Sermon Tone Analysis

Whoever Keeps His Word - Sunday, February 24, 2008

"But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.

By this we may know that we are in him"

(1 John 2:5, ESV)

1.“Whoever keeps His Word” refers to the person who keeps on keeping His Word.

He is not a liar and he is contrasted with the ones John told us about last week.

That “Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him," (1 John 2:4, ESV)

2.This week, we see that John tells us "But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.

By this we may know that we are in him" He starts out by saying “Whoever keeps his word.”

"Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.

And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."

(John 14:21-23, ESV)

3.Our love for God, which is realized in absolute obedience.

Obedience that comes by a continual keeping of Christ’s commandments, not by loud talk and loose living and a “sometimes when I want to obedience.”

4.We have already seen what profession without obedience looks like in verse 4. John has hard words for people who say “I know Him” and don’t obey Him.

5.Why does obedience matter?

For many people, “obey” is the worse thing they can imagine.

It rings of submission and humility after all when we obey, we give up our own agenda, and we do the bidding of another.

6.Obedience does not come naturally, however, a lifestyle of complying with God’s will is the end result of His work in us.

Obedience matters because Jesus was obedient to the Father and because Jesus was obedient He expects His children to be.

He set the standard for His children.

"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master."

(Matthew 10:24, ESV)

7.We learn obedience through suffering: "Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered."

(Hebrews 5:8, ESV)

8.We are to please God in everything we do: "And he who sent me is with me.

He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”"

(John 8:29, ESV)

9.It brings us assurance of our salvation by knowing that we know Him: "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments."

(1 John 2:3, ESV)

10.Obedience to Him reveals our destiny "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?" (Romans 6:16, ESV)

11.It demonstrates our love for God " “If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

(John 14:15, ESV) It is also the love of God to us.

"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.

And his commandments are not burdensome."

(1 John 5:3, ESV)

12.It is the only way we can have true fellowship and love each other: "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments."

(1 John 5:2, ESV)

13.John’s mid-statement is “in him truly the love of God is perfected” talking about the person “who keeps His Word.”

We know that the Word tells us "No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."

(1 John 4:12, ESV) and "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.

For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."

(1 John 4:18, ESV)

14.John Finishes this passage off by again bringing us back to the doctrine of assurance.

He says “By this we may know that we are in him."

The importance of knowing that we belong to Him and are assured of our salvation is one of John’s key points.

"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."

(1 John 3:24, ESV)

"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba!

Father!”

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

(Romans 8:15-17, ESV)

15.Obedience & suffering are duties required by God for all His children.

And just when you think you have obeyed long and suffered much "Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood."

(Hebrews 12:3-4, ESV)

“Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle.

He that obeys God, trusts God; and he that trusts God, obeys God.”

Charles Spurgeon