Bible reading for today is from 1 John chapter
2 verse 3 to 6 and I'll be reading from the ESV
version. So chapter 2 starting at verse 3 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 be sure that we are in him whoever
says he abides in him ought to walk in the same
way in which he walked this is the word of the
Lord good morning everyone it's great to be together
as it's said been said already it is really wonderful
actually to be together to pray together sing
together praise the Lord together in such a public
way. And now we're about to come around God's
holy word, the eternal words of life. And so
would you please pray with me as we turn to scripture
this morning? Indeed, Father, we ask that you
would speak to us this morning, that this wouldn't
be a simple Bible lesson, but you would help
me, Lord, to proclaim these words truthfully,
clearly. And Lord, that you would be honoured,
you would be glorified, and you would have our
praise and affections here this morning. We ask
for this for the sake of Christ and in your name,
amen. Church, how do we know that we really know
Jesus? How do we know that we have really come
to be in relationship with the living God? How
do we know that we're actually a Christian and
have received the very spirit of God? Or to put
that another way, how do we know that we have
come into a saving relationship with Almighty
God and will spend eternity with him in glory?
Well, these are very important questions. And
very important questions that our apostle John
doesn't want us to be in the dark about. And
so John has given us, in these words that we
have before us this morning, some standards to
test ourselves against in order to help us come
to a certain answer about these important questions.
But first a bit of context. If you've been with
us for the past few weeks, you'll know that we're
in the first letter of the Apostle John written
to the church in Ephesus, where John has been
giving answers to some of the false teaching
that had found its way into the congregation
there. The first error that he addressed was
the false teaching that you can have a saving
relationship with God while still living and
absolutely life. The second error that he addressed
was the teaching that once you became a Christian
you're now a person who's perfect and absolutely
without sin. The third error that he addressed
was that once you became a follower of Christ
you no longer committed sin because you no longer
had a sin nature, it some way disappeared. These
have been some of the erroneous teachings that
the Apostle John has addressed for us thus far
in this letter. And he's had to address these
things because those Christians are now new creations
and walking in the light and in the truth of
the gospel. We still wrestle with sin and we
need to deal with our sin. realistically. And
so John has been clear about how we are to do
that, how we are to deal as Christians with ongoing
sin. And that's by confessing it to God and experiencing
His ongoing grace on this side of our Lord's
return. To put it simply, Christians aren't to
live in the dark and deny that we have sin still
attacking and tempting us, but we are to live
in the light and in the truth and to grow in
the grace of God and the knowledge of the gospel
by confessing and experiencing our loving Father's
ongoing grace in our lives. And we're able to
do this because as we saw last week, our status,
our salvation, our righteousness has come from
the work of Christ. He is our propitiation. There's
that fancy word we had a look at last week, which
means he is our atoning sacrifice, says John,
who now stands before our heavenly father as
our advocate and righteous representative. And
so far from encouraging the church to live a
life of sin, our apostle does just the opposite.
He encourages Christians to live a life of holiness
and he does that by pointing out the reality
of the situation that we find ourselves in on
this side of our Lord's return while reminding
us to keep looking and going to Christ in the
midst of our battles and ongoing temptations.
This morning, John Our apostle presents us with
a few things in which we can examine ourselves
so that we might be sure that we are living and
really walking in the light, while not deceiving
ourselves by walking in the darkness. He gives
us three things in fact. First, he says, if you
know God, if you're following Jesus, you'll obey
him. Second, he says, if you know God, you'll
love his word. And third, he says, if you know
God, and he uses the phrase to abide in Christ,
it will produce a godly life. One that looks
more and more and more like the perfect man,
Jesus Christ. So for the next few moments, let's
unpack these wonderful truths. If you have your
Bibles with you this morning, have a look with
me at verse three there. We read, and by this
we know that we have come to know him if we keep
his commandments. Now, I want to make something
really clear to you from the get -go. We must
understand... That in light of everything that's
come before in this series, in this epistle that
we've been looking at, that John isn't now saying
to us, this is how you come to know Jesus, by
obeying him. No, it's not like John has told
us the gospel. and then comes to this part of
his letter and then says if you want to benefit
from Christ's blood and his intercessionary work
in the heavenlies then you must obey and then
you'll be saved. Now John is simply saying this
is how you really know that you're following
Jesus. It's shown in the way you live. It's shown
in the way that you act. And so from the get
-go, it's very important for us to see that John
isn't saying that we come to know Jesus by keeping
his commandments. No, he's saying we know that
we already know Jesus by keeping his commandments.
