Whoever Says, "I Know Him"

1 John 2:1-6 ESV

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

You know that I always stress context, because out of context Scriptures can be taken to mean so many different things. Take this passage, for example. Many read just verses 1 and 2 and they stop there and they conclude that Jesus Christ is our advocate to God the Father whenever we sin regardless of how often we sin, and regardless of how often we sin deliberately and habitually. But that is not what the Scriptures teach. So, please keep reading. For if sin is our practice, we don’t have eternal life with God.

For look at what verse one says. John wrote this that we might not sin. That is the goal of the life of a follower of Jesus Christ that we might not sin, not that we can continue living in sin and yet have all our sins forgiven and be on our way to heaven, regardless of how we live. However, we are still flesh and blood humans with the propensity to sin, and so we might sin, and so it is reassuring that if we should sin that we do have an advocate with God the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. But sin should not be our practice.

For Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. So, how does that work? Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, became sin for us on that cross so that when he died our sins died with him and so that when he was resurrected we might also die with him to sin and now live to him and to his righteousness. For he shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of living in sin so that we will now live for him in honoring him with our bodies in living holy lives, pleasing to him.

1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15,21; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23

For what does it say next? “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.” So, knowing Jesus Christ is not just about making a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. For true biblical faith in Jesus Christ involves walks of obedience to our Lord Jesus in genuine fellowship and communion with him whereby we live for him and for his will for our lives and no longer for our own selfish desires. We want to obey our Lord because we love him and because of what he has done for us.

Therefore, if we claim that we know God and that we are in relationship with Jesus Christ by faith in him, but then we continue in deliberate and habitual sin, and so we do not walk in obedience to his commands, then the Scriptures teach that we are liars. The truth is not in us. Therefore, it is only those who make it their practice to obey the Lord and his commandments (New Covenant) who are in genuine relationship with Jesus Christ and who have the hope of eternal life with God (Also 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 3:4-10).

But our desire, as true followers of Jesus Christ, should be to do the will of God for our lives. We should no longer desire sin. I am not saying that we will never be tempted by sin again, but sin should not be what we crave. It should not be what we long for. Jesus Christ and his word and obedience to his commands should be what we crave and what we long for. He should now be our heart’s desire, and not sinful practices, especially not deliberate and habitual and premeditated sin against God and against other humans.

So, as followers of Jesus Christ we are to be those who are actually following him with our lives. And this means that we are emulating him and his divine character and will for our lives. We are following him in his ways and in his truth, and we are doing the kinds of things he did, and we are saying the things that he taught and that his NT apostles taught. And we are not teaching what so many are teaching today who are diluting and altering the gospel message to make it more attractive to the ungodly of this world.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

For Our Nation  

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

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