And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 1 John 2:3
Throughout all of my schooling, I knew that each new year would bring unexpected changes and challenges. However, there was one day that I could count on to look somewhat similar each year, and that was the first day of school. On the first day of school, I knew that the instructor would introduce him or herself and, we would learn the rules and expectations for the class. This may had been expected every year, but it was necessary because, until you know the rules required, you cannot follow them. God, being the master instructor, understanding the importance of giving rules, requirements, and expectations, gave us Scripture to obey. In order to obey, we have to learn the rules and expectations and follow them.
In the book of 1 John, John teaches that one of the true markers of a follower of Jesus is that they obey Him. "And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments" (1 John 2:3). Mincing no words, John confirms that a follower of Christ obeys Him. This obedience, according to John, is a clear marker of a follower of Christ.
The first step in obedience is understanding what exactly He commands. After all, how can someone obey Christ if they do not know what He is asking them to do? This is a significant purpose of Scripture to tell us how Christ expects us to live. It helps us to live lives that honor God. Because of this, it is vital that we, as followers of Christ, study and know Scripture so that we can know how He calls us to live.
Knowing God's Word so that we can obey it and honor Him is a lifelong calling. You see, the more we read it and study it, the more we will know it and better follow it. Please understand, my friend, that this is a delight, not a duty. We have the great privilege of opening up God's word each day and living by it. Let's make a commitment, friends, to be lifelong students of God's word.
One of the best things we can do in our pursuit of following Jesus is to memorize Scripture. Pick a verse from the "Going Deeper" section today to memorize. Then, commit to memorizing it this week, starting today. After memorizing this verse, commit to memorizing another, then another, until Scripture memory becomes a consistent habit in your life.
Read 1 John 2:1-6 (NLT)
My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.
And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
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