1 John 2:3-6

0:56Question I have for you this morning that I want you to think deeply on and be as honest with yourself as you can. Do you know God? Do you know God? This is a question that relates to every individual in this room and everyone who is joining us by other means. Do you know God? And your question, the way you answer. That. I'm sure in this room there have been some that, yes, I know God. Some perhaps, no, I really don't. Others, maybe, still others, I don't know.

1:47Well, it's the one question you need to know: Do you know God? If so, I have another question for you: How do you know that you know God? How do you know that you know? That's a little different question. Well, that's the question that John gives us an answer to. In fact, in chapter two, he's going to go on and he's going to answer this question several times. How do you know that you know God? Well, he gives you the test of obedience, we'll be looking at today. Then he gives us the test of love, and then he gives us the test of doctrine.

2:35Today, we'll be looking at the test of obedience. But there are certain things in life you need to know, and I'm talking that there are certain things that you need to know that you know. There are certain things in life that you really don't have to know, are not necessary for you to know, for example. You do not have to know what tomorrow may bring. You do not need to know what, when, or how, or where you will die.

3:10You don't have to know what the stock market is going to do. I would have a chapter about that somewhere in the Bible. We don't. I don't even have to know to what degree the presidential election last November was fraudulent. I don't even need to know that. I don't really even need to know how effective masks are. I do not even really need to know when our building is going to be finished over there. And neither does our contractor, apparently.

3:53These are things we don't need to know or must know, or there would have been something written about them. But the very idea of knowing anything is almost an anthem in our society today. We live in what we call a postmodern world. You've probably heard that term ad nauseum. But the idea is that you really can't be certain about anything, except you certainly can't be certain. But when you. Do get off the journey and find the destination, that's when you get in trouble, right?

4:37Certainty about anything is shunned in our society and even criminal in many instances. And to say that I know God, wow, that is a whole nother level, would almost put you in the category of insanity, may put you in the position of being laughed at or being identified as the real problem. But God wants to be very clear. There are certain things that you need to know, that you must know, and that you need to know that you know.

5:24Certainties that transcend not only this life, but the life to come. John has already spoken about several of them. Number one, God is. God is. You need to know that God is. Chapter 1, verse 1: What was from the beginning? Literally, who was from the beginning, considering the word of life, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life. God is. Second truth that. You need to be certain of is that God has manifested Himself. And this is what John is saying in verse 2 of chapter 1. And the life, that life which was from the beginning, and we have seen, and that life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and manifested to us. God is, and God has manifested Himself. And third, God desires a fellowship with each and every one of us. Look at this: Verse 3: What we have seen and heard, we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us. And indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

6:48John's writing, so that we may have fellowship with God. God is, God has manifested Himself, so that you and I can enter into a loving fellowship with Him. But then look at our text this morning. Not only does God want you to know that He is, He has manifested Himself, and He desires fellowship with you, He wants you to know that you know that you have fellowship with Him. Look at verse 3. By this, we know that we have come to know Him. That's pretty bold. By this, we know, by this condition, we know that we have come to. Know him.

7:33Literally, it's a verb, we are knowing. By this, we are knowing that we have come to know him. Now, to know someone means you're acquainted with him, certainly involves certain realities. But John is talking about more than just a reality, certainly involves that, of course. But he's also talking about an intimate relationship. By this, we are knowing that we have come into an intimate relationship with him. Now, he's not talking about comprehensive knowledge, but he's talking about true relationship, true knowledge, true relationship.

8:26What about you? Do you know that you know God? Do you know him? How do you know that I know him? I'm up here preaching. I come to you bringing this word week in, week out. How do you know that I even know what I'm talking about? How do you know that I know God? How do you know that you know God? Do you see what John's trying to get at here? He. He wants us to know, and this is what he's going to address in this letter. He wants us to know for your sake where you stand with God.

