Understanding and Keeping His Commandments: The Experiential Act of Fellowship

1. The First Epistle of John His Commandments - I John 2:3-6 • I John 2:3 – NKJV “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.” • How are you doing here? • Perhaps we don’t really know Him or in context ‘know that we know Him’? • ginōskō – to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of • perfect active indicative • This is experiential and can best be exemplified as an act of fellowship. • if is a conditional participle here • we keep - to attend to carefully, take care of • His Commandments? • Is this law or ‘the Law’? • John 14:15, 14:21-24, 15:10, 15:14; I John 3:22, 5:3. • And then there’s I Thess 4:1,2. • Another interpretation is an order, command, charge, precept, injunction. • If this is law or The Law, what’s happened to all that grace message? 1 Feb 27, 2011 Bob Eckel

2. The First Epistle of John His Commandments - I John 2:3-6 • My (His) commandments are not mentioned until John 13-17, and this leads to the Upper Room Discourse where the message is not to Israel but to those who were clean through the Word spoken to them. • With His commandments the principle of grace was introduced and identification becomes essential. • John 15:12 - Love one another as I have loved you. • I John 5:3 - This is the love of God that you keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous. • How can we accomplish this without a new nature? • The Law of Christ reflects the law of love, and the perfect law of liberty. • It’s all about Him! • I John 2:4 – “He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” • Very similar to I John 1:10 - ‘If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.’ 2 Feb 27, 2011 Bob Eckel

3. The First Epistle of John His Commandments - I John 2:3-6 • Now we are the liars. • Who’s keeping track here anyway? • And what are the metrics? • I John 2:5 –“But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.” • Whosoever keeps • Again, to attend to carefully, take care of • Perfect active subjunctive • His word • Beyond His commandments? • What does truly having the love of God perfected in us mean? • Perfect passive indicative • Not perfection but a full growth into maturity – Eph 4:12,13 • Is this a series of good acts and deeds or a life? • Remember we are positioned above! 3 Feb 27, 2011 Bob Eckel

4. The First Epistle of John His Commandments - I John 2:3-6 • Thus, what does that life of His look like in us? • And, notice that we know (ginōskō) or recognize this. • How do we do this, are we keeping a list and checking it twice? • John 8:28-36 • The Son will make us free and we will be free indeed. • Matt 11:28, 29 • James 2:22 – ‘Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?’ • I John 2:6 – “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” • Notice now the term is abide! • Present active infinitive (ought) • Implying a condition that is lasting, without intermission, and without end • Do you like me find this to be an interesting transition? • John 15:4-6 4 Feb 27, 2011 Bob Eckel

5. The First Epistle of John His Commandments - I John 2:3-6 • What’s this just as He walked stuff? • Present active infinitive • Is this trying harder to be like Him? • Walking in His steps? • An act of imitation? • No, it’s a life. • Phil 1:21 ‘For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain’. KEEP LOOKING DOWN!! 5 Feb 27, 2011 Bob Eckel