1 John 2:3-6
And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
Tag: Our Walk in His Word Perfects His Love in Us!
Many who claim to “know” Christ struggle with the concept of “assurance” - assurance is, simply stated, “knowing beyond any shadow of a doubt that I know Christ and He knows me and has saved me!” How can anyone really “know” they are saved?
In the above passage we have the Apostle John’s answer to that question. Stated in our own words today, he is saying, those who “say” they believe in Christ and that died to save them, demonstrate that faith by loyalty to Christ - obedience to His commands - and, as a result, end up loving like Christ loved. In the end, our faith ought to make us look like Christ; loving the brothers and sisters in the Kingdom of Christ. John is saying that those who “say” they love Christ and don’t demonstrate that by simple obedience to His commands (to love the other people He has saved) cannot have assurance; they can’t say they are saved. John plainly states that when we obey God’s Word - simply doing what it says to do (whether we like it or not, or can see God’s plan or not) - His love will be PERFECTED in us. The word “perfected” means to be made complete. As we do little acts of obedience toward God’s Word, we will grow in love for God’s people and God’s ways. The more we do those acts of obedience, the more we are perfected by His love. Our obedience to His Word has the promise of God perfecting His love in us. We might find it hard to love the people of God and want to be with them and obey God’s word. Sometimes people are hard to love. We like to say, “I can’t hang with them because I don’t trust them.” But, God does not give us that option. God tells us to obey His Word. His Word tells us to fellowship with others that He loves. When we wait for them to “prove” they can be trusted we are not obeying God’s Word - we are testing God’s Word. If we don’t obey God’s Word we are testing God, not showing loyalty toward Him in love. We can’t have assurance of faith without obedience to His Word. It is that simple.
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