"And hereby we do know that we know Him if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepth 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."
1 John 2:3-6
Part 4
Yesterday: Our Obedience to the Word of God Shows That Our Love for God Is Maturing
“But whoso keepeth His word.”
“In Him verily is the love of God perfected.”
“Hereby know we that we are in Him.
Today: Our Obedience Calls Us to Walk like Jesus Walked
“He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked” (1 John 2:6).
“He that saith he abideth in Him.”
Our words do matter. As believers, we are always to speak the truth. Jesus said we would be held accountable for our words. It’s not just the “important” words we say while everyone’s watching, but even the words we speak among friends when we think no one else can hear us. Jesus taught us –
“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36).
Our words had better be right on when we talk about a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is possible to fool people here on earth, but our words can never trick Jesus.
“If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth” (1 John 1:6).
“He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4).
A hypocrite has never fooled Jesus.
“He Abideth in Him”
If we say that we are “in Jesus,” our lives will prove that out. But what does it mean to “abide in Him?” The basic idea is that we will stay put, “remain, abide” in Christ. It means that we will never “depart” from Him. We will “continue to be present” in Him. In Him, we will be “held, kept” there continually[1] (Thayer). We are always safe in Jesus.
“…implying a condition lasting, without intermission, and without end” [2] (JFB).
Matthew Henry offers these sound words of advice to those who may not have the confidence that they are “in Christ.”
“These things demand serious self-examination; and earnest prayer, that God would show us what we are, and whither we are going” [3] (Henry).
“And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (1 John 2:28).
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine; ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).
Wonderful words!
“Ought himself also so to walk.”
“He that saith… ought….” Their walk should back up their talk. Our words need to be consistent with our deeds (see JFB). This is the believer’s obligation/debt (see Vincent).
“as that one walked – Jesus is the example Christians are to follow—it is the Christian’s obligation to live as Jesus lived” [4] (FSB).
Jesus told His disciples this after He washed their feet –
“For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15).
Believers, we live in the light.
“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
And Paul reminded the Corinthians that as he faithfully followed Christ, they should follow him in the same way.
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
“Even as He walked.”
Jesus Christ, God’s Son, lived a godly life as He walked on this planet among sinners. As ambassadors for Christ, we need to do the same thing (2 Corinthians 5:20).
“The life of Jesus Christ is the paradigm or pattern for the believer’s life” [5] (CSB).
“It is not Christ’s walking on the sea, but His ordinary walk, that we are called on to imitate” [6] (Luther).
“To walk just as He walked: … The spiritual power evident in the life of Jesus flowed from a faithful, regular, disciplined life of fellowship and obedience” [7] (EWC).
The psalmist shows us that right living can be accomplished as we follow the steps of our God.
“Righteousness shall go before Him (Jehovah); and shall set us in the way of His steps” (Psalm 85:13).
Christ reveals to us that our walk should be in love for Him and others.
“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor” (Ephesians 5:2).
We need to follow Christ’s footsteps, no matter where they lead us.
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).
Think about this –
“If I am to wholly follow the Lord Jesus Christ, I must forsake everything that is contrary to Him” [8] (AW Tozer).
“You cannot be Christ’s servant if you are not willing to follow Him, cross and all. What do you crave? A crown? Then it must be a crown of thorns if you are to be like Him. Do you want to be lifted up? So you shall, but it will be upon a cross” [9] (CH Spurgeon).
Quote: “The point here is that the one who knows God will increasingly lead a righteous life, for God is righteous. It does not mean that he will be sinless; John has already shown that anyone who claims this is lying. It simply means that he will be moving in a direction marked out by the righteousness of God. If he does not do this, if he is not increasingly dissatisfied with and distressed by sin, he is not God’s child” [10] (Boice, in EWC).
[1] J.H. Thayer, Thayer’s Greek Definitions, the electronic version in eSword.
[2] JFB, Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 527). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[3] Henry, M., & Scott, T. (1997). Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary (1 Jn 2:3). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems.
[4] FSB, Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (1 Jn 2:3–6). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. The emphasis is theirs.
[5] CSB, Yarbrough, R. W. (2017). 1 John. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (pp. 1994–1995). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] JFB Martin Luther’s quote is from JFB, ibid.
[7] EWC, Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.
[8] Tozer’s quote was Downloaded: October 19, 2021. From: https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/following-jesus.html.
[9] Spurgeon’s quote was Downloaded: October 19, 2021. From: https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/following-jesus.html.
[10] Boice’s quote is from EWC, Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.