There's a very, very important distinction and
difference that we need to see there. It's like
that little fuel gauge that you have on your
dashboard in your car that tells you how much
fuel is actually in the car. That little gauge
doesn't make the engine work, right? Now it simply
tells you something about what's already going
on in the engine. It's not the source of power
in that sense. No, it's just the evidence of
something that's already going on under the bonnet.
And so it's important that the people of God,
the church make that distinction here because
our apostle, he gives us a standard in which
we are to reflect on. In order to know if we've
really come into a living relationship with God
and to know if we're actually following Christ.
It's simple. If we know him. will obey him. If
we know Jesus, we will keep his commandments.
So brothers and sisters, do you desire to follow
what God says to us in the Bible? Is the Bible
your standard and final authority for life and
faith? Do you hear the word of God and does it
lead and guide you? Are the words of Christ something
that you love, that you treasure and deeply desire
to obey? Is the Bible something that you've come
to trust is absolutely trustworthy and something
to be believed and then applied in every which
way, even when it might cost you, even when it's
very, very hard to follow? I was reading an article
this week on the Christianity Today's website
about outspoken comedian and atheist Ricky Gervais.
Maybe you've heard of him. Surprisingly, as a
child, he believed in Jesus. Mainly because,
as he put it, that's what he was told to believe.
The article said that he went to Sunday school
and he thought Jesus was... Kind of cool, even
though he didn't understand a lot of the Bible
stories. Like most kids, Ricky said he put it
down to what his parents had told him to believe.
But everything changed, he said, when he was
asked by his older brother why he didn't believe
in God. Ricky said, I realized I didn't actually
have an answer. I realized I had nothing to point
to to help me to answer that question. And I
share this with you because Ricky's rejection
of God doesn't reveal a flaw in the word of God
which tells us that the living God has spoken
to us. Now it reveals a flaw in Ricky's faith
in what God has spoken to us about, about himself
in his word. I mean, it's as John says here,
if someone truly believes in the living God,
then they'll also believe in his word and they
will trust what it says and they will obey it.
If only Ricky knew that he could look to the
Bible for the answer. Maybe he will one day.
Now just to be crystal clear with you here this
morning, Church, John isn't saying that Christians
must keep Christ's commandments as found in the
Bible perfectly in order to have the assurance
that we're really saved. Now what John is saying
to us here is that because we know that God has
spoken to us and because we strive to obey, to
keep his commandments, because of that we can
know that we have come to know Christ. I mean
if John was saying that we needed to keep the
commandments of God perfectly in order to know
that we're actually saved. then he would be absolutely
contradicting himself with everything that he's
just said up until this point in regards to Christ's
blood of atonement, about Christ's sacrifice
on our behalf, about everything he's told us
about sin and confession and grace. If we're
really honest with ourselves, Church, I don't
think any of us Not one of us in this room would
have any real assurance of knowing that we're
actually saved if the standard was sinless perfection.
This isn't a new question. In fact, the reformers
really struggled with this very thing. Martin
Luther, who was a 16th century reformer and theologian,
he wrestled with this very concept. Listen to
his words. This life is not perfect righteousness,
but growth in righteousness, not health, but
healing, not being, but becoming, not rest, but
exercise. We're not there yet to what we shall
be, but we are growing towards it. The process
is not yet finished, but it is going on. And
so our apostle, he's He's very clear with us
here this morning. The evidence of really knowing
God, the evidence that we're walking in the truth
and in the light of the gospel is that our life
is being transformed because we obey Christ's
commands, which we know to be true. It might
not be perfect obedience, but there is obedience
nonetheless. John's straight with us here. One
of the ways that we can know that we know God
is that we believe His word. We follow His word
and we strive to obey the commandments of our
Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. It's the first
thing that our apostle has to say to us here.
The second thing John says is found there in
verse four and it's a contrast really with what
he's just said. In verse three, he says, whoever
says, I know him, but doesn't keep his commandments
is a liar. And the truth is not in him. Again,
John is not mincing his words for us this morning,
is he? If you claim to know God, but there's
no real change. That's a strong indication that
you actually don't know God or the truth of the
gospel at all. It's like if you were to stand
in a pitch black, dark room while saying to yourself,
don't worry, the light bulb's plugged in, I've
studied electricity, I know how it all works,
but you're still standing in an absolutely pitch
black, dark room. At some point, it doesn't matter
what you say, if there's no light, something
is clearly not right. I mean, it doesn't take
an electrician to point out to you that if the
bulb were truly connected to power and the light
was working, then, well, it would shine. Well,
as absurd as that picture is, that's the kind
of thing that John's getting at here. If you
can say that you're in the light, but your life
looks like utter darkness, then either you're
confused, deceived, or worse, completely lying
to yourself. So as John says, if you say, I know
Jesus, but you reject what he has to say to you,
You reject the word of God, well, you're a liar.
