“By This We Know That We Know Him”

(1 Jn. 1-2:6)

“By This We Know That We Know Him”

1 John 2:3 (NKJV) 3 …by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

Our goal as a Christian:To be like the Lord.

1 John 2:6 (NKJV) 6 He who says he abides in Him

ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Our goal as a Christian:To be like the Lord.

1 John 1:5–6 (NKJV) …God is light and in Him is no

darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice

the truth.

Our goal as a Christian:To be like the Lord.

1 John 1:7–10 (NKJV) 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one

another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. …9 If we

confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us

from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a

liar, and His word is not in us.

The Danger of Self-Deception

1 John 1:8 (NKJV) 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is

not in us.

The Test of Knowing God:Keeping His Commandments

1 John 2:3–4 (NKJV) 3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and

does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

The Test of Knowing God:Keeping His Commandments

1 John 3:22 (NKJV) 22 And whatever we ask we receive

from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things

that are pleasing in His sight.

The Test of Knowing God:Keeping His Commandments

1 John 3:24 (NKJV) 24 Now he who keeps His

commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom

He has given us.

The Test of Knowing God:Keeping His Commandments

1 John 5:2–3 (NKJV) 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God

and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep

His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

To Love God is to Obey God

1 John 2:5 (NKJV) 5 But whoever keeps His word,

truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are

in Him.

To Love God is to Obey God They claim they love God, but they don’t:• Those who say “I love God!”

(But they don’t faithfully attend worship services. [cf. Heb. 10:25-29])

• Those who say “I love God!” (But attend a congregation that does/teaches things contrary to God’s word. [Mat. 13:24-30; 36-42])

To Love God is to Obey God Matthew 13:24–30 (NKJV) 24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

To Love God is to Obey God Matthew 13:36–42 (NKJV)

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

To Love God is to Obey God

Luke 13:23–30 (NKJV) 23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?”

And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and

shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ 26 then

you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ 27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers

of iniquity.’ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the

prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. 29 They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be

last.”

To Love God is to Obey God They claim they love God, but they don’t:• Those who say “I love God!” (But they don’t

faithfully attend worship services. [cf. Heb. 10:25-29])

• Those who say “I love God!” (But attend a congregation that does/teaches things contrary to God’s word. [Mat. 13:24-30; 36-42])

• Those who say “I love God!” (But they proceed to tell you they don’t think it matters what one believes. [1 Cor. 4:6; Gal. 1:8-9; Rev. 22:18-19])

To Love God is to Obey God

1 Corinthians 4:6 (NKJV) 6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what

is written…

To Love God is to Obey God

Galatians 1:8–9 (NKJV) 8 But even if we, or an angel from

heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we

have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received,

let him be accursed.

To Love God is to Obey God

Revelation 22:18–19 (NKJV) 18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written

in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part

from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in

this book.

If Anyone Sins…

1 John 2:1–2 (NKJV) 1 My little children, these things I

write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He

Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also

for the whole world.