. Not their watches. Not their jewelry. The Bible.

In some persecuted nations, believers have gathered in secret, passing around a single Bible, reading it quietly, memorizing entire chapters—because they knew it could be taken from them at any moment.

• What you value you guard at all costs.
• What is lightly esteemed is quickly discarded.
• Casual commitment has a shelf life.
• What you know by experience, you keep.
• What you keep as valuable, you guard.
• The combination is an intense knowing of God.
• Let’s step further.

Knowing God: The Inside Scoop

• We are talking about knowing God First John style.
• People who truly know God place the keeping of His commandments above all.
• What is a commandment?
• A commandment is an order from God about which there is no choice.
• No choice if you want to walk with Him.
• No choice if you want to intimately experience Him.
• Guard, watch over and value His Words.
• Which ones are most to be valued?
• There are 613 of them in the Old Testament alone.
• Jesus gave us the inside scoop on which ones.

Mark 12:28–31 (NASB 2020) — 28 One of the scribes came up and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, ISRAEL! THE LORD IS OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE; 30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ 31 The second is this: ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

• The learned among the Jews called these words, The Shema.
• Shema means to hear.
• We are to hear what is foremost.
• ‘Foremost’ is a word of focus—it means supreme rank and priority.
• We are to hear what is the commandment of priority.
• If you want to know God to the utmost, then you must love Him to the same degree.
• There is a DIRECT correlation between your love for God and your real-time experience of Him.
• God reveals Himself to the lovers.
• He makes Himself known to them.
• Mark defines ‘love God to the utmost’ so that there is no confusion.
• The level is ALL your heart — ALL your soul — ALL your mind — ALL your strength.
• The repetition of ALL four times means comprehensive, undivided focus.
• Total allegiance across the totality of your being.
• ALL means no part left out: every part of you through and through.
• The reality of ALL gets lost in the noise of current culture.
• Religious activity cannot replace the foremost commandment.
• It is the great deception of false religion.
• You can be fully engaged in religion—and still not know God at all.
• Just ask the scribes and Pharisees.
• Because Jesus is not looking for activity—He is looking for ALL.
• Human effort is no substitute for loving God with ALL.
• We are to love God with ALL our heart.
• That starts with the new birth in your spirit.
• We are to love God with ALL our soul and mind.
• That starts by meditating on God’s Word.
• And, we are to love Him with all our strength.
• That starts in our willingness to do His will.
• Obligations can get in the way of ALL.
• Personal wants and even legit needs can do the same.
• They must all take a back seat if you want to truly know God.
• Distractions from ALL choke the love out of your life—like seed among thorns.
• God is to be first — He is supreme — His Word is your relational heartbeat.
• The ones who truly know Him—don’t just try and fit Him into their schedule.
• They build their spirit, soul, and body life around Him.
• Because knowing God is not proven by what you say— but by how you love Him with ALL that you are.

Knowing God: Loving Him With Your Heart

• To understand ALL, you must break it into its parts.
• First the heart: You shall love the Lord Your God with ALL your heart.
• Your heart is your spirit.
• To love God with ALL your heart starts with the new birth.
• This invalidates the efforts of every false religion.
• Starting with the new birth means surrendering the core of who you are to Jesus because your spirit is the real you.
• It is saying ‘Yes’ to the Lordship of Jesus in every facet of your life.
• It means inviting Him to deal with ALL that comes from within.
• Everything is on the table.

Mark 7:20–23 (NASB 2020) — 20 And He was saying, “That which comes out of the person, that is what defiles the person. 21 For from within, out of the hearts of people, come the evil thoughts, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, acts of adultery, 22 deeds of greed, wickedness, deceit, indecent behavior, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile the person.”

• This is what resides in the natural man—not the one who has been born again.
• New heart. New domain.
• The born-again man has been transferred out of darkness.
• This is what now resides in you as a Jesus follower.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NASB 2020) — 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

• To love God with ALL your heart is to allow the Holy Spirit to develop these fruits in you.
• This is exactly how Jesus lived in His earthly walk.
• To love God with ALL your heart is to manifest outwardly what He has placed inwardly.
• Do not settle for undeveloped fruit.

