Pass or Fail (1 John 2:3-11)

honored to have the Deweys this morning

grateful for their work in Indonesia

Happy Father’s Day

dad was insurance agent (retired)

test for selling insurance tied to securities (stock market)

really hard test

lots of study time early in morning

study course

no A+, no C-

70 is as good as 100

just pass or fail

he passed

life is more important than a test to sell securities

if someone investigated your life, would the evidence pass or fail?

if the Lord investigated your life,

what would He say?

would your claim to be a Christian pass the test?

at church? dressed nicely? don’t smoke? cuss less than coworkers?

is that what the Lord Jesus wants of His followers,

to clean up a few behaviors?

most importantly

is that what God says in His Word???

Pass or Fail

pew Bible # 1210

1 John written so that you may know you have eternal life

assurance

or terror that results in faith that leads to assurance

Many people say they are Christians, but God says they are not.

people in John’s day said they were Christians but were really not

been going on for 2 millennia

John puts a lot of emphasis on what we say

1 John 1:6 “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”

1 John 1:8 “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

1 John 1:10 “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

1 John 2:4 “Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,”

1 John 2:9 “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.”

our mouth tends to make claims that are exaggerated truths…or outright lies

because you say you are a Christian does not make you one

purpose of church membership is important

church can vouch that you are a Christian in a way you cannot

a purpose of church membership

church’s responsibility is to step in when member is clearly not a Christian

Matthew 18

claim does not match life

we should not allow those who say they are Christians to remain as members who are clearly not according to God’s Word

we don’t want to play church and give false assurance to someone who God clearly says is not a Christian

we must be actively loving and caring for each other

it is not loving to give assurance when clearly there is none

even then church membership doesn’t automatically make you a Christian

that is why we look to God’s Word for assurance

John writes so

1 John 2:3 “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.”

1 John 5:13 “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”

John doesn’t say that we know we are saved because…

we made a decision

we prayed a prayer

we were baptized

we say we are a Christian

we are a church member

1 John should terrify those who say they are a Christian, yet no evidence

if you are terrified or even doubting, then do not dismiss

examine the evidence in your life (now before it is too late)

we are talking about eternity!

1 John should give great assurance to believers

plea

I do not want you to hear, “Depart from Me for I never knew you” (Matt 7:23)

I want you to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt 25:21, 23)

you can have assurance unlike the Muslims—hoping Allah had a good day when you die (of jihad)

Christian, you can know you are saved.

1 John 2:3

1 John 2:3 “And by this we know that we have come to know him,

know is important for John

γινώσκω—“to learn to know a person through direct personal experience, implying a continuity in relationship” (LN)

only way to intimately know the Father is through the Son

know of God (factual=demons) without knowing God (personal)

know Grand Canyon vs. experienced Grand Canyon

know Mesa Verde vs. experience Mesa Verde

know Amanda Denby vs. living life with Amanda Denby

knowing God

is not knowing facts about Him

not even being able to see when He shows up in circumstances

not being around His people

it is knowing Him personally for yourself

God has no grandchildren, only children

when you personally know the Father through the Son

your life is no longer the same

just ask Isaiah (chapter 6)

impossible to stay the same

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

don’t ask the following questions without first asking if you know the Father through the Son

worst thing you can do is act like following Jesus is doing the things in the following tests

that will make you a good Pharisee

3 tests in our passage

if fail one of these tests, then claim is in doubt

Test 1: Do you obey God’s commandments?

2:3-5a

anyone can claim to be a Christian

but John writes that those who know God obey His commands

so to say you know God and not keep His commands = LIAR and truth not in you (2:4)

your words must be tested by your works

if you disobey God’s commandments, your claim to have come to know God is a lie (cf. 1:6)

your conduct contradicts profession and proves to be false

not perfect obedience

what characterizes your life?

disobedience or obedience???

you may say you know God’s commands AND CAN QUOTE them but not same as obeying

spiritual maturity is not knowing the Bible but doing the Bible

James 1:22 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

we live in a time where intellect is valued

God cares more about your heart of obedience than how much you know

do you obey what you know?

or do you study and study and study and think this is a substitute for obedience?

keeping God’s commands is not

just abstaining from moral vices (cussing, drinking too much, smoking, drugs, etc.)

just being a good church member (coming to church, giving, etc.)

be a good Pharisee

keeping God’s commands is not to know God

but a sign that you do know God

if you know God, you want to obey God’s commandments

because your life has been transformed

Danny Akin—”When one is born of God, he has been begotten into an intimate relationship with each member of the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and it is the keeping of the commandments that bears witness to this union.”

SO what are God’s commands to which John is referring?

10 Commandments??? Mosaic Law???

command or commands used 14 times in 1 John

when singular

John 13:34–35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.””

when plural

no hint of 10 Commandments

so what is John writing about? what are God’s commands?

3:23

John’s letter highlights

that we believe in Jesus & do what He commands

Jesus’ command to love one another looms large in this letter

Test 2: Do you imitate Jesus?

2:5b-6

positive: 1 of 6— whoever says (2:6)

not just abstaining from worldly vices

but actively putting on the things of Christ (Col 3:12-17)

abide in Him (John 15)

do you spend time in the Word and strive to be like Jesus?

John Stott—“We cannot claim to abide in him unless we behave like him”

impossible

w/o knowing God

w/o transformed life

w/o HS

gospel isn’t about making you nice

gospel is about making you NEW

are you new?

do you want to be like Jesus?

are you more and more like Jesus? (sanctification)

Jesus showed us what love is

which takes us to test 3

Test 3: Do you love your Christian brothers and sisters?

2:7-11

what is this old/new commandment (2:7-8)?

love your Christian brothers and sisters—based on context (2:9-11)

old—love God (Deut 6), love people (Lev 19)

new—Jesus made it richer and deeper (Jn 13:34-35)

Jesus’ extent of love

wash dirty feet

loved unlovable disciples

laid down His life

what makes this command new?

as I have loved you

not conditional

if you love me, I’ll love you

if you act right, I’ll love you

if you are nice, I’ll love you

but unconditional

I’m committed to you

tangible love

MissionNAC

sweating, swinging hammer, sweating, painting, sweating

what a way to SAY love

great job!!!

prior slide

darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining

symbolic language of end times breaking through to current times

true Christian who knows God and walks in the light

obeys God’s commandments and loves his brothers/sisters

love shows a Christian is in right right relationship to both God AND man

easy to say know God (2:9)

evidence is against us if we hate fellow Christians

truth—darkness has blinded his eyes (2:11)

darkness = state of sinfulness which makes impossible to understand

spiritual darkness is not passive but active

longer you remain in darkness, more difficult, less likely to be restored

those transformed prove know God (2:10)

when abide in the light, it is harder to stumble because path is illuminated

genuine Christians do not just abstain from hate (tolerate)

but actively love (Biblical fellowship)

sacrificially

covenantally

unconditionally

notice: love & hatred are only 2 options (2:10-11)

either in the light or in the darkness

there is no twilight

there is no squishy middle

do you claim to be a Christian?

if so, do you love your Christian brothers and sisters?

Pass or Fail

is there enough evidence to prove you are a Christian?

say you are a Christian is not enough according to God

evidences cited by John are…

obeying God’s commandments

imitating Jesus

loving brothers/sisters in Christ

let us evaluate if we are a Christian based on God’s standards

eternity is at stake

2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”