The Most Important Relationship You Will Ever Have
Scripture — 2 Timothy 2:19 (KJV)
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
There are billions of people living in this world.
Some are famous. Some are wealthy. Some are powerful. Others live quietly, unnoticed by nearly everyone around them.
People spend their entire lives trying to be recognized, admired, respected, and remembered.
They want the world to know their names.
But there is a question far greater than whether the world knows who you are.
Does God know you as one of His own?
Think about that.
You can have thousands of friends, millions of followers, enormous wealth, and the admiration of an entire generation.
Yet none of those things can guarantee your relationship with God.
Jesus warned that some people would call Him Lord, claim to have performed great works in His name, and still hear words more terrifying than anything this world could ever say.
“I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” — Matthew 7:23
The greatest tragedy would not be leaving this world without being remembered. It would be standing before God and discovering that you never truly belonged to Him.
Let us examine what Scripture teaches about being known by God.
Q: Doesn’t God already know everyone?
A: Yes. God knows every human being because He is all-knowing.
Psalm 139:1–2 tells us:
“O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.”
God knows our thoughts, intentions, actions, and the things we attempt to hide.
Nothing about our lives escapes His knowledge.
But when Scripture speaks of being known by God in a spiritual relationship, it means something deeper than simply being recognized.
It involves belonging to Him.
God knows every person who exists, but not everyone has entered into a faithful relationship with Him.
There is a difference between God knowing you exist and God acknowledging you as one of His own.
Q: What did Jesus mean when He said, “I never knew you”?
A: Jesus was warning that religious claims and impressive works do not replace obedience to God’s will.
Matthew 7:21–23 says:
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Jesus continues by describing people who claimed to prophesy, cast out devils, and perform wonderful works in His name.
Yet His response was:
“I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
These individuals were religious.
They spoke His name.
They believed their activities demonstrated their standing before Him.
But Jesus exposed the difference between outward religious activity and genuine obedience.
Calling Jesus Lord means little if we refuse to allow Him to be Lord over our lives.
This passage should cause every believer to examine their relationship with God.
Not everyone who claims to follow Christ is actually following Him.
Q: How can we become known by God as His children?
A: Through Jesus Christ, by responding to His gospel in faith and obedience.
John 14:6 records Jesus saying:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Our relationship with God is not established through wealth, family background, popularity, or religious tradition.
It is through Christ.
The New Testament teaches that our response to the gospel includes hearing God’s Word, believing in Jesus, repenting of sin, confessing faith in Christ, and being baptized into Him.
Romans 10:17 teaches that faith comes by hearing the Word of God.
Acts 2:38 commands repentance and baptism for the remission of sins.
Galatians 3:26–27 connects becoming children of God through faith with being baptized into Christ.
And Acts 2:47 tells us that the Lord added to the church those who were being saved.
We do not become God’s children simply by declaring ourselves to be His. We must respond to Him according to His Word.
Q: Is believing in God enough to be known by Him?
A: Genuine biblical faith involves more than acknowledging that God exists.
James 2:19 says:
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
Even the demons recognize God’s existence.
But recognition is not the same as faithful submission.
James 2:17 teaches:
“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
True faith is demonstrated through a willingness to obey God.
This does not mean we can purchase salvation through good deeds or earn God’s grace.
It means genuine faith is not indifferent to His commandments.
Faith that never changes how we live deserves serious examination.
Q: How do we know whether we truly know God?
A: Scripture connects knowing God with keeping His commandments.
First John 2:3–4 says:
“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.”
These are powerful words.
John does not teach that Christians will never make mistakes.
He teaches that claiming a relationship with God while deliberately rejecting His commandments is a contradiction.
Our actions reveal the direction of our hearts.
We may deceive other people with appearances.
We may even deceive ourselves.
But we cannot deceive God.
A relationship with God is not proven by how loudly we proclaim His name, but by whether we sincerely seek to obey His Word.
Q: Does God know the difference between genuine faith and religious appearances?
A: Absolutely.
First Samuel 16:7 teaches:
“For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
People judge by appearances.
They see clothing, social standing, religious attendance, public prayers, and charitable acts.
But God sees the motives behind those actions.
He knows whether we serve others out of love or because we want recognition.
He knows whether our prayers come from sincere faith or empty repetition.
He knows whether our kindness is genuine or merely a performance.
Jesus repeatedly condemned religious hypocrisy.
In Matthew 23, He rebuked religious leaders who appeared righteous outwardly while harboring corruption within.
You can impress an entire congregation and still hide nothing from God.
He knows who we are when nobody is watching.
Q: Can someone attend church regularly and still not be known by God?
A: Yes. Religious attendance alone does not guarantee a faithful relationship with Him.
Worship and fellowship are important responsibilities for Christians.
Hebrews 10:25 warns against forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.
