1 John 2:3-6, What is Knowing God?, How do we know God?

Heavenly Family Traits
I will walk in you and be your God Leviticus 6:12

Knowing God
1John 2:3-6

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. (click for context)

What is knowing God?
The Greek word for "know" is ginosko, which means "to know", "to understand" or "to perceive". The bible also uses ginosko to refer sexual intercourse---an act designed by God to reflect the deep, fruit bearing, abiding love between a man and his wife.

How do we know God?
We begin our knowledge of God when we receive His word of the Gospel into our heart, much like a seed planted into the earth:

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Matt. 13:23

How do we know that we know God?
We know we know God because, like an infant, our new life comes with a natural affection for our parents and siblings:

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren (an infants love for its family), love one another fervently (the Greek word means 'to stretch out') with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever. 1Peter 1: 22-23

This brotherly love grows, or 'stretches out', to a love that increasingly reflects the full love of Christ which is conveyed in the words of His commandments:

...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love (the family love of those newly born of God's word), may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (our upward love potential because of the mind of Christ in us) Eph. 3:16-19

What if we don't know God?
Those who do not know God are those who have not received His words of the Gospel and therefore remain under the judgment of God, unwashed of their sins and bereft of eternal life.

Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord" shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?" And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" Matt 7:21-23

Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6:28-29 [the will of the Father is to have faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and everlasting live]