Knowing God: Loving Him With Your Soul

• Now, what about the soul?
• Jesus said we are to love the Lord our God with ALL our soul.
• The soul consists of the mind, will, and emotions.
• So here comes the breakdown.
• Love God with ALL your mind — with ALL your will — with all your emotions.
• ALL your mind involves the great exchange.

Romans 12:2 (NASB 2020) — 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

• Loving God with your mind is renewing your thinking.
• What does that mean?
• “Renewing” comes from the Greek word anakainōsis—a combination of ana (“again”) and kainos (“new,” meaning fundamentally different, not just recent).¹
• So we are talking about establishing a new and fundamentally different way of thinking.
• Loving God with your mind then is thinking God’s thoughts after Him.
• His thoughts are housed in His Words which are recorded for us in His book, the Bible.
• We love God with ALL our mind when we continually act upon His Word over our opinions.
• One continues to pour antiseptic over a wound until infection has no option.
• Renewal works the same.
• We pour the Word into our minds, reading it, meditating it, sowing it into our lives.
• Through continued application, God’s truth becomes our new thinking reality.
• This requires discipline—and God has already given it to you.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NASB 2020) — 7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

• Discipline is not white-knuckled effort—it is Spirit-enabled consistency.
• All of this is by choice — your choice.
• And every right choice is a demonstration of your love for God.
• Every thought you surrender to God is a declaration—you love Him more than your own way of thinking.

Knowing God: Loving God With Your Will

• The soul has three parts—mind, will, and emotions.
• Now let’s talk about the will.
• Loving God with ALL your will means saying Yes to ALL His direction.
• When the Spirit bears witness (Romans 8:16), we say YES to His will.
• The will is where surrender becomes concrete.
• Jesus said, ’Not my will but yours be done.’
• He is our epic example.
• Being devoted to God is not a few minutes a day reading a short devotional—it is a life lived for others under His direction.
• Some are called to preach and teach, some are called to the mission field, some are called to a ministry of prayer.
• Everyone has a calling.
• Everyone has an opportunity to say YES to His will.
• These are outward demonstrations of love that heaven takes note of.
• Many times in my life I’ve had to choose to love God with my will.
• “Go on the road, use Oklahoma as a base.”
• I said Yes but what a price to pay.
• It cost Sharon and I dearly at the start.
• But at the end the Lord blessed us.
• Then came these words: “Go to North Tulsa and open a family worship center where people can come and worship me.”
• That was eleven years of our life.
• We raised our four children around this call.
• If you say, you love God, you are going to have to prove it.
• You are going to have to live in good conscience before God every day and every season of your life.
• Do not take sides against your conscience—side with it.
• There is much room for growth here.
• Saying YES to God is saying YES to love.
• And, when the Spirit tells us NO, and He will, and we yield, that’s loving God as well.
• Loving with your ALL means whatever and wherever.
• Every yielded decision is a demonstration of your love for Him.

Knowing God: Loving God With Your Emotions

• What about loving God with ALL your emotions?
• Emotions can become honest points of connection in your fellowship with God.²
• The positive ones—joy and happiness—the God-lover attributes to Him.
• The world doesn’t make us happy, He does.
• We want Him—when He manifests, what joy!
• The negative ones, we are honest with Him about.
• ‘Lord, this is how I am feeling, right now.’
• I know for quite a while I struggled with my joy level.
• I never thought I did anything very well.
• Many years ago, I had heard a minister I respected say, ‘When the Lord uses you, take no pleasure in it.’
• That sounded like what I was supposed to do, and I lived that way for twenty years.
• Every time God used me, I pushed my feelings down and refused to enjoy the event.
• I thought that was part of the antidote for pride.
• Then one day, the Lord corrected me.
• He said,

“I gave that word to that minister. It was for her for where she was and for what she needed. It was not for you. Now go back and look at John 15:11.”

