1 John 2:5-6
Wednesday Night Prayer and Praise • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
I have been reading lately in 1 John. I am always captivated with the straight forward message that John gives and how that message centers around the love of God. Sometimes we make living the Christian life too complicated. We think there is some magical formula we must possess or some program we must follow to do God’s will. John gives us a very bold declaration in how and what our behavior should be.
But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
The Book of 1 John was written because a group of teachers had come denying that Christ had come in the flesh. John wrote these epistles to show the true teaching about Christ.
When you claim to be a Christ follower, what does that mean?
John outlines a couple of things in these verses that will clarify this for us.
The first thing I see is that anyone can obey the Word of God. It is not too difficult to do. Anyone can do so.
Next I see the use of the word OBEYS. This is presented in the present tense. It tells me that obeying in ongoing. It is not a one and done kind of thing, but an ongoing process that is always presently in front of us.
His Word refers to the spoken and written word of God. The two will never contradict each other. One can be used to gain better understanding of how the other one works, but they will never contradict. If they do, then one of them is not of God.
While in the Upper Room, Jesus said in John 14:21 and 23:
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”
Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
The result of this obedience is that God’s love is truly made complete in the one that obeys His Word.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
This includes God’s love for the believer, the believer’s love for God, and the love of God expressed through the believer to others. God’s love is reciprocal.
The phrase “made complete” shows a sense of completeness and maturity, as well as carrying forth into the future. God’s love grows and expresses more fully as we allow His love to engulf us.
If we can’t fully understand this, then John makes it a bit more clear for us. He says, “This is how we know we are in Him.” At first glance, we think that this shows an act that is completed. But a careful look at this statement and we can see a point of view from several directions. First, we can backwards. If we have done a certain thing, we will know that we are in Him. Secondly, if we look forward, we can see that that there are certain things we can do to be in Him. We can also look at it in a way of the present by doing right then and now. It is a 3-D look if you will. Punctuation here helps us even though we know that punctuation was added many years later but the colon shows us there is something coming. What comes next is a powerful truth.
“Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus walked.”
Whoever. That means anyone. We have already mentioned this from verse 5 and here it is in another form. Anyone, whoever are both indicators that all and everyone can be in Christ. There is no race, no creed, no genetic trait or anything that would prevent a person from being in Christ except their decision not to be. How precious is this that God has provided a way for anyone and whoever to be in Christ?
The use of the word “claims” shows me again that this is present tense which means it is ongoing. It is a lifestyle choice that keeps on keeping on.
Claims to what? The NIV has LIVE. The KJV has ABIDETH. It implies a condition lasting, without intermission and without end. It means not dead but fully alive. One commentator wrote that to know Him means to have knowledge; to be in Him means to have fellowship; but to abide in Him means to have constancy. John outlines a path for the one who claims to live in Christ. That path is to do just as Jesus did and does.
Charles Sheldon was a preacher and writer that lived in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. He wrote a novel called, In His Steps, which he challenged a town by asking the question, “What would Jesus Do?” Years later, we still see the effects of that question with the initials WWJD. John gives us the answer right here in this passage. What would Jesus do? The answer is found in knowing how Jesus would walk. Luther said, “It is not Christ’s walking on the sea, but His ordinary walk , that we are called to imitate.”
So what does that mean? How did Jesus walk? He walked in the light of God. He walked in perfect obedience and in a way that God was pleased.
And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
“Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
We see from 1 John 1:7:
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
To walk as Jesus walked, we must walk in the light of the Lord.
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
We are called to do this.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
So we abstain from darkness.
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord.
We must learn to acclaim Him.
So what are some practical ways we can walk as Jesus walked?
Use discernment
so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,
Staying in the word.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.
Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Get rid of the old.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Live without condemnation.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
Do the good work God has prepared for us to do.
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
1 John 2:5-6 reminds me that I have:
A living relationship
A loving recipe
A lasting responsibility
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.