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Explore the significance of knowing and keeping God's commandments as an act of fellowship. This article delves into the relationship between grace, love, and the law, and highlights the importance of aligning our lives with His teachings.
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The First Epistle of John His Commandments - I John 2:3-6 • I John 2:3 – NKJV “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.” • How are you doing here? • Perhaps we don’t really know Him or in context ‘know that we know Him’? • ginōskō – to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of • perfect active indicative • This is experiential and can best be exemplified as an act of fellowship. • if is a conditional participle here • we keep - to attend to carefully, take care of • His Commandments? • Is this law or ‘the Law’? • John 14:15, 14:21-24, 15:10, 15:14; I John 3:22, 5:3. • And then there’s I Thess 4:1,2. • Another interpretation is an order, command, charge, precept, injunction. • If this is law or The Law, what’s happened to all that grace message? 1 Feb 27, 2011 Bob Eckel
The First Epistle of John His Commandments - I John 2:3-6 • My (His) commandments are not mentioned until John 13-17, and this leads to the Upper Room Discourse where the message is not to Israel but to those who were clean through the Word spoken to them. • With His commandments the principle of grace was introduced and identification becomes essential. • John 15:12 - Love one another as I have loved you. • I John 5:3 - This is the love of God that you keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous. • How can we accomplish this without a new nature? • The Law of Christ reflects the law of love, and the perfect law of liberty. • It’s all about Him! • I John 2:4 – “He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” • Very similar to I John 1:10 - ‘If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.’ 2 Feb 27, 2011 Bob Eckel
The First Epistle of John His Commandments - I John 2:3-6 • Now we are the liars. • Who’s keeping track here anyway? • And what are the metrics? • I John 2:5 –“But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.” • Whosoever keeps • Again, to attend to carefully, take care of • Perfect active subjunctive • His word • Beyond His commandments? • What does truly having the love of God perfected in us mean? • Perfect passive indicative • Not perfection but a full growth into maturity – Eph 4:12,13 • Is this a series of good acts and deeds or a life? • Remember we are positioned above! 3 Feb 27, 2011 Bob Eckel
The First Epistle of John His Commandments - I John 2:3-6 • Thus, what does that life of His look like in us? • And, notice that we know (ginōskō) or recognize this. • How do we do this, are we keeping a list and checking it twice? • John 8:28-36 • The Son will make us free and we will be free indeed. • Matt 11:28, 29 • James 2:22 – ‘Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?’ • I John 2:6 – “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” • Notice now the term is abide! • Present active infinitive (ought) • Implying a condition that is lasting, without intermission, and without end • Do you like me find this to be an interesting transition? • John 15:4-6 4 Feb 27, 2011 Bob Eckel
The First Epistle of John His Commandments - I John 2:3-6 • What’s this just as He walked stuff? • Present active infinitive • Is this trying harder to be like Him? • Walking in His steps? • An act of imitation? • No, it’s a life. • Phil 1:21 ‘For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain’. KEEP LOOKING DOWN!! 5 Feb 27, 2011 Bob Eckel
