 |
 |
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
| >>> | |||||
1 John 2:5-6 - Abiding and Growing in Christ.TRANSLATIONS AND PARAPHRASES1 John 2:5-6 (NKJV) But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 1 John 2:5-6 (NIV) But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. 1 John 2:5-6 (CWR) He who lives in harmony with God's law will find God's love continuously growing in him, perfecting him more and more. This is how we know that we are in Him. 6 If anyone says that God is within him or that he is in God, he ought to do the things that Jesus did. INTRODUCTION How can we be sure that we belong to Christ? This passage tells us we can demonstrate that we know Christ by obeying his commandments. [Life Application SB 2019] COMMENTARY PEARL Living Like Jesus At some point, most of us have bought into the lie that Christianity should be easy. That somehow once you get saved, everything else will just line up and level out. But ask any Jesus-follower who's gone through the fire, and they'll tell you that's not always the case. Once you say yes to Jesus, the real work begins. Your old ways must be put to death as you seek to obey God and align with the Holy Spirit inside you. If you claim to be alive in Jesus, you're going to have to walk out your faith just like He did, especially when the going gets tough. The best news is that you're not left to do this alone. God is always at work for you and in you because He wants you to know with outright certainty how loved and adored you are. Then from that love, you can live like Jesus. Commit to the work with Him today as you aim to become more like Christ. Dear God, work in me until I walk as Jesus did. Strengthen me to the task at hand - holy obedience inspired by Your love. [Grace and Glory by Louie Giglio] COMMENTARY True religion is the imitation of Christ. Those who follow Christ will deny self, take up the cross, and walk in His footsteps. Following Christ means obedience to all His commandments. No soldier can be said to follow his commander unless he obeys orders. Christ is our model. To copy Jesus, full of love and tenderness and compassion, will require that we draw near to Him daily. (Letter 31a, 1894)! 7SDABC949 We do not earn salvation by our obedience; for salvation is the free gift of God, to be received by faith. But obedience is the fruit of faith. "Ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him." 1 John 3:5, 6. Here is the true test. If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in us, our feelings, our thoughts, our purposes, our actions, will be in harmony with the will of God as expressed in the precepts of His holy law.... That so-called faith in Christ which professes to release men from the obligation of obedience to God, is not faith, but presumption. "By grace are ye saved through faith." But "faith, if it hath not works, is dead." Ephesians 2:8; James 2:17. Jesus said of Himself before He came to earth, "I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart." Psalm 40:8. SC61 Jesus asked His followers a penetrating question: "Why do you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord!' when you don't do what I say?" (Luke 6:46). It seems obvious that calling Him Lord would necessitate following Him as Lord, but most of us aren't nearly so consistent. And though Jesus certainly understands our imperfections, there's a difference between falling short and not even trying. To hear God's voice without doing what He says is at best negligent and at worst hypocritical. John had harsh words to say about this phenomenon. If someone claims to know God but doesn't heed God's words, he writes, "that person is a liar and is not living in the truth" (1 John 2:4). But if we saturate ourselves in His words - both written and spoken - and make it our zealous mission to carry them out, we demonstrate our love. This cultivates the kind of relationship in which communication flourishes. Any expression of good faith in friendship makes the friendship stronger. And when we declare with our actions that we are serious about doing what God says, what He says becomes a lot easier to hear. That doesn't mean God only wants to tell us what to do. Life with Him is not all about commands. Far from it, in fact. His greater desire is to share His heart with us. But we can't listen to Him selectively, as if His words were a shopping list from which to pick and choose. When we listen for God's promises and encouragement without heeding His instructions, we generally hear nothing at all. But when we accept the whole package of what His voice brings us, we get the whole package. We tend to approach Him to hear what we want to hear. He approaches us with an all-or-nothing proposition. To hear Him, we need to hear on His terms. Lord, I want it all - everything You say. I'll take the difficult with the easy because it's all from You. Tell me Your joys, Your secrets, and Your commands. [The One Year Hearing His Voice Devotional by Chris Tiegreen] PRACTICAL APPLICATION To Know God is to love Him and to love Him is to obey Him. F.Gibbs AI STATEMENT ON PRACTICAL APPLICATION The saying "To know God is to love Him, and to love Him is to obey Him" highlights a connection between knowledge, love, and obedience in a relationship with God. It suggests that true knowledge of God leads to love, and that love for Him motivates us to obey His commands. Here's a more detailed breakdown: o To know God: This refers to a deep understanding of God's character, His ways, and His will for our lives, often gained through studying the Bible and prayer according to one source. o To love Him: True love for God is not just a feeling, but a deep commitment and desire to please Him, seeking to live in accordance with His will. o To obey Him: Obedience is the practical expression of love for God. When we obey His commands, we are showing Him that we value His teachings and authority. In essence, the saying emphasizes that a genuine relationship with God is not just about intellectual understanding, but also about loving Him and showing that love through obedience. YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS DEVOTIONAL. 1 Did the devotional help you in your relationship with Christ? YES ___ NO ___. 2 What was your favorite Bible translation used in this devotional? ___________ 3 What translation would you like to see more of? ___________ 4 What contributing author did you enjoy this most? __________________ 5 Is there an author you would like to see more of? ___________________ 6 Where you moved to share any part of this devotional? YES ___ NO ___. Thanks so much for helping us to improve the devotional component of this website! Please send a copy of this to fggibbs@abible.com LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY 1 John 2:6 - Abiding or Walking with God. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211106-0841.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210902-0928.html John 15:5 - LEARNING TO ABIDE IN JESUS. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210503-0932.html John 14:15 - Motivation for Obedience. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210925-0903.html Luke 9:23 - MORE OF JESUS. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2025/20250526-1419.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |