Love God? Then Follow His Commands!

Big Picture: Love God? Then Follow His Commands! Many people in the world claim to be things that they are not. In our society and even church there are plenty of people who claim to be followers of Christ. In this section of scripture John will show us how we can tell if we (and others) are followers of Christ. Being a follower of Christ is more than something that you say with your lips (although you do need to confess it), it is something that you have to live out 24/7. John draws a big distinction between the person who just says something and the person who actually lives it out. Also he shows that love for God and others is the defining characteristic of a Christian, and without this love we have no reason to assume we are a believer. We will see two tests appear in this section that talks about the truth. Seeing as John is writing against lies he puts forward tests of truth. We will see more later in our study, but here we will see two tests: the moral test and the social test. Instructions: Read 1 John 2:3-11 below. Look for some key words in the passage such as The one who says, themes such as light and darkness, and God s commandments. Note about the Structure: Just as in 1 John 1:1-2:2 there were three If statements, we will see in this section that there are three The One Who Says statements. This structure helps us as before see the general overarching point of this passage What matters in the Christian life is not what you say, as much as how you live. Themes in this Section: Since there are a number of items that are repeated themes, it is good to identify them Commandments/Obey: verse 3, 4, 5, 7 Truth: verse 5 twice and verse 8 twice (three times), 8 Darkness: verses 9, 10, 11 three times. Light: verses 8, 9, 10 Passage 2:3 Now by this we know that we have come to know God: if we keep his commandments. 2:4 The one who says I have come to know God and yet does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person. 2:5 But whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in him. 2:6 The one who says he resides in God ought himself to walk just as Jesus walked. 2:7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have already heard. 2:8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 2:9 The one who says he is in the light but still hates his fellow Christian is still in the darkness. 2:10 The one who loves his fellow Christian resides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 2:11 But the one who hates his fellow Christian is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 1 P age

Verse by Verse Commentary with Reflective Questions: 2:3 Now by this we know that we have come to know God: if we keep his commandments. There is a structural note here going from v3-5. It is called an A B A pattern, where the idea in the first verses is restated at the end with the middle idea being very different. The First Test: The Moral Test John gives many mentions to the fact that we can know that we know that we know that we are on our way to heaven. We see that in 5 different places in 1 John alone: 1 John 1:7; 2:5; 3:14; 4:13; 5:2. However it is important to note that what John is talking about here is not reassurance of salvation, but he is providing a test of what it looks like to be saved. He is saying, this is the fruit, the proof that you are saved if you keep God the Father s commandments. John is also not saying, this is how you earn salvation, but this is a fruit, result, proof of your salvation. If you lack this fruit, then something may be really wrong. (c.f. Phil 2:12-13) In our society we are told that there is so much that we simply can t know. We are told that we don t have things that are certain, but rather doubt and personal perspectives reign. John will at many points in his letter, including here, put that idea to rest. Like we saw in Hosea 4:1 that God says, There is no knowledge of God in the land, we also see in this verse that God was saying, because you do not live the way I have called you to live, you clearly do not really know me. In Hosea there was deception, murder, stealing, adultery, etc. (Hosea 4:2), so God said they did not know him; know him in the sense that they had a relationship with him. The people knew about God in a factual sense, but they had not been impacted by God. Where does remaining sin fit into our lives? We will all sin since we are on this side of heaven. So how should we view it when we sin? While all of God s children will fall short of his glory, the difference is the genuine follower will be confessing, repenting and seeking to change as a result of their sin. Just because we sin, we should not automatically question our salvation, but when that sin begins to define more of us that our attempts to please God, then the real Christian should pause and consider if he is walking in darkness or light. In the Greek God is not in verse three but only the pronoun Him. There are good argument that point that the referent here is God the Father and not Jesus Christ here. Reflection Questions: Have you ever questioned your salvation? If so, one of the things you can look for is the fruit. If you lack any of the fruit that John is talking about, then you may consider how you need to change. Why is keeping God s commandments (bearing fruit) so important with relation to your salvation? Where is the distinction between works righteousness and grace? 2 P a g e

We are called to obey God because we love him (John 14:15), why does God insist on obeying him as an indication of love? Most of the world and society says, If you love me you will let me do what I want but not God, why? Many people in our society claim to know God, but very few practice actually following his commands, how should we respond to them when we see the discrepancy between words and actions? Often in our lives we equate bible knowledge with spiritual maturity and a relationship with God, however that is not how God does it. God equates a relationship with him, are you guilty sometimes of equating these two things? Do you sometime assume that because you know more about God that you love him more? 2:4 The one who says I have come to know God and yet does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person. Again John talks in very black and white terminology. If you are claiming to be a follower of Jesus and you are not doing the things that he has asked you to do, then you are a liar. If you are not doing the things that God has called you to do, then there is no reason to believe that you are a Christian at all. Again, it is important to note that just because we sin that doesn t mean that we are not Christians, but when more and more of our life is categorized by not following God, then we have a problem. The Christian s life will be more and more categorized by a growing obedience to Jesus, not one that is falling away. Reflective Question: Is the walk that you have with Christ growing to be more obedient or less? If people looked at the facts would they see you becoming more like him or less? What are some of the obvious dangers of living as a person who does not keep God s commands? 2:5 But whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in him. 2:6 The one who says he resides in God ought himself to walk just as Jesus walked. Love of God in verse 5 refers to the love that we have for our God. We see this phrase explained better in places like 2:15 and 5:13 The phrase, By this we have come to know him is pointing forward to the next verse. Many translations signify this by using a colon. However whether the phrase points backward or forward, it means the same things. We have come to know God when we are keeping his commandments and abiding in him. What does it mean for the Love of God to be perfected? Essentially it is saying that our love for God is made complete and mature. 3 P a g e

