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Knowing God?

1 John 2:3-11

You can know God personally.

Verse 3

We can know God by obeying His commandments. John is not talking about salvation here. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

God’s Word contains His commandments. In His Word God expresses Himself. We learn His will. We learn His likes and dislikes and His desires. We know God by His Spirit, His Word, and by obeying His commandments.

Verse 4

We as believers can lie to ourselves and practice sinful lifestyles. We rationalize saying, “I said the sinners prayer. I attend church services. I’m good with God now” But the inner life of anger, resentment, and an unforgiving spirit continues. The answer is to repent and seek God’s forgiveness and healing. Sometimes this is a process and not a one time action.

The opposite is true. If we keep His commandments, place the truth in us then we will know Him. What are His commandments? In Matthew 22:36-40 tells us there are two: Love God and love others. How do we place the truth in us? First be born again. Jesus sends the Spirit of Truth to dwell within us when we become born again.

Second, read and study the Word of God.

Verse 5

The love of God is introduced here. There is a link between the love of God and knowing God. Keeping God’s commandments results in knowing God, experiencing His love, and being in Him. Moses is an example of this. In Psalm 103:7, we read Moses knew God and the children of Israel knew about God.

In Exodus 33 we read Moses obeyed God and he desired to know God. On the other hand the children of Israel kept their distance from God. We experience the love of God as we embrace what God has done for us at the cross; the forgiveness of our sins.

We as believers are in Christ. This means we are identified with Him. He is the vine and we are the branches. As we abide (remain) in the vine we will produce the fruit of righteousness.

Verse 6

To abide in Jesus is to remain with Him. He is our life. How did Jesus walk? In what ways can our manner of life be like His?
1. Jesus spent time with the Father by praying often (Mark 6:46, Luke 6:12).

2. Jesus taught and He shared the gospel (Mark 1:14-15).

3. Jesus resisted the devil (Matt 4:1-11).

4. Jesus did those things which pleased the Father (John 8:29).

Verse 7

What was the old commandment? There were two. The first is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18).

Verse 8

What made these two commandments new was Jesus combining them and saying the whole law was fulfilled by them.

Verses 9-11

There is a link between obeying God (i.e. walking in the light) and loving our brothers in Christ. Loving your brother is a demonstration that you know God and obey Him. Sadly there are brothers and sisters in Christ who harbor anger and resentments towards their brothers or sisters. May I suggest you listen to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to heal and repair the relationship. There are other instances where reconciliation has taken place but there is still a separation of some kind. It’s difficult to be around this person. Pray for them and for your continued healing. Pray for wisdom to know what to do or not to do next. Pray for endurance especially if this person is in your daily life.

In conclusion, God has given us His Holy Spirit and His Word so that we may know Him. Our part is to diligently pursue God by praying, reading and studying His Word. Be open to the Spirit’s leading.

We can test our knowledge of Him by our obedience to Him. Do you really believe He loves you? Do you believe He wants what is best for you? Do you trust Him? If so, then obey Him.

Right Beliefs Produce Right Living

Right Beliefs Produce Right Living - A study in 1 John
Why did John write this epistle?
1. That your joy may be full (1:4)
2. That you may not sin (2:1a)
3. That you may not be deceived (2:26)
4. That you may know you have eternal life (5:13)
We will look at the first two reasons:

We have joy because John saw, heard, and touched Jesus. He was a witness to Jesus’ humanity. Jesus was a real person not a ghost. He was with the Father in the beginning and John declares the eternal life which was with the Father. Jesus was made evident (manifested) so we may have fellowship with the Father and Jesus. We also enjoy this fellowship with believers in Christ. This brings us great joy.

The second reason John wrote his epistle was so that we may not sin. This implies we have a choice to sin or not sin. Before you became born-again, you did not have the power to not sin. You were controlled by your sin nature. If we say we have fellowship with God and our course of life is continually sinful we are lying to ourselves. If we say we have not sinned we are deceiving ourselves. If we say we have not sinned we make God a liar. As a believer in Jesus, one who has confessed our sins to Him and received His free gift of salvation, we have the choice to not sin because Jesus paid for our sins on the cross. All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23). The Scriptures declares us as sinners. What are we to do? We turn to the One whom John declares to us. The One he saw, heard, and touched - the One who is real. Romans 6:3-4 tells us we are baptized into Christ Jesus. This means we are identified with Jesus and with His death. We are new creations in Christ. We walk in newness of life (2 Corinthians 5:17). The shame and guilt we experienced is lifted off us in Christ. Now that gives us great joy!

Since we are identified with Christ in His death, we too are dead to sin. We no longer have to be a slave to our sins. Those sins of worry, lack of trust in the Lord, unbelief, drinking, lust, etc. do not have dominion over us any longer. God, by His Spirit, empowers us to say “no” to those sins. Praise God! Reckon (consider) yourselves to be dead to sin and alive in Christ Jesus.

Sin does not have to reign in our lives. This is where we have a choice and God’s power to live as those who overcome. Do not place yourself in a position where you are weak and easily fall into sin. Avoid those places. An unbeliever does not have this option. He can only continue to sin because he does not have the power to conquer it.

A carnal Christian has the option but chooses not to use it. The ability to overcome sinful areas in our lives brings us great joy. It’s not an easy option but it is one that pleases God.

What happens if we yield to that temptation and sin? We have the marvelous remedy in Christ Jesus. See 1 John 2:1-2.

Confess your sins to Jesus. He came for the sinner. He is our Advocate with the Father. Jesus intercedes for us. He speaks to the Father on our behalf. He is our supporter and our defender. We have placed our faith and trust in Him to forgive us of our sins. We believe He paid the full penalty for our sins. Now we have fellowship with both the Father and the Son. Jesus knows us and we are His sheep. We hear His voice. He will not cast us out. We are in Jesus’ and the Father’s hands. The Father gave us to Jesus and Jesus gives us His Holy Spirit to dwell within us. He is for us. Isn’t He wonderful?

He is the propitiation for our sins. The propitiation was Jesus on the cross satisfying the wrath and judgement of God for sin. God is offended by our sins. He hates sin. Sin must be judged. When Jesus was on the cross, the offense and righteous anger that God had for sin was placed on Jesus. The wrath of God and the demand for justice was place on Jesus. God was satisfied with the penalty Jesus paid so the Father raised Jesus on the third day.
Let us be joyful in what God has done for us in His Son Jesus.