John’s First Epistle

1 Jno. 2:3-6 

Keep His Commandments

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,  but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” 1 Jno. 2:3-6, English Standard Version.

Keeping Commandments is an idea that has fallen on bad times in our age. People in our time have little or nothing to say about keeping commandments. In the public arena (Bible terminology: The World), obedience isn’t a high priority.

Yet, the importance of keeping God’s commandments hasn’t changed. This has really never changed. It should be clear to us, as we read the New Testament, when Christ came, He didn’t minimize or abolish keeping God’s commandments. (1) He illustrated obedience by how He thought, spoke and lived. (2) By His death, He made a way for the disobedient to be forgiven and renew their commitment to obedience. The change from the Old Covenant to the New did not downgrade obedience.

In this passage, John says that this is how we know we are children of God through Christ. We keep His commandments. Yes, in the previous chapter, there is that avenue of confession to be forgiven when we fail. That only serves to stress the importance of obedience to God. And remember (from the opening verses of this chapter), we have an Advocate in Jesus, not so we can sin but if we do!

John goes further. If we claim relationship with Christ but we do not keep His commandments, the claim is not true. The positive side of all this is: “…whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected” and so: “…whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

I check my walk my seeing if I’m keeping His commandments. As I keep His commandments, I maintain by walk; walking in the light as He is in the light.