And this is love, that
we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you
have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.
THE STUDY:
John has just
finished asking the lady to love one another (Vs 5). In this verse we see John
defining what this love is. A paraphrase that captures the stress in this is love would be: this is what real love looks like. Real love means walking “according to His commandments.” It is John’s
expressed desire that his readers walk obediently. This was John’s purpose for
writing, but the walking remained their decision. Discipleship is never forced.
Obeying God’s
commands is “walking in the truth” (v 4), obedience,
and “love” (v 5). Such love is not vague sentiment; it is tied to ethics.
Authentic love changes us. We think
differently, experiencing a new mind (Rom 12:1–2) that revolutionizes our
approach to truth and reshapes our worldview.
As redeemed persons we think in new ways. We feel more deeply. We choose more wisely. Yet, the conditional
nature of our spiritual relationship remains. Walking in obedience was John’s
intent for his readers, but he knew that the way they walked depended on each
person’s daily choices.[1]
WHAT WE CAN WALK
AWAY WITH ….
- We walk away this morning with the understanding that to love as Christ loved is to walk in obedience. In this walk we are changed!
CONCLUSION:
George Eliot asks and answers a
question. “How will you find good? It is not a thing of choices; it is a river
that flows from the foot of the invisible throne, and flows by the path of
obedience.”
Today, each one of us has the choice
to love. We reveal this love through our obedience to God’s will. By this love,
which is revealed through our obedience, we will find “GOOD.” This is what each
believer longs to hear from our savior, “Well done, good and faithful
servant.”
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1]
Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3
John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary
(190). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.
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