Do I Really Know Him? (1 John 2:3-6) - 9/20/26

INTRO

• Last week: Christ’s work for us.

• This week: Christ’s work in us.

• John gives us a test of genuine faith: obedience.

• Obedience does not save us; it gives evidence that we truly know Christ.

• The question is: How do I know that I know Him?

• Knowing Christ is evidenced by a life of obedience that deepens our love for Him and shapes us to walk like Him.
  

To Know Jesus is to Obey Him — vv. 3–4

“By this we know… if we keep His commandments.”

• Knowing Christ is more than knowing about Christ.

• To “keep” His commands is to value, guard, and obey His Word.

• A profession without obedience is empty.

• John is not describing perfection, but the direction of a changed life.
  

Look Within

• Is God’s Word actually shaping the way I live?

• How do I respond when Scripture confronts me?

• Is obedience becoming the pattern of my life?
  

To Obey Him is to Truly Love Him — v. 5

“Whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.”

• Love for God and obedience to God belong together.

• “Perfected” means brought toward its intended goal or maturity.

• As His Word increasingly shapes how we live, our love for Him matures.

• Obedience becomes more than duty; it becomes the desire to please the One we love.
  

Look Within

• Am I obeying only because I have to, or because I want to please Christ?

• Is my love for Christ becoming more visible in my choices?

• Is His Word becoming more precious to me?
  

To Love Him is to Abide in Him and Walk Like Him — v. 6

"whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."

• To “abide” is to remain, stay, and continue in Christ.

• To settle/anchor our life in Him.

• To “walk” describes the normal pattern of daily life.

• Jesus is not only our Advocate and sacrifice; He is also our pattern.

• As we remain in Him, His life increasingly shapes ours.
  

Look within

• Does my daily life increasingly look like Christ?

• Do my words, relationships, and priorities reflect Him?

• Am I continuing to depend on Christ as a way of life?
  

The What Now?

• This is not about legalism or asking, “What do I have to do?”

• Obedience is the response of a heart that knows and loves Christ.

• Legalism asks, “What do I have to do?” Love asks, “What would please the One I love?”
  

The Blessings of Obedience

• Assurance – obedience strengthens confidence that we truly know Christ.

• Fellowship – obedience deepens our walk with Christ.

• Freedom – obedience keeps us from the destructive patterns of sin.

• Joy – obedience brings the joy of pleasing the Lord.

• Fruitfulness – obedience produces a life that reflects Christ to others.

• Stability – obedience anchors our lives in God’s truth.