9:14He also wants to know for you to know for the church's sake so that you can identify true and false converts, true and false teachers. And so that's his aim. For your own sake, he wants you to come to the assurance, as he said in chapter 5 and verse 13. He wants you to know, I'll read that. He wants you to know these things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. The gospel is written so that you can have eternal life. This letter is written so that you can know that you know that you have eternal life. And so, for your own sake and for the church's sake, I want you to know that you know you have eternal life. And for those of you who, as we walk through this, I want you to be honest as you can. And if you don't know Christ, if you don't know him, you can today.

10:20And I want you to know how. So, number one, number one, looking at the test of obedience, how to know that you know God. Know that the one who knows God obeys Jesus. Very simple. Very simple. But before I go there, I'm going to solicit a volunteer. A volunteer. Somebody who's bold. Somebody who's ready to come up and do the unthinkable to make a point. But you'll be safe and protected. So, James, was it James coming up? Still up to it?

11:01Peter? Now, you got it. This is pretty bold. This is pretty bold. Come on up here, James. Don't worry. You'll be okay. I had your dad sign a release, so we're going to all be okay. Oh, so before I put this on, what is this? It's a welding helmet. And what does a welding helmet do? When it gets really bright, you put it down, right? I think my lens is about to fall out here, but just want to put this on your head. Okay. Now you can see, right? You can hold it up so that you can see. Now let's walk down here for just a moment. Just walk on down. Got a boy. All right. Come on over here. Now, I want to just spin you around a little bit, and then I'm just going to ask you to do something, okay? So here he is. He's got the, he can see, and I'm not going to spin around, or I get, I lose it. Okay, so now I want you to go over there and just. Touch the corner of the, or go over and touch the drum set, will you? Just go touch the drum set.

12:08Look how good he's doing. All right, come on back now. Give him a hand. Okay, now, James, now, I want you to go up, pick up Pearl's violin, and play a sweet tune, okay? Oh, wait, but before I do that, I want to make sure you know exactly where you are, okay? So we're going to turn you around, turn you around, take your different places, and just kind of, okay, now, without looking down, without cheating, I want you to go find Pearl's violin, okay?

12:49Without cheating. I like that, I like that, I like that. Good job. Good job. Well, I'll tell you what, I'll thank you. That's enough. You illustrated my point. Here, and by the way, by the way, just for the trouble, okay? Go ahead and take thank you very much. Give him a hand. Okay. Very easy, right? Very easy. Thank you, James. Thank you. Appreciate that. Now, you'll never forget James. You'll need to remember him in your prayers. So you get a lot of prayers out of the deal. Well, but was it difficult to tell when he was walking in the light or when he was walking in the darkness?

13:38Was there any? Can you very simple, right? Very simple to tell when he could see, when he had the light, he knew where he was going, right? When he didn't have the light, he was bumbling around and trying to find his way. You could tell that he was walking without sight, right? Same is true spiritually. Look across this world. There are many who do not know God. And those who do not know God bumble around, bumble through this life with no awareness of the spiritual realities that are around them, that are confronting them, or what they are going to meet in the future.

14:28And it should move you to compassion. People who don't know God act as if they don't know God. But the word has been given to us so that we can be alerted to spiritual realities. Some of you are going through life right now. You are bumbling your way through. You have not received God's truth. You do not know the person of truth. And so you're Bumbling through life. You're getting hurt on many corners and many places, tripping and falling in several ways.

15:15But John has written so that you will have the light of truth. God has manifested Himself so that you will have the light of truth, so that you will be able to tell yourself and know yourself: Am I in the light? Am I a child of the light, or am I going through life in darkness? John wants you to know that you know that you're a child of the light. And he wants you to know that you know you're a child of darkness and how to come into that light.

15:54And so, as we continue going, it's so clear in John's mind, and it should be so clear in our minds. It's very easy to see who's walking around in darkness. And he gives us two truths, two ways to identify who's walking in the light and who is not. How to know if you know God? Well, the one who knows that the know that the one who knows God obeys. Jesus. Let's look back. Who do you honestly believe Jesus is?

