Study Guide Week 8
By now I hope you are getting the hang of things around here. Now that we have a grasp on how to dive into chunks of Scripture, it probably isn't taking quite the length of time it took you when we began. I'll be adding in a little more here and there for you to read or do so that we can make the most of studying AND applying God's Word to our lives.
- Read through 1 John 2:1-6.
- Underline major themes.
- Number anything given in succession. (For example you might find the Gospel story toward the beginning and number each step in the process)
- Draw a box around repeated words or phrases. Make a list of the repeated words in the margin.
"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments." Notice those eight pivotal words there in the middle "know that we have come to know him." The NLT translation puts it "we can be sure that we know him."
We can be confident we know him, assured. Why? Because we keep his commandments, we abide in him and walk in the way he walked.
But let's make sure we are all really clear here. What this is NOT saying is that we know him by keeping his commandments.
Keeping his commandments, walking in the way Jesus walked is the evidence of a heart that belongs to Christ.
This is our act of worship. And when we doubt, we can take inventory of all God has done in our lives and in the ways that our lives have changed since following him. Even when others don't know us, they will see God's love perfected in us as we walk in a manner worthy of Christ. Keeping his commandments is our evidence of sorts, for ourselves and for others, of what we already have relationally with Jesus by his grace.
Even though keeping His commandments doesn't achieve a knowing salvation in Christ, it does benefit our relationship with him. This is why obedience out of drudgery is so sad. Obedience (even though sometimes it can be difficult) bears such fruit. It would be impossible to abide in Him if we weren't walking in obedience. Obedience should be our joy because obedience is what brings that familiar closeness we desire with God.
You know what I'm going to ask you now right? Is there something that God is calling you to that maybe you are avoiding? (Thus disobeying) Or is there a place in your life where you are blatantly walking in disobedience and need to repent of your sin and make some changes to your life?