Reflective Questions Jesus is setup as our perfect standard that we should be seeking, but often we seek to justify ourselves by looking at the short comings of others, have you been looking to Jesus as the standard that you should be meeting or have you been looking to others? o What is the standard that Jesus sets for things like serving others, loving them, sacrificing for them, etc.? Would you describe your relationship with abiding in Jesus? o What does it look like to have a relationship that abides in him? 2:7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have already heard. This section of scripture begins to restate and go deeper into what was said in verses 3-6. An important thing to note that John has changed from using the plural commandments to the singular commandment. He does this because he really is showing that all the commands are really one, that we are called to Love God and Love others (c.f. Matt 22:36-40) When John talks about this not being an old commandment, he is talking about the days of creation or the times of Moses. He is pointing to the fact that this has been around, this idea since the beginning of recorded time. We even see this play out in our own lives. How long have you heard it in your own life that you are called to love God and love others? Yet we are constantly failing and when we hear a sermon preached on it or read another book, sometimes we feel almost as if this is new. 2:8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Sometimes when verses are difficult to understand we should look at other transitions and paraphrases. Another way to view this verse would be to view it like this, Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. We are called to be the light of the world and that light should be shining brightly. If people can t see it in us then there is a problem. We see Jesus and his followers living this out and another helpful paraphrase for this section could also be, Its fulfillment is seen in him and in you John calls this commandment true because he is doing what he normally does, he is trying to make it very black and white. He is drawing very distinct lines. 4 P a g e

John almost might seem as if he is contradicting himself. In verse 7 he says this is not new, but old. In these verses he says that this is kind of new. Some might feel that John has lost his mind, but that is not the case. The way that this remains new is that it is true and remains true and is continually realized and lived out in the life of Jesus and his followers. 1 John says that the darkness is passing away. What he means by that is the darkness of the old age in which men did not love in this sort of way is disappearing, and the light of the new age in which Christian loves is shows is already starting to shine. Jesus, the light of the world has already dawned (Jn. 8:12) and the light is to be growing brighter and brighter. This love should be attractive to all, but we also will learn that men do love darkness rather than light. John reminds them of these things so that they will hold fast to what they have already heard, and also so that they will not be influenced by the teachings of others. He wants them to remain hopeful in the Gospel of Jesus. 2:9 The one who says he is in the light but still hates his fellow Christian is still in the darkness. John really sums it up here with another line in the sand. Either you love your brother or you hate him. We would love to water down this statement and say that it is not true. We would love to say that there are plenty of people in our lives that we simply don t hate, but we might not be loving to them. John doesn t allow for that. You either love those around you or you hate them. There is no middle ground on this earth, everything is either for Jesus glory or it is not, and you either love those around you or you hate them. Reflection Questions: Why do we naturally want to water these statements down? Why do we want to naturally find some middle ground that doesn t seem as bad or offensive? How does showing love to someone need to mean more than just not being mean to them? (c.f. 1 John 3:17) 2:10 The one who loves his fellow Christian resides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 2:11 But the one who hates his fellow Christian is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. The Second Test: The Social Test We have seen a strong dichotomy in this text between the person who says something and the person who does something. John shows us that Christianity is more than just saying 1 Marshall, I. W. New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Epistles of John. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978. 5 P a g e

something, it is more about living something and he ramps up what he has been saying in the early verses. It is important to note that we are called not only to live a life that is not only absent from sin, but our lives are to be marked by action. It is to be seen as loving others, not just being absent from sin. The word to stumble means to walk in sin in this passage, but it also has another meaning. The Greek word literally means a trap and so the person who is darkness is and sinning is falling into the traps of sin. The person who walks in the light does not. Make a mental picture for a moment. If you are walking in the day time and you are watching where you are going, you have a greater chance to see any traps that have been laid out for you. However if it is night time and you can t see a thing, then you are much less likely to see any traps that are waiting for you and you will be easily ensnared. Further in our picture, it shows the person who chooses to be in darkness is stuck there. Imagine for a moment if you are climbing a mountain and you get lost at night. The best thing that you can do is to stop and wait for the morning. When light comes you can look at your map and your surrounds and get going again. The thing about those who are choosing not to follow God is that it will never be morning. The more they sin the darker it gets. They have no hope of waiting until the dawn where they will be able to navigate out of the traps. Reflection Questions: Where do you need to change in not just being a hearer and speaker of the word, but actually a doer? (c.f. James 1:21) Our own sin has caused darkness to come on our eyes, what are the steps that we need to take to bring our sin to the light (i.e. before God and others?) What are areas in your life that you need to bring forth to the light? Why do we find it so hard to love others when the command is so simple? Why is it that our hearts are naturally drawn to darkness rather than the light? Some would say that Christianity is a religion full of rules and it is hard to follow, but Jesus and John have summed it up as love God and love others, why do we and others tend to make things so complicated when God seems to have made it simple? What should you do when you notice that you are not loving your brothers? What steps do you need to start taking today? 6 P a g e