Obedient Children

1 John 2:4-6

Whoever says, “I know Him” but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in Him, but whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.

Last week we talked about being obedient children who live holy lives. As we continue on seeing the application of God's truth in our lives, we see it quite clearly in this passage, that the truth is not in someone who disobeys God's commands. Those truths that we saw (and still see) that moved us to worship God and obey His commands, have not impacted those who disobey. Many people claim to know God, but are disobedient. By John saying that the truth is not in them, and that they are “liar(s)” he means that they truly don't know God. For someone who truly knows God, someone who has been born again and has faith and believes on Christ for salvation, will obey the Fathers commands.

We may not obey fully and completely immediately, as sanctification (the process we go through to become holy) is a long process, the evidence of our rebirth will be there, as we strive to obey His commands. So those who claim to know God but do not obey His commandments, does not know God, but “whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.”

The love of God is perfected in His obedient children.

The way we obey His commands is to “walk in the same way in which [Jesus] walked” as John said in verse 6. When we walk in obedience to God's commands, we know what love truly is, and what it is not. Love is not physical attraction, worldly pleasures, abundant possessions, sexual indulgences, or anything else the world has to offer.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions-is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

If anyone loves the world-all those desires for sin-the love of the Father is not in him. But what love is this that is not in those who desire the world, but is perfected in those who obey His commands?

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. (1 John 3:1a)

The love that is perfected in those who obey God is the love a father gives his child. This love is perfected in believers because God has “caused us to be reborn” by which we are made His children, and through His Holy Spirit we are being sanctified to live a holy life in complete obedience to God's commands, just as His Son Jesus Christ lived. And as John said in chapter 2 verse 6, this is how we know that we are God's children, that we obey his commands. We live as Christ did, a holy life-as we saw last week-by placing our hope in Him and the inheritance we have in heaven. So our obedience to God's commands comes when we have our hope fully set on Jesus Christ. When we know that the things of this world and all its sinful pleasures are passing away, and we live fully in the truth that “whoever does the will of God abides forever.” Our hope that is in Christ is that we will live forever with Him in heaven. The only way we have this hope is if we are truly his children, born again, and if we obey His commands.

Being obedient children

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. (Romans 6:16-19)

What this verse tells us is that we should be slaves to obedience, for that leads to righteousness (which is doing what is right). But how are we slaves to obedience? Being slaves to obedience means that we are responsible to obey God's commands. Obeying God's commands is part of right living (or living a holy life). And as we once (before God caused us to be reborn) submitted ourselves as slaves to impurity and sin, as we sought after the desires of the flesh and worldly possessions, we should now submit ourselves to righteousness (living a holy life) being fully satisfied in what God has to offer (our inheritance in heaven, eternal life in Christ) which leads to sanctification, which is the process by which we are made holy, like He who is holy, so that when Christ returns we will be glorified, our salvation made complete, and we can dwell forever with Him in heaven.

In short, we submit ourselves to God, obeying His commands, because we know that it brings us great reward. Reward beyond what this world has to offer, beyond money or fame or sinful pleasure, the reward of eternal life in Christ. We obey God because we know that He is more satisfying than anything in this world, and that we can find more pleasure in praising His name, than in all the sinful indulgences in the world.

Keep God's commandments and His love will be truly perfected in you. You will know that you are a child of God, saved from certain death by His Son Jesus Christ, reborn in His Spirit as His child, an eternal citizen of heaven, an alien on this temporary earth. Praise be to God that He would show us grace to be His children, that we might be fully satisfied and find pleasure in obeying His commands, for this leads to eternal life in heaven, and the fullest honor and glory being given to Almighty God.

If you haven't noticed, I am trying to get you to realize the importance of having hope in Jesus Christ, and eternal life in heaven. I do this because we will not fully give up those worldly desires, we won't turn from our sin, we won't give up our worldly possessions and live totally for Him, unless we see the truth that there is greater reward in living for Christ than there is in the world. There is more treasure in knowing Christ than in Fort Knox or any world commerce bank. When we live with the reality that God offers us so much more and something far better than the world offers, we will begin to obey His commands, and live as Jesus did.


