The Test Of Obedience

JUNE 9, 2021 STUDY NOTES I JOHN 5:3 BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES THE TEST OF OBEDIENCE INTRODUCTION 1 John 5:3 is the last time we find John using the word "love" in 1 John This is a good place for us to look at what John has said about "love" in this letter We wonder what more could be said about the love of God than he has already said To review is always a good means of study, we often find repetition in scripture There will be a repetition of verses because of more than one truth found in a verse GOD IS LOVE 1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. GOD LOVES US 1Jn 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 1Jn 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 1Jn 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 1Jn 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 1Jn 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us. OUR LOVE FOR GOD 1Jn 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 1Jn 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 1Jn 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us. 1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 1Jn 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. 1Jn 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. DON'T LOVE THE WORLD 1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. LOVE ONE ANOTHER 1Jn 2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 1Jn 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 1Jn 3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 1Jn 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 1Jn 3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 1Jn 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 1Jn 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 1Jn 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. 1Jn 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. John has not described for us the natural love of man, love that is of the human nature There is a natural affection that all humans have to some degree, but John speaks of God's love Jesus spoke some great truths to the Jews in John 5, Joh 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. Without Christ in our life the love of God is not in us, Joh 5:42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. That is the same message of love that John has presented to us in 1 John Through God's love we can receive Christ, when we receive Christ, we receive the life of Christ Christ in us is the love of God in us, God's love in us is why we live the life that John describes When we have the love of God within us, we will obey His commands, love for God obeys God THE TEST OF LOVE 1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. John begins the verse with "For," taking us back to the previous verse, 1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments John gives us two ways to identify the love of God within our life, 2 ways to test our love for God When we love the children of God and when we keep God's commandments A good test of love for God is, do we love God's children, our brothers and sisters in Christ? The evidence of our love for others is our love for God that keeps His commandments Through our love for God, we can obey the commandment to love one another, Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. Love for one another is a powerful witness of our salvation, Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. When John says, For this is the love of God, he is referring to our love for God Which is also identified in verse 2, "when we love God," it is easy to say, "I love God" But John speaks of a constant love for God, we continue to love God regardless of anything else John tells us how we can know for sure that we love God, that we keep his commandments: It is also important to understand who John speaks of when he says "we" John's favorite way to identify those he refers to as "we" is the term "little children" Seven times in his letter he calls his readers, "little children," a very affectionate term "Little children" identifies those that God loves, those who love God, those who love one another Understand the point that John makes, "we" that keep His commandments "That" is a word "that" you should never overlook in scripture "That" indicates the purpose or result of what is being said, which is important to us To love God is to "keep His commandments," we must also understand the word "keep" "We keep" has the idea of keeping watch over something and closely guarding it The meaning is, "you will keep my commandments," why, because you love me Love is an impelling force, our love for God motivates our obedience to God The more you love God, the stronger the desire is to obey his commandments Love has a strong desire to keep them, Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. Keeping His commandments identifies you as a Christian, 1Jn 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. We continue to keep His commandments because we continue to love God, Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. There is a great promise to the Christian found in, Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. A promise that is often overlooked and not emphasized but we can claim it and experience it This verse is not teaching that our love for God is the way of salvation, 1Jn 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. It is teaching that because we are saved, we are to love God and keep His commandments Scripture often speaks of the rewards of salvation, which we receive because we are saved Only the saved can receive the rewards of salvation, we receive them through obedience to God Jesus tells us of the rewards of loving God and keeping His commandments In some special way God will show His love to us as we show our love to Him Which is an experience of God's love beyond the love we received when we were saved We will also be rewarded with a special love from Jesus, He will "manifest" Himself to us To love God and obey His commandments opens the door of our heart for spiritual understanding Allowing Jesus to show us how great our salvation really is and how much He really loves us Paul explains it to us in, 1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. This verse is often applied to our future experience in heaven, but it refers to our present life Which is explained in the next verse, 1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. We must look at the context, that which has been "written" is known as the "Bible" It is true that when we get to Heaven, we will see that which we have never seen before It is true that when we get to Heaven, we will hear that which we have never heard before It is true that when we get to Heaven, we will experience that which is only of Heaven In Heaven we will experience that which we have never experienced in our life upon earth But Paul speaks of life today, a personal experience of life that can be ours today God has prepared a way for us to see, hear, and receive what the love of God has prepared for us It is not emphasized that they have been prepared for those that God loves, He loves the world What God has prepared for us is experienced in our love for God, "for them that love God" There are many promises made in scripture to those who will live their daily life loving God The "crown of life" is a present earthly experience, Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. We experience the wisdom of God through faith toward God and love for God, Jas 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? Life is good when we love God, Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. What God has prepared for our life today has been revealed to us through the Holy Spirit God reveals through the Spirit the things that God has prepared for those who love Him Jude tells us that we must remain in the realm of loving God, Jud 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. "Keep yourselves" presents to us a responsibility, we are to be sure that we are loving God The Christian who is loving God will be obeying God, Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. Christians are always richly rewarded when we love God and obey God We will experience a rich relationship of God's love toward us All of which cannot be explained in words but can be experienced as we love God Now is the time to keep His commandments and experience what God has for us, Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. We must be hearing God's Word and doing what we have learned to do in order to be blessed Which is always true concerning all of God's Word, Luk 11:28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. Listen to John, and his commandments are not grievous. "Grievous" has the meaning of difficult or hard to deal with, burdensome or oppressive John says, "no way," God's commandments are not a burden but a delight to those that love Him How many times have you bought something that needed to be put together How many times have you bought something that you needed to learn how to use it And what you bought came with a handbook, a book of instructions on "how to" And you put the book aside and attempted to do it all your way, then you looked for the book Our handbook for life is the Bible, the Bible instructs us, protects us, and will bless us, Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Obeying the commandments of God will prove that God's will for us is "good" "Good" means that which is the best for us, that which is profitable for us and our family "Acceptable" means that you will be glad that you have obeyed God, you will be well pleased "Perfect" has the thought of attaining a goal, fulfilling a purpose, bringing to completion To keep the commandments of God is to experience the fulness of life, the abundant life, Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. The "abundant life" is loving God, loving God's Word, obeying God's Word, resting in Jesus, Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. John said, keeping God's commandments is not grievous, Jesus said it is restful You can "rest" in Jesus by obeying Jesus, Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. "Rest" is like a relaxing breathe, a sigh of relief, an inward tranquility Jesus tells us exactly what John does when He says, Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. A "yoke" is that which binds or unites together, obeying Jesus is uniting with God's will The yoke of Jesus is "easy," again what John said, it is not grievous, it is not harsh but easy "Light" means not heavy or easy to bear, all which means obeying God is a delight The Psalmist describes the one who is blessed as the one who "delights" in obeying God's Word, Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. "His delight" describes the pleasure of a Godly Man, the innermost desires of his heart God's Word is not troublesome, it is a delight to read, it is a joy to learn, to obey it is happiness To be blessed we must read the Word of God in-order to learn and live the Word of God, Psa 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. Psa 119:35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. Love for the Word of God will keep our minds upon God and His commandments, Psa 119:47 And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. John does not mean that obeying God's commands will be the easiest thing that you will ever do Because we love God, obeying His commands is not burdensome Many things we do for others, especially our family, is not easy Yet we do them day by day because we love them, and those tasks are not burdensome There are some steps of life we don't really want to take There are some daily loads of life we don't want to carry There are some places we don't want to go, but we go, and things we don't want to do, but we do Because we love those that we go for and do for There is joy in serving Jesus because we love God, 1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.