Continually Keeping God's Commandments (1 John 2: 4-6)

CONTINUALLY KEEPING GOD'S COMMANDMENTS (1 JOHN 2:4-6):

After writing that Jesus had become an atoning sacrifice, Apostle John writes about keeping the commandments of Jesus. Apostle John says that those who know Jesus but don’t keep the commandments of Jesus, is a liar and the truth is not him. A person may believe Jesus for his goodness and know Him generally.  But, a person who really know Jesus and know the heart or mind of God, could not deny his commandments. Thereby the author writes that whoever says that they know Jesus but does not keep the commandments of Jesus is a liar and the truth of God is not in him. Knowing Jesus and the purpose of His coming into the world brings transformation of the whole life and interaction with Jesus brings the instructions regarding many things such as self- discipline, self- conduct, faithfulness, righteousness, humbleness, equality without any discriminations, Lawfulness with humanity, dependence on God and so many other things. Without transformation or real striving towards transformation, the person could not claim to know Jesus, as a person could sense Jesus as a righteous judge too. So, the truth of God which is genuine and pure is not in that person.

Apostle John also tells that whoever keeps the words of Jesus, in that person the love of God is perfected truly. Jesus had once said that the greatest commandment is Loving God and Loving neighbor as self. Jesus lived according to it and thereby whoever knows Jesus and keeps the commandments of Jesus, the love of God is perfected in Him.

Apostle John continues saying that whoever says that he abides in Jesus, ought to walk in the same way in which He walked, by that everyone who knows Jesus may know that a person is with Him. The author moves from knowing Jesus, keeping His commandments, abiding in Him towards walking in the same way as Jesus walked. All of the terms are interrelated and knowing Jesus genuinely doesn’t stop in just knowing and abiding in Jesus, it makes to keep His commandments, also through which a person experience abiding himself in God by walking in the same way as that of Jesus.

Stimulations for Self-Reflection:

1.      Who is a liar?

2.      Why truth is not with those who do not keep Jesus’ commandments but say that they know him?

3.      What privilege does one who keep Jesus’ word have?

4.      How the love of God is perfected in those who keep Jesus’s word?

5.      By which a person could know that the other is in Jesus?

6.      What is the way, in which Jesus walked?

7.      How can a person keep the commandments of Jesus?

8.      How can we be perfected in love?

9.      How can we abide in Jesus?

10.  How can a person walk-in the same way in which Jesus walked?