To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice
A Test of Knowing Him
1 John 2:3-11
Throughout the Scriptures, the message is consistent: Obedience to God’s commands is of great importance to Him. Obedience is a required biblical building block in a foundation of genuine faith and a source of assurance for those who truly know Him.
What assurance do you have that you truly know Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord? (vs. 3-6)
- Assurance of our salvation comes from the gift of the internal witness of the Holy Spirit who indwelt us the moment we were saved (cf. Eph. 1:13-14; Rom. 8:14-16)
- The litmus test of obedience gives us assurance of having genuine, saving faith (cf. 1 Jn. 2:3; James 2:14)
- To claim to know and love God is to obey Him (cf. 1 Jn. 5:3)
- God saved us from His wrath and enables us to walk as Jesus did (cf. Rom. 8:29)
If you say that you know Jesus and claim to have fellowship with Him, and yet you are knowingly and willfully disobeying any of His commands, stop deceiving yourself by thinking that He is “okay with that.” He is not! Confess your sin, turn from it, and do what He commands, proving that you are not a liar and that you are in Him.
Do your views, attitudes, and actions towards your brothers and sisters in Christ reflect your claim to be ‘in the light’? (vs. 7-11)
- Obedience in loving one another is a helpful barometer to evaluate if we have genuine fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Jn. 4:21)
- At the heart of following Jesus is knowing Him, obeying Him, and loving others
- Failing to love another sister or brother contradicts the claim of truly knowing Him and living in the light
- Living the Christian life without love amounts to nothing (cf. 1 Cor. 13)
Are you “living in the light” by demonstrating love for others in such a way that it reveals that you genuinely know God? Obeying God’s commands, including having love for fellow believers, is a non-negotiable part of being in the family of God.
Keep Walking in the Light – Living by the Truth
Actively obey His commands!
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