16:37Well, your answer is found in whether you obey him or not. Look at this objective condition. Look back. Verse 3. By this, we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments. There's a very objective condition. By this, we. And notice the word we there. John is including himself. John is telling us how he knows he is, has come to know Christ. John's telling us what gave him that personal assurance. By this, we are knowing, present, we are knowing that we have come to know him if we are keeping his commandments.

17:29His commandments. Whose commandments? Christ's commandments. You look right back up, verses before that. You had the referent is advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous, the propitiation of our sins. How do you know that you have come into a relationship with God? Is by keeping his commandments. That is the outer manifestation of knowing God. And the idea is keeping watch. If we are keeping watch over, if we are paying attention to Jesus's commandments, do you even know them? Could you even rattle off a few of them? Do you have his commandments? Well, there are many that he's given us. The issue isn't which one specifically, but certainly he's been be repenting, be believing, be coming, cast your burdens, love one another, be loving one another. All of these are specific commands. Are you paying attention to them? But this is the nature of the fellowship of light. It's about compliance with Christ. This is what the Father is about. This is what the Spirit of God is doing. Compliance. Father, Son, Spirit, that is the fellowship of light. Now, he's certainly not talking about sinless perfection. He has already said in verse 8 of chapter 1: if we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves. If we say in verse 10, if we say that we have not sinned, we make him out a liar. So he does recognize there's going to be sin in the life of the believer. The question is: do you respond to sin according to his commandments? Do you believe? Are you repenting? Are you believing? Are you looking to Christ, the serpent, like the serpent lifted up in the wilderness? Are you looking there for the forgiveness of your sins? There, are you confessing your sins?

19:31If we confess our sins, he's already said in verse 9, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Even in the midst of sin, there is a way to deal with it according to the commands of Jesus. And there is a way to neglect. One way we neglect the commands of Jesus in dealing with sins is we blame others, we excuse ourselves, we make all kinds of excuse, or we deny sin, we redefine sin. All of that, you can be sure, is somebody who doesn't know.

20:07But look at the one who fails this condition. Look at verse 4. Look at their outward confession. The one who says, I have come to know him and does not keep his commandments. There's a contradiction here that John's pointing out. The one with the outward confession, I have come to know. The one who's going around saying, I have come to know, is that you? Have you come to know him? Is that your profession? Or maybe is that what you tell yourself? I have come to know him. Or just look across the whole landscape of Christianity, our political land. There's a lot of people who say they know God, right? I have come to know God. I know enough about God. I'm authority in what I know about God.

21:00But the one who says, I have come to know him and does not keep his commandments, as verse 4 says, is a contradiction. There is an outward confession that doesn't line up with an outward manifestation. The outward confession leads to an outward contradiction. Does not keep his commandments. The one saying, but not keeping, is a contradiction. There's a disconnect going on. And John explains that disconnect. Look at the back of verse 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. See what John is saying. Now, what about you? Do you say you know him?

21:52What about obeying his commandments? The one who says he knows him and does not keep his commandments is a liar. Very strong word. We've already met the liar a few verses back. A liar, and the truth is not in him. Now, why? Why is the person liar? John explained the reason for this disconnect. The one whose profession doesn't line up with their outward manifestation, something very wrong or something is missing. Deep in their inner being, what is it? The truth. The truth is not in them. Truth is not dwelling in such a person. Truth is not running through their being. It's not pulsating through their being. That's why there are some, and you're going to meet many. And if we are careening to the end times, I can assure you, which we're closer today than we were yesterday, by the way. Don't know where God is in all of his epics and stuff or where we are exactly, but things are certainly moving recklessly to a pace of lawlessness and to a greater hostility to God. And we can see that all around. And there, and through all of this, you're going to be hearing those, I know God, I know what God really does, what he's like. Well, the way you know the validity of their statement is by, do they keep his commandments? Do you see a contrition? Do you see a brokenness? Do you see a lordship of Christ? Listen, if you obey Jesus Christ, guess what? You are professing that he is master, that he is Lord. If you are not obeying his overt commandments, guess what? You are in rebellion to him.

