Follow Jesus
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This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commands. The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and yet doesn’t keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in him: The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.
我們若遵守 神的命令，這樣，就知道我們已經認識他。凡是說「我已經認識他」，卻不遵守他命令的，就是說謊的人，真理就不在他裡面了。然而凡是遵守他的道的，他愛 神的心就的確在他裡面完全了。這樣，我們就知道我們是在 神裡面了。凡說自己是住在他裡面的，就應該照著他所行的去行。
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
When I was growing up there was a man that my aunt was dating. I thought this guy was great. He was kind, cool, funny, and it seemed like he and my aunt really had a great relationship. He would come to family gatherings and was slowly becoming a part of the family. I remember one day he and my aunt drove up in our driveway, and they had just bought a brand new car together. WE thought that was pretty serious, and were all wondering, okay pretty soon this guy is gonna propose. The next day we get a call from my aunt. She tells us, this guy had taken the car, some money and had skipped town and ran away. Never to be seen again. We were crushed. We thought this guy was the real thing! He said all the right words, seemed to really like my aunt, but the whole time he was a fraud. He wasn’t the real deal. We all want authenticity. We all want the real deal. We hate the idea of being fooled. We don’t like fake ness. This is why people pay thousands of dollars to go a retreat in the woods, have people take their phones away, so they can reconnect with reality. We want the real thing. When it comes to following Jesus, when it comes to being a Christian, how do we know if we are the real deal? What does it mean to be an authentic Christian? Does it mean that we just say the right words, like my aunts boyfriend, and that’s it? Maybe you are here and you are wondering, how do I know that I really know Jesus. This afternoon, we are going to look at a Scripture that tells how to know that we know Jesus. This Scripture will help us not be like my aunts boyfriend. Here is the main idea of the Scripture that we read: Our obedience to Christ is evidence of our union with Christ. Our obedience to Christ is evidence of our relationship with Christ.
Context: The book of 1 John is written to a church who were struggling to know what authentic Christianity was. People were claiming they knew God just by having a religious experience, but then their lives would look nothing like Christ, and these people were teaching things against the teachings of Christ. Even today many people might claim to know God because they had a dream a vision a spiritual experience. But John is going to give us evidence a way to really see if we truly know God.
WE KNOW HIM認識
WE KNOW HIM認識
We keep His commands
keep(guard)(delight)
To guard and keep as a precious thing. To not take lightly the Lord’s commands.
this word also is active, meaning, it’s ongoing.
A person who is actively guarding, delighting, and keeping the commands of Christ.
commands(Jesus’ words-Matthew 28 obeying)
Two answers may be given, the first quite definite: the commandment to love one another.[25] This is prominent in John’s Gospel (13:34; 15:12)
-“word” delivered by Jesus, a concept as specific as his didactic discourse recorded in the Gospels and as broad as the apostolic gospel and its application as seen in other NT writings.
‘he does not mean that those who wholly keep His commandments (no such person can be found in the world), but those who strive, according to the capacity of human infirmity, to form their life in obedience to God’.
HE doesn’t say IF WE OBEY then WE KNOW, that’s not the Gospel, He says IF WE KNOW, then the evidence, the fruit of the knowing Christ looks like obedience. That’s really important.
we’ll never do it perfectly. If you’re looking for perfect obedience as the answer to this test, then no one will pass this test. Because there is only one person who fully obeyed the Father’s will: that’s Jesus. John isn’t talking about perfect obedience here.
But if you took a timeline of Collin’s life. You would not see perfection, but you should see, John says, a growing pattern of obedience to Christ. John says our obedience to Christ is evidence that we KNOW Christ.
HOW WE KNOW WE DON’T KNOW HIM 不認識他
HOW WE KNOW WE DON’T KNOW HIM 不認識他
We don’t keep His commands: that person is a liar: it’s possible to profess something that we don’t have. People in this culture were going around proclaiming to be Christians, claiming to know God, but their lives looked nothing like Jesus. They said that that commands of Christ weren’t important. Maybe you’ve seen people or watched movies where the people claim to be christians, but what they are doing is directly against the teachings of Christ.
We have a huge problem in the WEST maybe not so much here in Taiwan, but we have a whole culture of people who profess to be Christians but have no interest in obeying Christ. We’ve made it too easy and we’ve done people harm by allowing people to proclaim something while their lives and actions deny what they are saying. Just this past week we had a group who identify as racist, as they marched toward the U.S. Capitol, they stopped to kneel in the street and prayed in the name of Jesus. THIS IS WRONG. This is not a political opinion they are advocating, racism, something Jesus hates. THEY ARE LIARS.
HEAR THIS: You notice it’s not just a moment of sin(John already tells us that this is going to happen, that’s what Jesus saves,)but this is a heart posture that says I know the commands of Jesus but I’m choosing to live my life the way I want, doesn’t matter what God’s word says about this. You are proclaiming something that you don’t have.
