1 John 2:3-11 A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience Be Transformed 1 John 2:3-11 A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience
A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience Big Idea: A true disciple obeys God’s Word and loves God’s people
A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience 1 John 2:3-6 3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience 1 John 2:7-8 7 Beloved, 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 which you have heard. 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.
A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience 1 John 2:9-11 9 The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience I. Evidence of obedience to Jesus Christ (2:3-6) A. Test our faith by His Word. (v3-4) 3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; There are 3 marks of a true believer in Jesus: 1. Obedience to Christ (v3) 2. Genuine love for fellow Christians (v4) 3. Love for God and not for the world (v15-17) Jesus told us: “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)
A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience I. Evidence of obedience to Jesus Christ (2:3-6) B. Test our faith by Following His Walk. (5-6) 5 But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”(Psalms 119:105) “To whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”(Colossians 1:27) “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (1 John 2:6)
A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience II. Edict of obedience to Jesus Christ (2:7-8) Romans 13:8-10 8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience II. Edict of obedience to Jesus Christ (2:7-8) A. The Old Commandment (v7) 7 Beloved, 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 which you have heard. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”(Deuteronomy 6:5) “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”(Leviticus 19:8) “For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”(Galatians 5:14)
A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience II. Edict of obedience to Jesus Christ (2:7-8) A. The Old Commandment (v7) 7 Beloved, 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 which you have heard. “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.” (1 John 3:14) “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”(John 13:35) “For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.” (Titus 3:3).
A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience II. Edict of obedience to Jesus Christ (2:7-8) A. The Old Commandment (v7) 7 Beloved, 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 which you have heard. “Because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5) “Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.” (1 Thessalonians 4:9)
A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience II. Edict of obedience to Jesus Christ (2:7-8) A. The Old Commandment (v7) B. The New Commandment (v8) 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. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34) "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 1:5). "But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day." (Proverbs 4:18).
A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience III. Effect of Obedience to Jesus Christ (2:9-11) A. Hate the Brethren and you are in the darkness (v9) “The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.” Thought To be a true Christian we must love every fellow believer. This is an outworking of faith that we receive as new creatures in Jesus Christ. For He loved all, even those who nailed Him to that cross. He loved them all, because those where the ones He came to save. To walk as He walked, how ought we love others? Our love should extend first to the brethren and then our love should extend to those outside the church, but to not love the brethren, but those outside the church, that is evidence of where our faith resides.
A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience III. Effect of Obedience to Jesus Christ (2:9-11) A. Hate the Brethren and you are in the darkness (v9) B. Love the Brethren and you are in the light (v10) “The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.” Thought To love the brethren it demonstrates our faith in Jesus Christ. It is evidence of our submission to Jesus’ Lordship over our lives it is evidence of our humbling of our hearts as we seek place others above ourselves. An unintended benefit that we receive when we love the brethren is that we will be loved in return.
A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience III. Effect of Obedience to Jesus Christ (2:9-11) A. Hate the Brethren and you are in the darkness (v9) B. Love the Brethren and you are in the light (v10) C. Hate the Brethren and you are blind (v11) “But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” Thought We can love or hate other Christians and many times our hate for the brethren are poorly constructed excuses and always unbiblical. However, loving one another does not mean that we are all best friends and wish to be in each others company’s at all times. We are to love one another, even if our personalities do not mix well, look deeper into when Jesus called Matthew the tax collect for Rome and Simeon the Zealot who despised all things Rome, even Jewish supports of Rome.
A Disciple Sees the Necessity of Obedience Do you know Jesus? Do you Keep His commandments? Do you abide in Jesus? Are you walking in the same manner as He walked? Do you live your life and express your love in such a way that it declares that you are in the Light of Christ?