23:51It's not that hard to see, but you need to know. You don't need to get tripped up over this one. Something is missing. Truth is missing. But look back. John shows us the one who meets this condition, the condition of being keeping his commandments. Who is the one? Well, there's an outward evidence and there's a reality behind this evidence. Look in verse five. But whoever keeps his word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. The outward evidence, the one who is keeping his word, keeping his word.

24:30It's interesting how he says his word. Notice how he's changed a little bit. Not just obeying his commandments, but keeping his words. There's a nuance, though it's similar expression. There's a little nuance here. The keeping his word includes obeying his commandments, his overt commandments, his biggies, but it also goes into that subtle preferences of our Lord. Keeping his word is looking at his word, understanding him, and not just understanding his big commandments or the important major commandments, but also the subtleties, really wanting to know him, to know what his preferences are. The one who is actively keeping his word, keeping all that he has said, and paying attention to it. This is the one remarkable. Remarkable words, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. The outward evidence of one who's trying, seeking, and keeping his words is coming out of the inner reality that the love of God is now resident in this individual. You need to know, you need to be able to look across the landscape, wherever it's, whether it's your school, whether it's your job, whether it's the church you're in, whether it's whatever, you need to be able to survey and know who loves God. And you know those who love God by those who are keeping his word. In him, the love of God has truly been perfected. And the idea of perfected is mature or accomplished or achieved. In this individual, the one who is keeping his word, the love of God has been achieved. And it's a passive. It's not saying that the love of God has reached its perfection. No, the whole book is about growing in Christ-likeness, growing in, but there is something real that has taken hold, a real, genuine love that has been accomplished. And it's in the passive. Something has been accomplished in them. Spirit's work.

27:02God's work has accomplished something in this individual. You know, as I think about marriage, when I first got married, I loved my wife enough to say I do. And she didn't know any better and said the same thing. But obviously, as we pledge our love to each other, there are some big, biggies, right? We learn very quickly what really irritates the other. We start walking in a way that I'm going to avoid offending, but as time goes on, guess what? I start learning more about her, and I'm more interested in what she likes, her preferences, and all of that. And that's called a maturing of love, right? Getting to know and so is the one who keeps his commandments and who keeps his word. And notice also the one who moves from just knowing him, verse 3, the one who knows him keeps his commandments, to here, the one who loves him is the one who is keeping his word. You see, that we're moving, that to know him. This is an important. To know him is to love him. Knowing him involves that intimate relationship of not. Just keeping those major issues, but also growing in paying attention, desiring and wanting to please him in all of his preferences.

28:45You see, love is not measured by great confessions. Love really isn't even measured by beautiful music. Oh, it can be. But according to this, love for God is not measured even by sentimental language, poetic language, lofty sacrifices, or emotional experiences. You know what love is measured by? Simple, loyal obedience. That's how you measure love. Simple obedience. Spiritual loyalty shows up in moral obedience. Who do you believe Jesus is? Who do you believe he is? It's the most important question you'll ever answer, and you need to ask yourself: who do I really believe Jesus is? A person is going to be tested by his deeds. A person's declarations are going to be tested by his deeds. A person's words are going to be tested by his works.

30:00Running to that great judgment to stand before him. Revelation 20:11 says, This, then I saw a great white throne, and him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books according to their deeds.

30:32And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them, and they were judged, every one of them, according to their deeds. Listen, your words are going to be measured and judged by your deeds. That's where we are standing. That's where we're heading. But you can know now. You can know that you know that you are in a right fellowship with God. Who do you honestly believe Jesus is? Listen, if you obey him, you've already confessed that he is master, that he is Lord. He is one worthy of obedience. But if you're not obeying his voice, you have no idea who he is. And that's what John is saying. It's like John saying, Look, if you do not obey him, you have absolutely. Absolutely no idea who he is. I can almost hear him with a trembling voice as he saw waters hushed, as he saw the dead raised to life. If you do not obey him, you have no idea who he is.

