Lesson 7
“Will you trust Me?”
The Challenge of living the FAITH-REST LIFE
Review/Intro:
Rabbit trail
1 John 2:3-17 Reflecting the
Light, Evidence to look for
The
fact that God is light without any trace of darkness in His nature (1:5) is
fundamental to any clear understanding of the nature of the Christian life
since we are to walk in the light as He is in the light.
In
2:3-17 John points out four signs that give evidence that fellowship with God
is being maintained.
#1 the sign of obedience (vv. 3-5a)
#2 the sign of imitation (vv. 5b-6).
#3 the sign of love (vv. 7-11)
#4 the sign of separation from the world
(vv. 12-17).
1. The Sign of Obedience (vv. 3-5a)
Verse 3 states the assurance that
we derive from being obedient;
verse 4 states the conclusion that must be drawn from the absence of obedience;
verse
5a concludes the discussion
with a declaration concerning the assured result
of obedience.
a.
The assurance from obedience (v.3).
"by this we know that we have come to know Him"
The plural "His
commandments" points to the various commands, or specific
precepts, whereby God has made known His will for us.
"There
is only one way of proving to ourselves that we know God, and that is by loving
obedience to His will."
Such
a keeping of God's commands is not legalism but a voluntary response to our
relationship with Him.
b. What is the situation if there is an
absence of obedience (v.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;
The
claim he advances is given in his very words, "I know him"
("I have come to know him"), the implication of
what he's saying is that I have an abiding fellowship with God; i.e. I'm walking in the light!
There
is a sharp contradiction between his profession, what he says is the ongoing
situation and the reality of his daily life.
Truth
is not a controlling dynamic in this one's life as it must be in the life of
the believer who is in fellowship reflecting the character of Christ.
c.
The
result of personal obedience (v. 5a).
but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected.
John characterizes this individual by his
practice, his lifestyle,
he "keeps His word."
continuous habit of life to keep/guard/protect His Word.
The
sure conclusion concerning such a one John says "in him the love of God has truly been perfected ".
The
perfect tense does not imply a resultant static relationship but rather that
God's love, having attained its intended purpose within the believer,
continually vitalizes the experience of fellowship in his life.
In
such an individual it is true that "the
love of God" is "perfected" .