Please see 1st John 2:3-11
Here John begins to tell us how we can know if we really do know the Lord or not. I can't think of something better to know then to know if we really do know the Lord.....So, here's what he says.
First of all, he says, "by this we know ....." Or this is how we know that we know Him, if we keep commandments.....He goes on to say, that the person who says, "I know Him, but does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. So, keeping the commandments, or not keeping them is key here. The word keep by the way, means, to attend to carefully, take care of, to guard, to observe, to reserve. So, the person who carefully attends to the commandments of God is showing that they do in fact know the Lord, but the person who is not carefully attending to these things does not know the Lord.
Secondly, and this is along the same line exactly, he says, "whoever keeps His Word, ( which is the same thing as keeping His commandments, truly the love of God is perfected in Him. By this we know that we are in Him. Perfected means, to make perfect, or complete, to carry through, to accomplish, finish. So, the Love of God in practice, in a person's life is evidence of their truly knowing God. Love practiced in our lives, shows that we are truly in Him.
Thirdly, John says, the person who says, they are abiding in Him, ought to, or should be walking just as He walked. Our lives ought to look like Jesus's life did.....Walked, means conduct. Our conduct ought to be Christlike...Your Christlike conduct is evidence that you really are in Christ. That you really do know Him. Your not having Christlike conduct, would indicate that you do not know Him. So then, the way we conduct ourselves is a huge indicator of either our walking with Him, or our not walking with Him.
To say you are abiding in Him, ought then to be followed by conducting yourself as He conducted Himself.
To say you are abiding in Him, ought then to be followed by conducting yourself as He conducted Himself.
Fourthly, John says, here's the commandment they had had.
He says, this is nothing new. This is what they had heard from the beginning of the time they had been with Christ. Christ has given them this commandment when He first called them, and they first started following Him. It's new in the sense that the darkness has passed, and the true light was now shining. Probably referencing their ( the apostles ) being born again, and in a genuine relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. In other words, you were not christians at one time, ( even though you heard this commandment, but you are now )
He says, this is nothing new. This is what they had heard from the beginning of the time they had been with Christ. Christ has given them this commandment when He first called them, and they first started following Him. It's new in the sense that the darkness has passed, and the true light was now shining. Probably referencing their ( the apostles ) being born again, and in a genuine relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. In other words, you were not christians at one time, ( even though you heard this commandment, but you are now )
Fifthly, in 2:9-11, we see that the person who says, "I'm in the light, but hates his brother, is actually in darkness until now" Profession of faith, with hate for your brother, equals, still in darkness. Not in the light, even you say you are. Hating proves you are not in the light, but in darkness.
Going on with this. The person who loves his brother is in the light. Loving is evidence and proof of being in the light. Just as hating is proof of being in darkness, love is proof of being in the light. And, for the loving person, there will no occasion of stumbling in their walk. Love will keep you from stumbling. Keeping you stable.
Lastly, the brother in Christ, who abides in the light. Love means you are abiding. And there will be no cause for stumbling and error.
On the other hand, the person who hates his brother is in darkness, and is walking in darkness, and does not even know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded their eyes.
Lastly, the brother in Christ, who abides in the light. Love means you are abiding. And there will be no cause for stumbling and error.
On the other hand, the person who hates his brother is in darkness, and is walking in darkness, and does not even know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded their eyes.
Alot to say here about love, and about hate. Light and darkness. They are each evidence that points to where a person is, regardless of what they may say about where they are. Actions, speak louder then words. Or actions, make sure that our words are true or false. Actions measure who and what we are in that sense.
Pastor Bob Grenier
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