31:52But the one who does keep his word does know him and can know that they know him. So the one who knows God obeys Jesus, and the one who knows God, second, has an inner compulsion to live like Jesus lived, has an inner compulsion to live like Jesus did. Look back, verse 5, second part. By this, we know that we are in him. There he goes with that same expression again. Similar, a little different. By this, we know that we are in him. The one who says he abides in him ought himself to walk in the same manner as he walked. By this, we, again, John is including himself. He said, This, by this, I know that I am in him. By this, we know that we are in him. But notice the change in language there: the difference in him in verse 5, verses know him.

33:00Right, in verse 3, by this we know that we have come to know him, and verse 5, by this we know that we are in him. Very similar expression, but with a slightly different nuance. In him. How do you know you're in him? Listen, that is one of the most rich theological terms, especially in Paul. If you read Paul, he talks about being in Christ, being in Christ. It's that beautiful word that pertains to the comprehensiveness of our salvation in Him. In Him.

33:41That is the state of the Christian in Him. And how do you know? Now, John is dealing with the issue. This is how we know that we are in Him. We are in Christ in the likeness of His death. We are in Christ in His burial. We are in Christ with His resurrection. We are now seated in Christ by the Father. We will be found in Christ. How do you know right now that you are in Christ? It's something you need to know.

34:15Well, again, there is an outward profession. Look at verse 6: The one who says he abides, or literally, the one who says, I abide in him. The one. Who says, I abides. Now, this brings us back to some language of John 15. Remember, we spent a lot of time there. Remember, John 15, verse 1: I am the true vine, and the Father is the vine dresser. Abide in me, verse 4, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from me, you can do nothing. You know, the one who's going through life that can see is the one who abides in Christ. The one who is bumbling around in the darkness is the one who does not abide in Christ.

35:18You will bear much fruit. Why will there be much fruit-bearing capacity? Because they are connected to the vine. Think about the metaphor: a branch connected into the vine is connected to that source of life that feeds the vine. The vine itself, then its energy, its supply pulsates through the branch, and then the branch has fruit-bearing capacity. Spiritually speaking, everyone who is in Christ is connected to that source of life. Life itself, truth pulsates through his being. And produces Christ-like fruit.

36:06That's why he bears so much fruit. The one who says he abides in him ought himself to walk in the same manner as he walked. Look at this inward compulsion. Look at this word. He ought. The one who says, I abide in him ought to walk. The outside manifestation is going to be that he wants to live like Christ lived. That's the outward manifestation. So the one who says, I abide, will have this desire to walk in the same manner. Now, this word for ought, it's difficult.

36:59The translations don't quite, it's there, but it's kind of difficult to really understand what this word is communicating. It's a present verb, it's an active verb. He is owing. The one who says, I abide in him, he is owing. He is compelled. He is indebted. He is beholden. He feels an obligation. He is compelled. He feels a compulsion. Compulsion, something in him is driving him to walk in the same manner as Jesus did. John is not just stating a condition. Like, well, obviously, the one who says he abides ought to be walking. Well, yeah, he's not just saying, he's not saying that he ought to, he should be, or just a condition that needs to be met. Yeah, yeah, there's a condition here for sure. This is what you ought to be. What's he trying to do? He's trying to say, but by this we know we are in him. He's not just trying to state a condition, he's trying to give his readers a reason why they can be assured. Why can they be assured? Because the one who feels this oughtness, this owing, this inner compulsion, this sense to walk as he walked, John is providing an assurance. It's not difficult to understand when a person's in debt, right? If you're in debt, you know it. You're writing out checks, you're writing out, you're making payments, and that's in a monetary sense, but also think about it in a relational. If somebody has done a favor or if somebody has been there for you in that difficult time, you feel a sense of obligation. And a duty, and it's an active. It's not just you're compelled by external forces, you have an active internal instinct desire to pay, to owe.

39:15The Hebrew equivalent of this word speaks of something that is desirable, favorable. Proverbs 14:35, the Hebrew equivalent reads like this: the king's favor, the king's favor. The king's favor is toward a servant who acts wisely, but his anger is toward him who acts shamely, shamefully. The king's favor. Now, you think about this: the one who says he abides in him is owing, not out of a sense of guilt or anything like that, but the living the way Jesus lived all of a sudden becomes desirable, favorable. And so I am owing out of gratitude. Something that used to not be desirable to me is now very desirable to me, even though I fail over and over again. Still, I want to live like Christ.

