Sermon Tone Analysis

True Fellowship with God

Main Point: True Fellowship with God is demonstrated by Obedience

Proposition: Four Attitudes Revealing the True Nature of our Relationship to God

Obedience Assures Our Confession is True (V3)

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

2. Disobedience Discourages any Assurance (V4)

Disobedience Discourages any Assurance (V4)

Disobedience Discourages any Assurance (V4)

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him

3. Obedience to God Reveals our Love of God

but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected

4. Imitation of Christ assures our Abiding In Christ

By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Opening Illustration:

The question remains to be answered this morning.

How do you know that you know God? How do you know that you have true fellowship with God?

Does claiming to know God equal truly knowing him and having a true relationship with Him?

What determines if this this claim is true?

John seeks in our passage which began in verse three to answer that question.

That the one who knows God - intamilty - truly is something demonstrated, not just claimed.

SIS: By way of contrast, John’s favorite way to show whether something is true, will again in our passage this morning, show who really loves God and by demonstarting that love by doing what he (God) commands, and powerfully demonstrated in how we live and orcharsrate our live.

Primarly, that our life looks much like the life of Jesus Christ-the one who showed us what loving God looked like-he being the one that perfectly loved God.

If you remember, the past view weeks we have seen that: Review 1 and 2

This morning we are going to see that:

Our Obedience to God demonstrates our love for God and that being the very purpose of our salvation: Loving God!

And that our imitation of Christ, assures that us that we are truly united to Christ-that we are in Him-the NT’s way of telling us that we are truly saved.

Transition to 3rd Point: Last week in our two points we examined: See points.

Verse 4 John tells us that there should be a lack of assurance if you claim to know God but you don’t do what God commands (love God, Love God’s People, Trust in Christ); what is revealed is that there is an active deception taking place.

One is simple deceived; lying and God’s truth (His true revealed testimony to the world) does not reside in us; simply we are not God’s children because we reject His word and reject doing what He commands.

Now John He defines what a true keeping of God’s law is, even to love God.

That it is those who observe and do what God says, are those who are His Children and have fulfilled the whole purpose of God’s redemption; that we would love Him -

Read Third Point: Obedience to God Reveals our Love of God - the purpose of our Redemption.

Read Passage

but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected

“Keeps His Word”

John changes the words here from Commandments in verse 4 to God’s Word here- or can be translated His message - a single or complete revelation of God's will

Here John speaks more broadly of keeping God’s word -something that is not kept in Ch 1:5 and not in those who claim to not have sinned.

The thought is more comphrensive in receiveng and believing all the promises of God’s truth.

“Keeping His word” is one who:

The verb Keeps is in the present tense.

An ongoing process

observes and is ongoing and keeps on keeping on.

Highlighting ones ongoing lifestyle.

V4 which hightlights disobeidence uses the same word and same tense - an ongoing disobedience to God’s commands

And as we discussed last week - God commands in John are that we believe in:

His Son as defined by Scripture as defined by Scripture

Not the Christ of our own making or the Christ that we would like Him to be; but the Christ of the Bible

And that we do what God commands

And lastly also that we love God and His people

Here then

And this makes since doesn’t it?

In one example, there are those who claim to know God, yet they don’t do what God says.

A claim that remains only a claim and is proven to be only self deception, a lie, and a demonstration that they truth is missing.

But now we have the contrast and the truth.

Keeping His word!

John goes on to write that

IT IS THIS ONE that Loves God and has reached the whole redemptive purposes of God.

Love of God!

“In Him Truly the Love of God is perfected”

Whoever has that loving heartfelt obedience that guards the Word and longs to obey it, in him the love of God “is perfected”.

What do we mean "the love of God is perfected?”

Whoever has that loving heartfelt obedience that guards the Word and longs to obey it, in him the love of God “is perfected”.

What do we mean "the love of God is perfected?”

It could mean that those who keep God’s Word are those that God loves.

And that is true.

If you are sitting here today, and you desire to do what God says, living a life characterized by a desire to obey God and you love God - then it’s a good indication that God loves you.

Many of us can, like Paul, look at our past life and see how God has by His grace, changed our hearts and our desires that we now want to please Him.

In our past life we were soley concerned about ourselves and living in sin-enjoying it even.

Enslaved to sin and blind to our need to be saved from it.

Scripture declares:

;

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved”

“For by grace you have been saved through faith.

And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Scripture is clear that it is God’s love of us, not our love of Him that saves us.

God from all eternity predestined people to be saved.

Before we could do any thing good our bad -

“who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”

So, Yes! Praise God for His love!

That love originates from God, who is love and has shown His love by sending His Son to live and die and be raised again for our salvation.

Theres’s also another way of understanding what John is saying here:

I think it's best to see it as the person's love for God.

If a person keeps the Word, in him the love that he claims for God is genuine, is another way to say it.

It's the real thing.

It's mature.

It is truly, the truth.

More than a claim and truly...mature.

So the true love of God is not manifest in sentiment, it's not manifest in a decision, it's not manifest in a mystical experience, it's manifest in obedience, obedience, obedience.

And the love that obeys has been perfected.

As much as we are capable of perfection, it is perfected in those who are truly in the Kingdom as manifest by their actions.

We obey God because we love God and our love of God fulfills the reason for our salvation.

It’s mature, its complete.

It’s end goal.

And the consistent message of Scripture.

God redeems us - sets his particaluar love for us so that we would love him.

Which is why God saves us!

That we might love Him - and love demonstrated by our willing obedience!

Deut 10: