1 John 2:3-6

3rd Test of Christian Behavior

1 John 2:3-6 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love[a] is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

Jesus, himself, told the disciples to love him meant keeping his commands.

John 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command.

John 14:21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

John 14:23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

John 15:10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.

While Jesus was in the upper room with the disciples, in his last days before his death, he told them more than once that to love him meant keeping his commands. Someone once said, if Jesus says something once you better listen. If he says it twice, you better sit up and take notice, and if he says it three times, we're best to fall on our knees in humility. Well, I think this is a fall on your knees test.

What does it mean to keep his commands? Are we expected to be perfect, completely sinless? God knows we are not capable of being perfect this side of heaven, but there should be a marked, progressive difference in our lives and in the condition of our hearts. The great command is to love the Lord your God and the second is to love your neighbor. When Jesus is talking about obeying his commands, I believe he is talking about loving, God and man.

If Christ lives in you, then his love is in you. You should be a changed person as a result. Your eyes should see things differently when you look at those in the world. Your response or reaction to others should be different.

Your natural tendencies do not automatically go away. In fact, I would argue they never do, but conviction starts to happen. Conviction, is a tool the Holy Spirit uses to shames us into understanding our natural response is the wrong response. We begin to learn how to work with God in controlling our natural self, and replacing our spirit with his spirit, out of a sincere desire to be obedient to Him. As time goes on, our spirit becomes more controlled and under the authority and submission of our Lord, Jesus Christ. His Spirit rules in us. His love begins to come forth from us.

Remember the people Jesus hung out with while here on earth; sinners, rejects, lower class, ordinary folk. The world would like us to believe we are too good to hang out with these types of people. The world would like us to overlook them, turn away from them, judge them, make fun of them, trample them, use them, or keep our distance. The world would want us to draw a dividing line that keeps them out of our inner circles so as not to bring us down to their level.

But, this is not what Jesus did. No, he drew them into his inner circle. He loved them and accepted them. He had compassion on them. He accepted the challenge to help, to impact, to do good, to serve them. He humbled himself for them. His love, humility, and servitude gave him influence over their lives and he was able to change their eternal condition. He didn't see what the world saw. He saw loneliness, pain, suffering, worry, fear. He took the time to look at their hearts, and to see their real need, and then he met their need. He loved them!

Jesus understands the condition of the world and the power of his love to rectify that condition. Jesus understands the world's natural tendency to hate each other and to overlook and condemn. Jesus is stressing the importance first, of having his love in you, and second, submitting to that spirit within you to further the kingdom of God.

The 3rd test of Christian behavior is obeying Christ commands. Have you, or will you, submit your natural spirit to the influence and control of the spirit of Christ so that he may work through you to reach the world? A fall on your knees approach is prudent here, in asking the Lord to help you see, and to love, the world the way he does. We bring glory to God when we obey and are useful in his work of furthering the kingdom of God.