I know this doesn’t sound loving. But if you look at the book of 1 John the word “love’ is repeated 46 times. Johns pastoral heart is wanting people to know if they truly know Christ.
“the truth is not in them” . The word truth here can mean the Gospel.
Romans 1:16, Paul says that the Gospel, the message of Jesus is the power of God. The gospel has power. When we believe in Jesus Christ and receive the Gospel, there is power in that message. So christians for many centuries have called the Gospel, a “working-word”. What does that mean? It means it is like a seed full of life that gets planted into the soil of your heart and bears fruit. It is a working word. So John says if there’s no fruit, you have not believed the word.
My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.
這樣，你們結出很多果子，我父就因此得榮耀，你們也就是我的門徒了。
God’s word received by faith, will produce fruit. So John says this: if you profess to be a christian but you have no desire in obeying Christ’s commands, you are not only a liar, but the Gospel is not in your heart.
Let’s recap: John says, that this is how we know THAT we know Jesus: if we desire to guard, obey, and through the power of the Spirit, are obeying His commands. However, this is how we know WE DO NOT KNOW GOD: if we have no desire to obey Jesus’ words and commands.
This is why this is important:
The world will often say they know God, they’re cool with Jesus, but they like to bend God’s word to fit their own desires. We all have a tendency to do this. John says that if we truly know God. God’s word will have the ultimate authority in our lives, so that we don’t bend God’s word to fit our desires, but we are people who bend and come under the word of God. Jesus is Lord of our lives.
Imagine your driving a car. While you’re driving you get to make all the decisions about where to turn, where to go, how fast to go. Your spouse or your friend in the passenger seat can give you advice, make suggestions, provide conversation, maybe you even let them choose what music you listen to, but they are not driving the car. For many people, this is what they think Christianity is: I can control my life while Jesus just sits next to me and makes me feel comfortable, give me advice, and is someone I can talk to. But that is not how John describes a person who knows Jesus. A person who knows Jesus, takes their hands off the steering wheel, gets out of the drivers seat, and surrenders to Christ, and Christ is driving that car. Is Christ driving your car? Or are you driving with Jesus in the passenger seat.
It is our obedience to Christ that is evidence of our union with Christ.
GOD’S LOVE IN US
GOD’S LOVE IN US
“but whoever keeps His word truly in him the love of God is complete”
Obedience to Christ is not only evidence of our love for God, but John says it also evidence of His love working in us!(vs5)(sit here)
“the love of God”. Could mean either our love for God, or God’s love for us. (Chinese says “this person’s love for God”)I think both are true, but I think John is wanting to focus on God’s love in us.
2 other times in this book“made complete” is used:
No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is made complete in us.
Christian Standard Bible Chapter 4
God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. 17 In this, love is made complete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment
從來沒有人見過 神，我們若彼此相愛， 神就住在我們裡面，他的愛也在我們裡面得到成全了。
神對我們的愛，我們已經明白了，而且相信了。 神就是愛；住在愛裡面的，就住在 神裡面， 神也住在他裡面。這樣，愛在我們裡面就得到成全，使我們在審判的日子，可以坦然無懼。因為他怎樣，我們在這世上也怎樣。
4. “made complete” means to reach its goal. It’s the greek word Telos. All of us have goals right? Some of us just made some new ones for this new year. When we go on vacation we have a goal of what we’d like to do, when we start a project we have a goal, and that goal shapes the entire process. Here is John’s point: God’s love has a goal in your life. It is working towards something. What is that goal? That we would look more and more like His Son. God’s love working in your life has a goal of shaping you and me to become more and more like Christ as we obey His word. So then when we, as Christians, resist God’s commands, or resist His discipline, John is saying that we aren’t simply resisting His word, but also His love. Like a good Father, God administers His love through His direction and commands. John says God’s commands are not a burden, but they are a communication of His love for His people.
Imagine an artist who is making a sculpture. Every part he chips away, every addition he makes, every boundary that he puts in, the entire process is motivated by the artists’ love. Friends, John says that God’s love working in you is the same. When we surrender to God’s will and God’s ways, John says not only is the Gospel working powerfully in us, but it’s also evidence that God’s love, His transforming love is also at work in your life. As a christian where is God calling you to change? Where is His love chipping away at an area of your heart and calling you to obey? Instead of resisting that, John says, rejoice in that. It is a sign of the Father’s love working in your life.
Why is this important?
