First John: 1 John 3:24a-The Believer’s Obedience to the Father’s Command Results in Mutual Fellowship with the Father Lesson # 140
First John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 53:54
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1 John 3:24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. (ESV)
“Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God” is composed of the following: (1) conjunction kai (καί), “and” (2) articular nominative masculine singular present active participle form of the verb tēreō (τηρέω), “whoever keeps” (3) articular accusative feminine plural form of the noun entolē (ἐντολή), “commandments” (3) genitive third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), “His” (4) preposition en (ἐν), “in” (5) dative third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), “God” (6) third person singular present active indicative form of the verb menō (μένω), “abides.”
The conjunction kai is a marker of result which means that it is introducing an assertion which presents the result of the fifth class conditional statement recorded in 1 John 3:22.
The verb tēreō means “to conscientiously obey” and is used in relation to the phrase “His commandments,” which refer to the commands the Lord Jesus Christ issued to the church through the apostles by the Spirit and which originate from His heavenly Father and are identified in 1 John 3:23.
The present tense of the verb tēreō is a gnomic present which expresses the absolute spiritual principle that the person who at any time does conscientiously obeys the Father’s commands, which are mentioned in verse 23, is existing in the state of living in fellowship with the Father.
The noun entolē refers to the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ which are identified in 1 John 3:23 as being two-fold.
The intensive personal pronoun autos refers of course to the Father and not Jesus Christ, which is indicated by the fact that the Father is the word’s nearest antecedent since verse 23 speaks of Jesus Christ being the Father’s Son or in other words, this pronoun in verse 23 was used with reference to the Father.
The verb menō means, “to live” since the word pertains to experiencing fellowship with the Father.
The dative third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos means “Him” is referring to the Father and is the object of the preposition en, which means “in fellowship with” since the word is functioning as a marker of association expressing the idea of living in fellowship with the Father.
The present tense of the verb menō is a gnomic present which is expressing the idea that the person who at any time does conscientiously obey the Father’s commands is “as an eternal spiritual truth” living in fellowship with Him.
“And God in him” is composed of the following: (1) conjunction kai (καί), “and” (2) nominative third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), “God” (3) preposition en (ἐν), “in” (4) dative third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), “him.”
This time the conjunction kai is a marker of correspondence which means that it is introducing an assertion which corresponds to the previous one which asserts that the believer who at any time does conscientiously obey the Father’s commands is living in fellowship with Him.
Therefore, this word is marking the correspondence between the believer living in fellowship with the Father and the Father living in fellowship with the believer.
The nominative third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos means “He Himself” since it emphasizes the identity of the Father in contrast to the obedient believer.
The dative third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos means “Him” is referring to the believer who conscientiously obeys the Father’s commands.
It is the object of the preposition en, which means “in fellowship with” since the word is functioning as a marker of association expressing the idea of the Father living in association with or in fellowship with the believer who conscientiously obeys His commands.
1 John 3:24 Consequently, the one who at any time does conscientiously obey His commands is living in fellowship with Him. Correspondingly, He Himself is living in fellowship with him. Simultaneously, by means of this, each one of us can at any time confirm that He is living in fellowship with any one of us: By means of His Spirit whom He has bestowed upon each one of us as a gift. (My translation)
The apostle John once again presents for the recipients of First John an eternal spiritual principle, which serves to reassure them that they were in fact experiencing fellowship with the triune God.
This principle asserts that the believer who at any time does conscientiously obey the Father’s commands is living in fellowship with Him.
This assertion presents the result of the fifth class conditional statement recorded in 1 John 3:22, which presents the result of the fifth class conditional statement in 1 John 3:21.
The latter asserts that if the believer’s heart or conscience is not being convicted then they are experiencing confidence in the presence of God the Father.
The former asserts that if the believer does at any time request something in prayer from the Father, then they are receiving the fulfillment of that request because they are conscientiously obeying the Father’s commands and correspondingly, they are practicing that which is pleasing in His judgment.
Now, here in verse 24, John is teaching the recipients of First John that they are living in fellowship with the Father and the Father is living in fellowship with them as a result of their conscientious obedience to the Father’s commands.
This interpretation is indicated by the fact that both verses 22 and 24 speak of the believer conscientiously obeying the Father’s commands.
They use the same language in that they both contain a reference to the believer conscientiously obeying the Lord’s commands.
Verse 24 picks up this language from verse 23 and associates conscientious obedience of the Father’s commands with living in fellowship with the Father.
John taught in 1 John 2:3-5 that living in fellowship with God is the direct result of conscientiously obeying the Lord’s commands.
Therefore, verse 24 is teaching that living in fellowship with the Father is the direct result of conscientiously obeying the Father’s commands.
Consequently, John’s statement in 1 John 3:23 is parenthetical since it specifically identifies for the reader the identity of these commands.
The first is the command related to the believer’s justification, namely the sinner is required to trust in the name of the Father’s Son Jesus Christ.
The second required the believer to love their fellow-believer as the Father commanded them to do through His Son Jesus Christ.
A person has absolutely no capacity whatsoever to obey the second command until they obey the first since the latter provides them the indwelling omnipotence of the Spirit, i.e. “the anointing” (cf. 1 John 2:20-27), which provides them with the power to obey the second command.
Thus, those who are experiencing fellowship with the triune God have obeyed both commands.
They have been declared justified by the Father through faith in His Son Jesus Christ and are loving their fellow-believer as Christ loves them.
Therefore, 1 John 3:24 is teaching that living in fellowship with the Father is the direct result of conscientiously obeying the Father’s commands.
In other words, they are first living in fellowship with the Father as a result of being declared justified by the Father through faith in the name of His Son Jesus Christ.
Secondly, they are living in fellowship with the Father as a result of obeying the command to love their fellow-believer as Jesus Christ has loved them.
Now, when John asserts that the obedient believer is living in fellowship with the Father, he means that they are experiencing eternal life.
1 John 3:24 teaches that the condition for experiencing fellowship with God is obedience to God’s Word.
It reveals the importance on the part of the believer to be obedient to the voice of the Spirit of truth, who speaks to the believer regarding the will of the Father through the communication of the Word of truth.
Jesus Christ is the perfect example of obedience to the Father’s will (cf. Phil. 2:5-8).
The believer who is obedient to the Spirit of truth will experience fellowship whereas the disobedient believer will not.
This declarative statement here in 1 John 3:24 echoes John’s teaching in 1 John 2:3-5 and 2:24.
Also, notice in 1 John 3:24 that John is bringing out the concept of reciprocation when he asserts that the believer is living in fellowship with the Father and the Father is living in fellowship with them as a result of their conscientious obedience to the Father’s commands.
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines the noun reciprocation, “a mutual exchange, a return in kind or of like value; alternating motion.”
They define the verb reciprocate, “to give and take mutually; to return in kind or degree, compliment gracefully; to make a return for something.”
If we paraphrase these definitions and apply them to what John is teaching here in 1 John 3:24, we could say the following: With reference to the believer’s relationship with the Father, there is to be a mutual exchange, a give and take between the believer and the Father.
The believer must obey the Father’s commands, if the Father is to reciprocate and fulfill their prayer requests, which they offer up to Him.