Just as He Has Commanded Us
Just as He Has Commanded Us
"And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us." (1 John 3:23, ESV)
1. John combines faith and action again in this verse - that we believe and love.
"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.”" (John 13:34-35, ESV)
2. The Greek word for belive [pisteuo (pist-yoo-o)] can be translated many ways but in this verse is means to place full trust in the person of the lord Jesus Christ. The command here is to believe and continue to believe in the second person of the trinity.
" “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:1-6, ESV)
3. John wrote this epistle and the fourth gospel for believers so that they may have faith and know they have eternal life.
"but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:31, ESV)
" 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." (1 John 5:13, ESV)
4. This is the work of God - to believe in Jesus and keep on believing more and more as we mature.
"Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”" (John 6:28-29, ESV)
5. Jesus said that this very thing is eternal life.
"And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (John 17:3, ESV)
6. John then moves from faith to love of the brothers, because these two are linked together. You don't get one without the other.
"At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling." (1 John 2:8-10, ESV)
"If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 John 4:20-21, ESV)
7. Jesus gave this command to us repeatedly - love one another.
"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." (John 13:34, ESV)
"“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12, ESV)
8. Believing in Jesus Christ means obeying His command to love the brothers and keep on loving the brothers.
"Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another," (1 Thessalonians 4:9, ESV)
"Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart," (1 Peter 1:22, ESV)
"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8, ESV)
9. This is also Paul's definition of true religion "faith working through love."
"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love." (Galatians 5:6, ESV)
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GracePointe Baptist Church
2209 N Post Road
Oklahoma City, OK 73141
Phone: (405) 769-5050