By This We Know!

"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His Commandants. He who says, I know Him and does not keep His commandants, is a liar and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him! He who says he abides in Him is 'bound by duty' to walk as He walked."

The Evidence, according to John, is as follows:

1) You are Keeping His Commandants! ('By patience endurance in doing good! Rom2:7 says)

2) Love is Perfected in you. (Evident by obedience to His Word! 1Jh5:2)

3) You are walking in Newness of Life! (Rom6:5, Gal2:19-21)

Those following Jesus are Walking in the Light as He is in the Light, 1Jh1:7, They have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, 2Cor6:4. They love not the world or the things in the world. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world is passing away and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever! 1Jh2:16-17

Further Evidence of Walking in Christ:

1) Translated from Darkness to Light! 1Pet2:9

2) In fellowship with the Father, abiding in His Truth. 1Jh1:6

3) Redeemed form the corrupting influence of the world! 2Pet1:4

These passages could hardly be more simplistic. Yet the vast majority of professing Christians are under the impression they can 'Know' Him and not 'Keep' His Commandants & that they can 'Abide' in Him, while remaining in darkness. WHY? John says it cannot be so. He recorded Jesus in John8:12, telling the crowd of people who had gathered to stone the woman caught in adultery, "I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life!"

Here, Jesus is making crystal clear that indeed, He can forgive your sin, "Neither do I condemn you!" BUT you must Continue with Him in the Light! "Go and sin no more!" Literally spoken: "From now on, sin no more!" The modern church has misappropriated this passage as they've done so many others and taken it to mean Jesus was cutting this woman slack, sparing her the judgment of her peers because they were all sinners of similar sort. BUT His point to everyone, including the woman, is stated in verse 12, "IF you are following ME, you are NOT walking in darkness!" In other words, you are no longer a slave to your sin! Therefore: 'Sin no more!'

Thus John re-examines the same truth in Chapter three.

If we Know that He is Righteous: 1John2:29, 3:1-10, Jesus taught that you can know them by their 'fruits!', Matt7:16, For out of the heart proceed the issues of life! Porverbs4:23

"If you know that He is righteous, you (also) know that everyone who does what is right is born of Him." 1John2:29

The Living Hope! 1Jh3:3-10

1) In Him we are Pure as He is Pure. Free from the bondage of sin to serve Him.

2) Let no one deceive you in this matter, if you're sinning, you are NOT of God! (verses:6-7)

3) Jesus came to Destroy the works of the devil & free you from his bondage! (verse 8)

4) If you are truly Born of God, sin no longer has dominion over you! (verse9, Rom6:14)

5) The children of God do what is Right & Love their brothers in Christ! (verse 10)

How very rare it is in the modern church to find a professing Christian NOT living in bondage to self & lust. Yet the Bible couldn't be more explicit. If a person is living in known, willing sin, his heart is not pure and his works are not righteous. John says those 'Born' of God DO NOT sin, what could he mean? That they 'sin' but God no longer holds it against them? He did say in 1John2:1 'I write these things to you that you may not sin, but if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous!'

Many take this to mean: 'because you're going to sin anyway, we have our Advocate Jesus, so it doesn't matter!' But such an attitude turns Grace into lawlessness and doesn't concur with the rest of scripture. The language in 1John unequivocally states that the normal Christian experience is Victory over sin. Therefore we must conclude that it is on 'rare' occasion that a genuine Child of God is 'overtaken' in a trespass, unexpectedly and then quickly restored by the prodding of the Holy Spirit. Gal6:1 reproofs this conclusion:

"Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."

Literally this passage is saying:

"To the brothers, not non-believers, on the occasion you are overtaken (by surprise) in a brief 'deviation' from the truth, (no longer Rightly Dividing, 'keeping straight' the Word) another brother who is spiritual should in a spirit of meekness, 'set you back on the right path', taking heed lest he also be tempted to sin."

Such is the language throughout the New Testament. NEVER is sin condoned or taken lightly as though God is magically sweeping it under the rug because of Grace. Continuing in sin, no matter how trivial you may think it is, will result in final condemnation if you do not repent. (See also: Rom8:6, 13, Gal6:6-9, Heb3:12-14)

This coincides perfectly with the teaching of John, "Whoever doeth not righteousness is not of God." The literal meaning here is, 'Whoever does not 'bring forth' righteousness', as in the sense of baring fruit, is not of God! (very clear!)

John sets forth the imperative of God's Love, 1Johh3:15-23

1) He who hates his brother is a murder & no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

2) By this we know love, that Christ laid down his life for us!

3) Therefore if we love Him, it will show forth in Word and Deed!

4) By this we will know the evidence of true salvation abides in us

5) We can then have confidence toward God because our conscience is clear

6) And ask for things that are according to His Will and not our own!

7) If we love Him, we will love one another and Keep His Commandants.

The Witness of His Spirit, 1John3:24, 4:1-6

1) If we are keeping His Commandants, we know the Spirit will guide us into all truth. Jh16:13

2) By this we know if the spirit is of God, anyone who would deny the Lord & His doctrines is not of God. The evidence is that God has overcome evil!

3) Therefore, by this we know the spirit of truth & the spirit of error, if we overcome evil!

We Abide in Him, 1John4:7-21

1) By this we know we abide in Him that He has given us His Spirit!

2) We are taught love, purity, obedience and endurance by His Spirit

3) Whoever is not confessing Him before men & loving the brethren is not of God.

4) Since perfect love cast out all fear we can serve Him with a Pure heart!

The Obedience of Faith! 1John5:1-21

1) Loving God & Keeping His commandments is evidence we Know Him

2) Whoever is Born of God, overcomes the world!

3) He has the witness within himself as proof he belongs to God

4) As a result, he continues in the faith, enduring to the end!

5) He has confidence that he is doing God's will and not asking amiss

6) He knows that sin can lead to spiritual death

The normal Christian experience is stated in verse 18: "We know that whoever is born of God does not sin, but he who has been born of God 'keeps himself' and the wicked one touches him not!" The true child of God has this promise, if he 'attends carefully & watches over himself', he sinneth not and the wicked one cannot touch him!

This fits perfectly with the teaching of Peter, 'By taking on the Mind of Christ, we cease from sin!' 1Pet4:1 According to His 'exceeding great & precious promises, we can partake of the Divine nature and escape the pollution that is in the world through lust!' 2Pet1:4

The Glorious promise of God's Grace is 'Freedom from the bondage of sin!' Rom6:7, 14, 18

But you must: 'Reckon yourself dead indeed to sin and alive to God!' 'Put off the old man & Put on the New which was created according to God in righteousness & true holiness!' AND:

'KEEP YOURSELF' by the Power of His Divine Grace. (Rom6:11, Eph4:22-24, 1Jh5:18)

The promise of Scripture is that we can indeed live without the corrupting influence of sin constantly ensnaring us and serve God in righteousness and true holiness! (1Thes5:23, Eph4:24, Phil3:10, Col3:3, Rom6:15-23)