John 15:11 (NASB 2020) — 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

• ‘In you’ and ‘full’ are two different things as we already mentioned.
• I have grown in this area—but I have not arrived.
• I still have to guard my emotions from drifting the wrong way.

Knowing God: Loving God With Your Strength

• Last, we come to loving God with your strength.
• Jesus said we are to love the Lord our God with ALL our strength.
• The word strength used in Mark 12:30 is the Greek word ischyos, from the root word ischys.
• It speaks of strength that resides within—the capacity, the ability, the inward force.
• Here’s a picture.
• Think about a power lifter preparing to execute a deadlift.
• The bar is loaded. The weight is heavy.
• He grips it, braces himself, and begins the lift.
• His muscles strain. His body trembles.
• You can see the effort—hear the groan—watch the sweat pour.
• That outward display of power—that visible exertion—is what the New Testament often describes with the word kratos—power displayed.
• That is not the concept Jesus uses to describe loving God with all your strength.
• Let’s go back to that power lifter for a moment.
• His outward display of power didn’t start on the platform that day.
• It started long before—in the gym, in the discipline, in the development of strength.
• What you are seeing in that moment where the power lifter executes the lift is the outward expression of something that was built inwardly.
• That inward strength—that capacity that made the lift possible that is ischys — the word for strength Jesus used.
• Ischys is the strength within that makes kratos a reality.
• When Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your strength,” He was not just talking about an outward display of activity.
• He was talking about the full deployment of everything within you, your energy, your ability, your capacity brought to bear in keeping His commandments.
• Take, as another example, this well-known directive from heaven.

Mark 16:15 (NASB 2020) — 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

• Kratos, the outward display is in the execution of the preaching.
• Kratos is the effort displayed in so doing in all of its facets.
• When I was preaching on the road, going church to church, there were several things Sharon and me had to do together to just have 45 minutes with a congregation I didn’t know so that I could share the Word.
• All of that is kratos.
• But the inward drive that propelled us to obey that command—that is ischys.
• Loving God with ALL your strength means you are all in.
• You don’t hold anything back.
• You bring your full capacity to bear in obedience, discipline, and devotion.
• Just like that power lifter.
• Everything in him is engaged to complete the lift.
• Everything in you is engaged to execute the will of God in your life.
• That is loving God with ALL your strength.

Knowing God: Putting the Word Into Action.

• This week, take inventory of your “ALL.”
• Start with your heart.
• Are you allowing the life of God within you to be expressed outwardly?
• Move to your mind.
• What thoughts are you entertaining?
• Are they shaped by God’s Word—or by your own reasoning?
• Examine your will.
• Are you prepared to say YES to God in all areas?
• Check your emotions.
• Are you bringing them before God—or allowing them to dominate your life?
• And finally, your strength.
• What is driving you within?
• Are you actually doing what God has already told you to do?
• If you want to know God, bring your A game.
• Bring your ALL.
• If this teaching helped you see what it really means to know God, share it with someone who is hungry to grow in their walk with Him.
• And take a moment to follow or subscribe to the Light on Life Podcast so you don’t miss what’s coming next.
• Because we are not just learning truth—we are learning to live it.
• We don’t just want to hear about God — we want to know Him.
• Because knowing God is not proven by what you say—but by how you love Him with ALL that you are.
• If you would like to come to know Jesus as your Savior and your Lord, pray this prayer after me.

Father God, I come to you and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord. I believe in my heart that you raised Jesus from the dead and that my sins have been forgiven. I receive you into my heart today and I thank you for the new birth. I am your child now, and I look forward to knowing you from this day forward. Amen, and Amen.

• If you prayed that prayer today, reach out and let us know.
• How to Know God for Real: Loving Him With Your ALL.
• You guys have a great God week and we will see you next time for another edition of Light on Life.

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