The truth is not in you, our apostle would say.
Now, just to be clear, deep Bible study, learning
original languages, reading theological books,
listening to church history, podcasts, can I
have an amen, Shelley, and other such things.
They're all really good and well, and great to
do, in fact, if you have the time and resource
to do so. But John, he clearly says to us here,
no matter what you think you know about God,
if your heart hasn't been changed by the truth
of the gospel and that truth isn't evidently
working itself out in your life, then dear one,
you are still in the dark. And that's because
the truth of the gospel. The truth of the gospel
always results in a change of life and action.
A globe connected to power that's working will
produce light, we might say. And that's the glorious
thing about the gospel. The glorious thing, if
it penetrates the heart, if it really gets hold
of somebody and brings them into a living and
intimate relationship with God through the work
and the power of the Holy Spirit, then it will
change everything. It will change everything
because the heart goes from hating God and wanting
to be our own gods to loving God. and trusting
his word. And because of that deep surgery, that
born again life done by the work and the power
of the spirit, we will want to obey our Lord
with all that we are. That's what leads to the
transformed life. Not all the theological head
knowledge and rule keeping done in public in
order for people to think that you're a holy
person, but the truth. of the gospel penetrating
our hearts and our hearts being transformed by
the Holy Spirit so that we might love Jesus and
love what he tells us. John is very straight
with us. If we know God, we will want to obey
him because the truth of the gospel always leads
to action. To put that simply, there's no real
knowledge of God that does not lead to a transformed
life. And so you can see how John contrasts a
couple of things here with verse three. When
that transformed life isn't there, when there's
no evidence of any real change of heart or action,
well, that's a clear indication that that person
has never really met. the living Lord Jesus.
But where there's obedience, where there's striving,
where there's confession, where there's perseverance,
where there's faith, what we can know, we can
know that we've come to know the living God.
That's the second thing we see here. The third
thing is found in verse five. And it's pretty
much what John's already said in verse three,
but he leans onto a little bit of a different
emphasis here. He says, but whoever keeps his
word in him, truly the love of God is perfected.
By this, we may know that we are in him. Now
what's interesting here is John's. comment his
emphasis on love. In verse three, he challenges
the church to test ourselves by asking, are you
obeying the commands of our Lord? But in verse
five, you'll notice the emphasis, it's on motivation,
which is love. You see, John takes our attention
to love because true love always expresses itself
in some sort of action. Which is to say, it's
not something, true love isn't something that's
just a feeling or found in sentimental language.
I mean, if that was the case, then our budgies
at home would be the most loved little fluff
balls in the world. Because me and the kids,
we always go on about how much we love these
little winged creatures. But really, at the end
of the day, it's only... Haley, who feeds and
waters them and actually keeps them alive. Our
words, they're loving, they're cheesy for these
little things, no doubt, but it doesn't really
lead to much action. Haley's actions, however,
they speak louder than words. That's our apostle's
point. True love is always expressing itself
in action. And here in this context of this letter
that we have before us this morning, that action
is moral obedience to God's commands, to our
Lord's commands. American theologian and pastor
Albert Barnes, he puts it like this, if this
is the true interpretation of the passage, then
it affirms that if true love exists in the heart
for God, it will be carried out in the life of
the one who claims it. Love and obedience are
two sides of the same coin in that sense. One
will be manifested by the other. Where there's
obedience, there is love. Where there is love,
there is obedience. True love for Christ, brothers
and sisters, it leads to action. And that action
leads to loyal obedience to the things revealed
by our God in His Word. It's like a marriage.
One spouse may say whatever they want, they may
have the most romantic words, they might write
the most beautiful poetry, but if they're continually
cheating on their spouse, then clearly, there's
no real true love for their spouse. And so in
very much the same way, John is saying if you
truly love God, you'll be loyal to him. You'll
be committed to him and as you obey that love
will be experienced more and more and more Evidently
as you walk it out Love Church love delights
in doing and serving not just saying Think with
me here on John 14 on the night that our Lord
was betrayed he's going to be handed over into
the hands of sinners and be crucified. And he
said to his disciples, if you love me, you'll
keep my commandments. If you love me, you'll
keep my commandments. Brothers and sisters, any
church, any denomination, any teacher, any theologian,
any pastor that teaches that you can love Christ
and not keep his word contradicts the very word
of God. We act because we love. Look what love
caused our Lord and Saviour to do for His people.