	1 John 2:4-6 Whoever says, “I know Him” but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in Him, but whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked. Last week we talked about being obedient children who live holy lives. As we continue on seeing the application of God's truth in our lives, we see it quite clearly in this passage, that the truth is not in someone who disobeys God's commands. Those truths that we saw (and still see) that moved us to worship God and obey His commands, have not impacted those who disobey. Many people claim to know God, but are disobedient. By John saying that the truth is not in them, and that they are “liar(s)” he means that they truly don't know God. For someone who truly knows God, someone who has been born again and has faith and believes on Christ for salvation, will obey the Fathers commands. We may not obey fully and completely immediately, as sanctification (the process we go through to become holy) is a long process, the evidence of our rebirth will be there, as we strive to obey His commands. So those who claim to know God but do not obey His commandments, does not know God, but “whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.” The love of God is perfected in His obedient children. The way we obey His commands is to “walk in the same way in which [Jesus] walked” as John said in verse 6. When we walk in obedience to God's commands, we know what love truly is, and what it is not. Love is not physical attraction, worldly pleasures, abundant possessions, sexual indulgences, or anything else the world has to offer. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions-is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17) If anyone loves the world-all those desires for sin-the love of the Father is not in him. But what love is this that is not in those who desire the world, but is perfected in those who obey His commands? See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. (1 John 3:1a) The love that is perfected in those who obey God is the love a father gives his child. This love is perfected in believers because God has “caused us to be reborn” by which we are made His children, and through His Holy Spirit we are being sanctified to live a holy life in complete obedience to God's commands, just as His Son Jesus Christ lived. And as John said in chapter 2 verse 6, this is how we know that we are God's children, that we obey his commands. We live as Christ did, a holy life-as we saw last week-by placing our hope in Him and the inheritance we have in heaven. So our obedience to God's commands comes when we have our hope fully set on Jesus Christ. When we know that the things of this world and all its sinful pleasures are passing away, and we live fully in the truth that “whoever does the will of God abides forever.” Our hope that is in Christ is that we will live forever with Him in heaven. The only way we have this hope is if we are truly his children, born again, and if we obey His commands. Being obedient children Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. (Romans 6:16-19) What this verse tells us is that we should be slaves to obedience, for that leads to righteousness (which is doing what is right). But how are we slaves to obedience? Being slaves to obedience means that we are responsible to obey God's commands. Obeying God's commands is part of right living (or living a holy life). And as we once (before God caused us to be reborn) submitted ourselves as slaves to impurity and sin, as we sought after the desires of the flesh and worldly possessions, we should now submit ourselves to righteousness (living a holy life) being fully satisfied in what God has to offer (our inheritance in heaven, eternal life in Christ) which leads to sanctification, which is the process by which we are made holy, like He who is holy, so that when Christ returns we will be glorified, our salvation made complete, and we can dwell forever with Him in heaven. In short, we submit ourselves to God, obeying His commands, because we know that it brings us great reward. Reward beyond what this world has to offer, beyond money or fame or sinful pleasure, the reward of eternal life in Christ. We obey God because we know that He is more satisfying than anything in this world, and that we can find more pleasure in praising His name, than in all the sinful indulgences in the world. Keep God's commandments and His love will be truly perfected in you. You will know that you are a child of God, saved from certain death by His Son Jesus Christ, reborn in His Spirit as His child, an eternal citizen of heaven, an alien on this temporary earth. Praise be to God that He would show us grace to be His children, that we might be fully satisfied and find pleasure in obeying His commands, for this leads to eternal life in heaven, and the fullest honor and glory being given to Almighty God. If you haven't noticed, I am trying to get you to realize the importance of having hope in Jesus Christ, and eternal life in heaven. I do this because we will not fully give up those worldly desires, we won't turn from our sin, we won't give up our worldly possessions and live totally for Him, unless we see the truth that there is greater reward in living for Christ than there is in the world. There is more treasure in knowing Christ than in Fort Knox or any world commerce bank. When we live with the reality that God offers us so much more and something far better than the world offers, we will begin to obey His commands, and live as Jesus did.