Whoever says, "I Know Him"

“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.” (1 John 2:1-6 ESV)

What is this teaching us? For one, when we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, and we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness, it doesn’t mean that we will become perfect people who never sin and who never fail God. Yet, Jesus delivered us from our slavery to sin so that we will no longer let sin reign in our mortal bodies to obey its desires (Romans 6:1-23). 

So, the goal of our faith is that we will no longer sin against the Lord, in practice, and that we will now walk with him in holiness, and in righteousness, and in obedience to him and to his commands. But, if we should sin, we are not automatically cut off from God. If we are of true faith in him, he is our advocate with the Father, and we are not condemned. For Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sin. He died on that cross, putting our sins to death with him, so that we will die to sin and live to righteousness.

But… it says that this is how we know that we have come to know him, if we keep (obey) his commandments. For if we claim that we know God, that we know Jesus Christ, and that we are in fellowship with him, but we do not obey his commandments, in practice, then we are liars, and the truth is not in us. And if we claim to be in fellowship (partnership, participation) with him, but while we walk (in conduct, in practice) in sin, we are liars (1 John 1:5-10). So, we have to live that faith, not just talk it, to have life in him.

So, here is the thing. A profession of Christ as Savior and Lord of our lives is not a profession of living an absolutely perfect life without any fault at all. We might still sin sometimes. We might disobey him sometimes. But if sin is what we practice, if that is what we live by, if it is our default, our “go to” which we keep going back to and repeating over again, and if obedience to our Lord and to his commands is not our practice (habit, lifestyle), then we do not know God, and we are not in fellowship with Jesus Christ.

So, are we walking in obedience to our Lord, in practice? Is our true desire for him to live for him and to do what he has called us to do, and to deny self, to die daily to sin, and to follow him in obedience to his commands? If it is, then it should be evident by how we live, by what we practice, by our lifestyles, and by who we are in character and in deed on a day to day basis. It should be evident by the words that we speak and by our attitudes and by how we treat our fellow humans, too. For it should be who we are.

So, again, words are cheap if they are not followed up with action. If we say that we love God, but we go our own way, and we live by the flesh and not by the Spirit, then we do not love God, and we are not called according to his purposes. If we say we are in fellowship with Christ, but we walk in sin, and if we claim to know God, but while obedience to his commands is not what we live and practice, then we are liars who do not live by the truth. For it is those who obey the Lord who are being perfected in his love and grace.

Jesus Christ, thus, is our example for how we are to live. Yes, he was perfect and he never sinned. We were born in sin, with sin natures, in the image of Adam, so we are not without sin. But he could have sinned, and he was certainly tempted to sin in like manner as we are. But he chose not to sin, and then he became our perfect “lamb” sacrifice for our sins on that cross so that we might now die with him to sin and be raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God.

So, Jesus is our example for how we are to live our lives, not in sin, and not in disobedience to the Lord, but in holiness and in righteousness, and in moral purity, uprightness, honesty, godliness, and faithfulness to our God, and in obedience to his commands. And we are to care about other people and about their needs – both spiritual and physical – and we are to be those who are reaching out to others to help meet their needs. And this includes us sharing the truth of the gospel so that they can know Jesus, too.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

Courageous!  

An Original Work / December 24, 2013  

Based off Various Scriptures

The Word of God throughout taught.

Some people heard but did doubt.

Still others had faith in Christ.

By grace He purified them.

They turned from sin

And they obeyed Christ.

He opened up their blinded eyesight;

Turned them from darkness 

To the true Light;

Forgave their sin by His might.

He strengthened them in their faith.

He said, “Remain my faithful.”

He called them to obedience.

By faith, they were so grateful.

By faith, they were to follow Jesus;

To daily sit and listen to Him;

To have such faith 

That mountains could move;

To love those whom He gave them.

Be on your guard; courageous.

Stand firm in faith. Be thankful.

Take up the shield of your faith;

Protect against all evil.

Do not move from 

The hope that you have.

Your faith in Jesus let it endure.

Hold to the truth; 

Your conscience be clear.

Endure with perseverance. 

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