But simply occupying a seat in a church building does not establish spiritual faithfulness.
A person can attend every service while harboring dishonesty, hatred, pride, or an unwillingness to repent.
Jesus warned against honoring God with our lips while our hearts remain far from Him.
Matthew 15:8 says:
“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”
Church attendance should be an expression of our relationship with God, not a substitute for it.
God is not counting how many times you have been seen in a church building while ignoring the condition of your heart.
Q: What does it mean when the Bible says God knows those who love Him?
A: It describes the relationship between sincere love for God and belonging to Him.
First Corinthians 8:3 says:
“But if any man love God, the same is known of him.”
This is a remarkable statement.
The world measures importance through recognition.
But Scripture places greater value on being known by God.
Jesus explained the connection between love and obedience in John 14:15:
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
Love for God is more than an emotional feeling.
It involves trust, reverence, commitment, and obedience.
The greatest relationship in your life should not be the one that brings you the most attention. It should be the one that brings you closer to God.
Q: Does God still know us when we suffer, struggle, or feel forgotten?
A: Yes. God’s awareness of His people is not limited by their circumstances.
Second Timothy 2:19 declares:
“The Lord knoweth them that are his.”
There will be times when faithful Christians feel abandoned by the world.
Friends may disappear.
Family relationships may become strained.
Financial struggles may create fear.
Grief may make life feel unbearably lonely.
But hardship does not mean God has forgotten His people.
First Peter 5:7 teaches:
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
God’s care does not mean life will be free from suffering.
It means we can trust Him through suffering.
You may be forgotten by people you once loved, but you are never hidden from the eyes of God.
Q: Can a Christian turn away from God after coming to know Him?
A: Scripture warns believers against falling away from faithfulness.
Hebrews 3:12 says:
“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”
The warning is addressed to brethren.
It reminds Christians that faithfulness requires continued trust and obedience.
Second Peter 2:20–21 also warns about the danger of returning to the corruption of the world after escaping it through the knowledge of Christ.
Being known by God should never become an excuse for spiritual carelessness.
We must continue growing in faith, resisting temptation, repenting when we sin, and seeking God’s will.
The Christian life is not merely about how we begin. It is also about remaining faithful to the One we chose to follow.
Q: What should we do when we sin after becoming Christians?
A: We should repent, confess our sins, and seek God’s forgiveness.
First John 1:9 teaches:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Being a Christian does not mean we will live a life without mistakes.
We remain human.
We face temptation.
We sometimes make poor decisions.
But God calls us to acknowledge our sins rather than defend them.
Repentance requires a sincere change of heart and direction.
God does not ask us to pretend we are perfect. He calls us to walk in the light, acknowledge our sins, and remain faithful to Him.
His mercy should lead us toward repentance, not encourage us to continue deliberately in sin.
Q: What is the greatest blessing of being known by God?
A: The promise of belonging to Him and sharing in the eternal life offered through Jesus Christ.
In John 10:27–28, Jesus says:
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
Notice the relationship.
His sheep hear His voice.
He knows them.
And they follow Him.
There is recognition, trust, and obedience.
The promise of eternal life is greater than any earthly achievement.
One day, every possession will be left behind.
Every title will lose its importance.
Every earthly reputation will fade.
But belonging to God carries eternal significance.
There is no greater honor than to belong to the One who created you.
FINAL THOUGHT — DOES GOD KNOW YOUR NAME?
One day, your life on this earth will end.
The business you built will belong to someone else.
The home you lived in will eventually be occupied by strangers.
Your possessions will be divided, sold, or discarded.
Your accomplishments may be remembered for a while.
And eventually, even your name may fade from the memories of this world.
But there is something far more important than being remembered by mankind.
Being known by God.
You can spend your entire life trying to make the world recognize you.
You can chase success, admiration, wealth, and power.
You can become famous.
You can have millions of people know your name.
But none of it can replace a faithful relationship with your Creator.
Jesus asked in Mark 8:36:
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Those words should stop every one of us in our tracks.
Because eternity is not determined by how important we became in the eyes of the world.
What matters is whether we have truly come to Christ and remained faithful to Him.
And remember the frightening warning of Matthew 7:23:
“I never knew you.”
Imagine hearing those words after spending a lifetime believing you were right with God.
That is why we must examine ourselves.
Study His Word.
Obey His gospel.
Repent of our sins.
Love Him sincerely.
And remain faithful until the end.
Second Corinthians 13:5 tells us:
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.”
Don’t spend your life trying to become somebody in a world that will eventually forget you.
Spend your life becoming someone who truly belongs to God.
Because when your final day arrives, the question will not be how many people knew your name.
The question that matters is whether you were known by Him.
And there is no greater hope than to hear the words of Matthew 25:21:
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
RESTORED LIFE AFTER
Correct the Scripture quotation formattingShorten repeated explanations throughout