Look what the Lord did for us because of love.
One last thing that I want to draw your attention
to here is found in verse 6. We read, whoever
says he abides in him ought to walk in the same
way in which he walked. Essentially, John is
saying to us that we can say we love God, we
can say that we're a Christian, that we can say
we've gone to church our entire lives, but if
you're truly living in the light and if you truly
know God, if you're abiding in Christ, then you'll
live like Christ. How did Christ live? Well,
he loved his father and he lived in obedience.
to him. The thing that separates the sheep from
the goats, the light from the dark, the true
disciple from the deluded one, isn't so much
what we say, though that's very important, our
words do matter, but it's how we live out our
lives in light of the Word of God. To abide in
Christ is, as we've seen, to experience a life
-giving relationship that comes through the grace
of God, through the Holy Spirit. If we abide
in Christ, if we truly belong to Him, that will
change everything about us from the inside out.
It's as Jesus said to Nicodemus, we will be born
again. Church, the real Christian life isn't
a religious life that's lived out in public exclusively.
so that you can tick a whole bunch of boxes to
gain people's approval. Now the real Christian
life is a living and breathing relationship of
love and obedience and activity and loyalty to
God's Word and obeying Christ in all that we
do because the Holy Spirit has so done something
in our hearts that we desperately want to be.
like our Lord and Saviour Jesus. So John says,
for the one who abides in Christ, everything
about you will be transformed because your heart,
your will, your hopes, your affections have found
their joy in Christ. To put that simply, Christ
is your treasure and because of that life in
Christ, because of that fellowship of love and
relationship, your whole life will be changing
more and more and more into the image of Christ.
Christ who loved and obeyed his Father, no matter
the cost to himself. As we finish, brothers and
sisters, if perfect obedience and perfect love
for that matter is the test, then every single
one of us in this room has failed miserably.
Failed miserably. That's why Christ had to pass
the test. for us. And by God's grace alone, He
calls us to Himself through the Gospel. He transforms
us by the power of the Spirit so that from the
inside out, from the seat of the heart, from
the depth of our very souls, love for God, obedience
to His Word is our delight. It's not a burden.
It's our want to do what He wants. You and I
aren't there yet. We're not in sinless perfection
just yet. We are what the theologians call an
already but not yet people, already saved, yet
still being sanctified, already separated from
our old slave master, yet still learning to live
out our new lives in Christ. How do we know that
we know God? This was the question we started
with. We know that we know God according to the
Apostle John here because we love him and that
love manifests itself in heartfelt obedience
and loyalty to our Lord and Saviour Jesus. This
is an incredibly important message. Because there
may be some of you here this morning that as
soon as you're not around church, that as soon
as you're back out into the world, into the workplace,
around other people, it's just business as usual.
And in no way are you living in accordance with
God's word, nor do you really want to. Well,
John would say, come to grips, come to grips
with the reality of what that shows you. Come
to grips with the reality of the darkness that
you are still walking in, dear one, and cry out
to God for mercy. You're not here by any mistake
this morning. You're meant to hear these words,
cry out to Him today while it is still called
today. Ask God to come and rescue you. The promise
from Scripture is that he will in no way cast
out anyone who comes to him. There may be others
of you here this morning that are really wrestling
with your faith and wondering if you're saved
at all because of the sin that still seems to
hinder and taunt and test and tribulate you and
you fall into it. You may be wondering if you
are saved. Well, John would say to you that God
isn't asking for perfect obedience. Though he
would ask, do you long to obey God's word? If
the answer is yes, I so desperately want to follow
our Lord, then be encouraged, brother, sister.
Be encouraged, a heart. that has been changed
by the work of the Holy Spirit wants to live
in accordance with our Lord's will and will strive
to do so. And so go to him. Go to him and call
out to him as your father and ask him for the
grace that he provides for his people as we confess
our sin. He provides for us in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Might you be encouraged by these words
this morning? Let's pray. Father we thank you
so much for the words of eternal life. We thank
you that we are not clamouring around blind and
in the darkness wondering what you're like but
you have revealed yourself and Lord you have
saved your people. You have rescued your people.
And Lord, as we seek to obey, as we seek to walk
in the truth, Lord, we stumble. So we'd ask that
you would please have mercy on us, that you would
have grace, that you would show us the things
that we err in. And Lord, that we would continually
be a people looking to you. A people knowing
your ongoing grace, growing in love and experience
of your salvation. We ask that we would be a
church that doesn't just talk about these things,
but holds these things out to the city of Armidale
and beyond. Lord, we ask for this for your glory
and in your name. Amen.