The Love of God Perfected

"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."

I John 2:4-6 

 If you've read this far into the first letter from John you see that he places a strong importance on being clear about who belongs to Jesus and who does not. Early in the first chapter he made clear distinctions that there are two categories of people, not Jews and Gentiles, but those in the light and those in darkness. He then showed us that there is one advocate for those in the light, and He is Jesus Christ the only righteous. He is the only way to walk in the light of God. So how does one walk in the light and have fellowship with God? By keeping His commandments, even the commandments of Jesus who is God in the flesh. So to be perfectly clear John says likewise that if you do not obey the commands of Jesus you are in darkness. Even if you claim to obey Jesus with your words but your actions show that you do not. You are a liar if that's the case and in darkness.

But who can obey Jesus, that the love of God is perfected in them? This is not an obedience to perform some ceremonious task that we may be justified before God. That is heresy. Jesus does all of the atoning work of salvation, even clothing His righteousness upon us in the form of faith. God's love cannot be perfected in the unrighteous because they are without Jesus. So the perfection of love is not a question of salvation because it can only belong to those who are covered by the blood of Christ to make them more like Christ.

God's love is perfected in us because the obedience is not in word only but confirmed by our actions. In his letter, James says that faith without works is dead. This means that if faith is genuinely provided by God it will bring about actions that prove the faith exists whereby it cannot be denied that faith in Jesus is present and perfected (James 2:22). Consider it as well in the matter of love. Love is perfected not when we only say we love God, but when we obey the commands of Jesus because that obedience is proof of His love. It cannot then be denied that the perfect love of God is present in us.

So what ought we to do? If we say that we love Jesus we must love His commands! Sometimes we don't understand Him. Many times we understand all too well and it hurts that we must repent of some things to be right with God, but we must repent when He reveals these sins. It is when our everyday actions show the world that we trust, obey, and follow Jesus Christ that the love of the almighty God is perfected in us. Examine yourselves to see if your actions leave doubt of God's love. If you find that they do, please repent and obey that His love may be perfected in you through Christ.

Consider also: James 2:17-26; John 15:1-17; Romans 8:34-39; Ephesians 3:17-19

Do You Know If You Know Him?

 "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments."

I John 2:3

  Oh how great a thing is it to be able to really know the God of the universe! Not only to say we know He exist or that we've heard of Him, but that we know Him personally. Is this just simply knowing His actions throughout the course of our history, or is it something far greater? Thankfully, knowing God is not hidden in some complex algorithm, a scheme of events, or incantations that must be achieved in methodical fashion. Knowing God is really quite simple. However, it is impossible for the unconverted person to know Him. This is because to know God is to know that Jesus Christ is His only begotten Son and is the propitiation for the Lord's saints. Without believing the gospel it is impossible to know God and have fellowship with Him.

And there is a way that we know who knows Him. Those who keep His commandments are those who have fellowship with Him. Not that the mere acts themselves grant fellowship or knowledge, but that those who are redeemed from sin, and the wrath of God upon their sins, desire to obey Jesus because His commandments are light in the darkness of sin.

It is true that our flesh at times lusts against us to do sinful things we would not do. But the Christian earnestly desires to please his Savior by obedience because it shows we belong to Him. Praise God! it is He who changes our hearts that we desire to obey and to grow closer to Him! It is He who grants us the sweetness of His fellowship and knowledge of His saving grace when after we look to Him we obey Him. 

Consider yourselves in the light of this short, simple, yet glorious verse. Do you desire to obey Jesus? Or is it a grievous thing for you to follow after Him and abandon sin. If you love the things of this world then it is likely you hate the things of God. You love darkness and not light and therefore you'll find yourself in eternal Hell if you do not believe the gospel. But if Jesus is precious to you; if He is your desire then take comfort that He has overcome the world for you. If His commandments are wonderful to you then praise the name of Jesus Christ the righteous and know that you know Him!

Consider also: Matthew 7:15-27; John 3:14-21; John 14:6,7,15; John 17:1-3

Jesus Christ The Righteous

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

I John 2:1,2

"My little children." John writes to those under his care as if they were his own children. And not only they, but all of God's people who would read these words throughout time. The apostle whom Jesus loved is showing forth that same love in taking us by the hand and explaining a very important truth to us just as a caring father would for his own children.

Never having met most of his readers he informs us why he is taking such great care to write; So that we do not sin. Not that he is saying that we can live perfect sinless lives on this earth but that it is what we should be working for. God's people are to abhor sin and flee it like the plague that it is! Run from it even though we will never be able to fully escape it until we die. Why is this or how is it possible? It is because God has provided His people with an advocate in Jesus Christ by whom is the only means God's people have righteousness; by whom is the only way they become God's people. 

Jesus the righteous died so that God's people may be saved from His just wrath and dwell eternally in His holy presence. This happens because the blood of Christ is a propitiation for those who believe - meaning His blood satisfied the requirement that resulted from Adam's sin in the garden. We know from scripture that Christ is not a propitiation for every man because we know many are in Hell. Therefore He is not an advocate for every man but for those whom God has given Him (John 6). And He is not a propitiation for believing Jews only but for the gentiles also! Praise God that His saving grace has extended beyond the exclusivity of the Jews to all nations upon the earth, that among all nations God has and is bringing many sons to glory!

In the first chapter, John laid the foundation teaching us that God's people must confess when we sin because Jesus, our righteousness, is our advocate to God. We don't rely on a human priest to atone for us. We don't rely on a pope to give us the Word or instruct us in holiness. We don't trust anything that we may do because we are not perfect. We have Jesus the only righteous for when we sin and praise His name that have Him!

Consider also: Romans 3:19-26; John 17

The Foundation

"If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

I John 1:10

On the surface this verse seems to only be a replica of verse eight. But look at it closer and you well see the summation of what we know as the first chapter of this letter from John and the perfect bridge from this chapter to the next.

Contextually speaking, John has laid the final stone in the foundation of this letter before building the walls to the palace which has become a blessed part of our beloved Word of God. Through inspiration John has drawn sharp contrast speaking of light and darkness, truths and lies. We must understand that there are opposing sides and that there is no middle ground between them.

John has shown us that we all have sinned and that sin actions still remain after conversion. He has also comforted us in telling us that if we confess our sins to God, humbling ourselves before His majesty He is faithful to forgive His people and that He is just in doing so. We know that darkness and light cannot commune with each other. Therefore we understand that those who practice sin cannot claim to have truth or to be in fellowship with God. If we were to deny all of this we would be accusing God of lying, and if we accuse Him of such it is painfully obvious that His living word, even our Jesus who gives life, is not in us.

The chief cornerstone is Jesus Christ. If we are to have any part in the palace it must be by resting on Him alone by faith. This faith is evident when we separate from the worlds sinful mindset and actions. That is, when we stop practicing sin and start practicing holiness by the power of God. If we are to "sin not" as the apostle admonishes in the next chapter, then we must rest on the finished work of Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins.

Consider also: Romans 13:10-14; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6; Galatians 5:16-26