40:23Where does that desire come from? It comes from being in fellowship with God. It doesn't come from anywhere else. The one who feels this inward compulsion to walk, to live as he lived, can be sure and assured that they know God, that they love God, and as he says here, abides in God. Wow. Something new is pulsating through such a one's being. Does it speak of perfection? No, but it speaks of a deep sense of duty and grief when one fails to meet that standard.

41:20It involves a desire to study him, to study his life, his ways, and an acceptance and a reception of him in order to live like him. That is the one you can know that knows God. This is how you can know if you know God. Because such desire does not come from earth. And think about how remarkable this is. Just saying about it, may Christ be all and I be nothing. Do we really want that? Think about it. May I be nothing?

42:01What was Jesus about? Giving, emptying himself, serving one another. He didn't come making life all about himself, he came making life about others, those he loved. He was a man of restraint. He was a man who had no place to lay his head. He is a man of service, a man remarkable. Do you really want to be like him? Not unless something dramatically has changed in your heart. We don't find that naturally desirable. So, do you sense an inner compulsion to live like Jesus? It's because you do know him.

42:48You do love him. And you do abide in him. Well, can God be known? That's the age-old human quest, isn't it? To know God. Can he be known? The classical Greeks sought to know God through intellectual reasoning. Things like Socrates might come to your mind. And such pursuits gave rise to great schools of philosophy. Later Greeks sought to understand God through emotional experience. You feel God. And such pursuits gave rise to these mystery religions and the absolutely bizarre depictions of how these gods related to one another in some of the most gross and awful ways.

43:48However, it is not merely through the intellect, it's not merely through the emotion that we can know God. In fact, you can't know him on those grounds unless it is based upon revelation. The only way we can truly know God is if he reveals himself to us. And that's what John is saying: he who is from the beginning, the ones I seen, touched, felt, heard, listened to, and all, that's the one we declare. He did make himself known. God is, God has manifested himself to us. He desires fellowship with each one of us, and we can know that we know him.

44:32And so, intellect and emotion must be based upon revelation, and they will. Your whole being is going to be engaged in this relationship, intellect, emotion, but it's going to must and come out of God's revelation. But know that the one who knows God is the one who obeys Jesus. And has an inner compulsion to live like Jesus lived. We can look around, we see turmoil for many peoples and many nations. In our own country, around we see escalating lawlessness, we see an escalating violence, we see things that we haven't seen before. Listen, the church has the answer. And we can also know what's really going on in the nations. They do not know God, bumbling around in the darkness, sure to meet God as their enemy.

45:44In John's mind, the difference between the children of light and darkness is really very simple. Who do you honestly believe you are? Do you know God? Do you love God? Do you abide in Him? If you don't, you start by confessing your sins, by agreeing with Him what He says about sin. That's where you begin. You say, Okay, I'm done fighting. I'm going to agree, and I'm going to confess my sins. I'm tired of blaming somebody else for my sins. I'm tired of excusing my sins. I'm tired of trying, I'm tired of this war with God, trying to redefine. What sin is, because deep down I know what he says about sin is true. And so I'm just going to confess and ask for his forgiveness. And you will become a child of the light.

46:52Well, let's pray. Heavenly Father, we do come before you knowing you want us to have assurance, or you would not have written these words. You want us to know that we are in a right relationship with you. You want us to know that we know. And as we look ahead, Father, I pray to the year ahead and the days ahead facing this world and this country, Father, that your people will become more and more convinced of the realities of your word, the truthfulness of it, and how you spoke of the events going on in our world all around us, how you spoke about them thousands of years ago. Father, because you do know.

47:42You are true because you are and because you have manifested yourself to us and because you desire fellowship with us. Father, we come before you, confessing our sins and asking you to do whatever. Else is needed in our life to bring us into a closer, loving relationship with you. In Jesus' name, amen.