When we talk about wanting to see all people know, love, and follow Jesus, It is so easy to stop at knowing and loving. Our culture usually stops at know and love. know and love. If you know me and you must love me and accept me. While the Gospel affirms that, Scott preached on the grace and acceptance of Jesus last week, God’s love does something even more, it transforms. The Gospel isn’t just affirmation, I accept you I love you, Jesus’ work, Jesus’ love, is so powerful so complete, that it isn’t just affirmation, but also transformation. The love that saves us, is also the love that changes us(say that again). 上帝透過他的愛拯救了我們，而且，他的愛改變了我們。There is no other God who will tell you, that not only do I save you, not only do I accept you, but my love will also change you. That’s how powerful the love of God is, when we trust in Christ, His love works in us and empowers us to obey His commands. Because our obedience to Christ, is evidence of our union with Christ.
How we know we are IN HIM
How we know we are IN HIM
-“in Him” This to fellowship with Him. When John uses the word “in Him” he is referring to the biblical idea of abiding in Christ.
Look at
Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.
你們要住在我裡面，我也就住在你們裡面。枝子若不連在葡萄樹上，自己就不能結果子；你們若不住在我裡面，也是這樣。我是葡萄樹，你們是枝子。住在我裡面的，我也住在他裡面，他就結出很多果子；因為離開了我，你們就不能作甚麼。
What John is saying, that because of Jesus’ promise that if we abide in Him we will produce fruit, then John is saying that our lives should look like Jesus’. This phrase means that our manner of living should be like Christ’s.
People who want to climb Mount Everest can’t do it alone. When people want to climb Mount Everest they use a guide called a Sherpa(夏爾巴人). These are guides who lead people up the dangerous path to the top of the mountain. As you watch people climb Everest they are walking step in step imitating and following the Sherpa. Every step is important, every move is important. So John asks, does your life imitate Christ? At the end of the day does your life, does my life look like Jesus? Can people see Christ in my life? John says that if we truly look at this test and people can’t see Christ in my life, not perfectly, but if my life doesn’t resemble the life of Christ, the way in which Christ lived, then John says we need to stop, and have a serious heart examination.
For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
因為 神預先知道的人，他就預先命定他們和他兒子的形象一模一樣，使他的兒子在許多弟兄中作長子，
There is one thing specifically that John is referring to in this context when it comes to imitating Jesus. This whole chapter talks about the way we love each other. Love is the context. So notice the Bible doesn’t say “if you know Jesus you will have the biggest church, John doesn’t say if you know Jesus, you will lead the most people to Christ, no here, God says if you say you know me, if you are abiding in me, you will love like me. You will serve like me.” Church is our manner of love like Christ’s? Remember this isn’t something we try and do on our own, because the ability to live the Christian life only comes from the power of God. You and I have no way to live the Christian life apart from Christ.
So this is what it means to follow Jesus “obeying Him through the power of the Spirit so that we might look more and more like Him.”
We aren’t trying to BE HIM, unlike Buddhism we believe there is only ONE CHRIST, ONE SAVIOR, ONE JESUS, so as Christians we don’t replace Him, we aren’t equal to Him, but we are called to reflect Him to the world around us.
This is the hour. When our culture resorts to violence, Jesus calls us to love our enemies, when the world calls us to live in fear and anxiety, Christ commands us not to worry but to trust our Father, when it’s easier to live selfishly Christ commands us to live in generosity. Finally when the world says “live for yourself, above all other things” Christ calls us to live for Him above all things, and to love each other. This is a “choose this day who you will follow” moment.
And so, Scripture says, it is our obedience to Christ is evidence of our union with Christ.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
1) This message is important for us; it's important for at least two reasons. It's important because there may be some of us here today who profess something we don’t have. Maybe you are not living in accordance with God's word and really have no deep desire to do so. And what John is saying to you is, “It doesn’t look like you are a christian. The most loving thing God does for us is hold up His word as a mirror for us to see our need. Realize that you need grace! You don't need to try and live better; you need His saving grace!” Because in order to BE like Jesus you must first BELIEVE in JESUS.
2)You may be here today you are wrestling with a lack of assurance that you know Christ, because of imperfections, because of failures, because of mistakes in your lives. You might even hear this lie from the enemy that “you’re a fake and you will found out”. I know I’ve heard that one. And John is saying, “God is not asking for perfect obedience to His word; He’s asking you to look at your heart and answer this question: Have you repented and trusted Christ? Do you desire to obey God's word? Do you see moments of obedience to Christ in your life? If your answer is ‘yes,’” John says, “you can be assured that you know Christ and that Christ knows you.
How are we made to look more and more like Jesus? Through reading His word, through prayer, through fellowship with other believers.
Church as we finish out 3 part series on our vision, to see all people know, love, and follow Jesus, we are praying that God would do a mighty work through His Spirit right here in Linkou, right here in our hearts, in Taiwan, where we see many people know Jesus, Love Jesus, but ultimately through obedience to Him, look more and more like Him to the world around us. These are the disciples we are praying are made.
