Sunday Livestream | 1 John 2:3-6 | A Life that Proves we Know Him

There are many who are sitting in the seats of buildings like this all across America today who say they know Jesus, but they do not. I mean, Jesus himself warned when he said, there's gonna be people who say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we cast out demons in your name? Didn't we do mighty works in your name? And he's gonna look at them and say, I never knew you. I truly believe these people are gonna be surprised to hear these words. [00:53:28] (33 seconds)  #FaithNotFaking

So you wanna know if you're saved? Simple question. Do you keep his commands? A person who's truly been saved by Christ doesn't just say they know Jesus, they give evidence of it, which leads to our second description. By this, a person can know they're saved. They don't just say they know Jesus, they show they know him by keeping his commandments. Just a repetition here. Whoever says, I know him, but doesn't keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. [01:00:06] (34 seconds)  #ObedienceIsProof

Four different descriptions of a person who truly knows Jesus. Four descriptions echoing the same characteristic. Those who have truly come to know Jesus walk in obedience to Jesus. And don't misunderstand, John is not teaching that salvation is the reward for obedience. As Kevin DeYoung once said, it's the reason for it. John is saying those who've truly been saved, they'll give evidence of their salvation. And that evidence will be a life of obedience to Christ. [01:09:32] (37 seconds)  #SavedShowsObedience

Over time, it became obvious that his faith in Christ was not just mere words, the life he lived proved he knew Jesus. What does the life you're living prove about you? Does the life you're living prove that you know Jesus? It should. And through the verses we're going to read this morning, the apostle John tells us, once again, if a person is truly saved, there's going to be evidence. Their evidence isn't just gonna be in the fact that they say they know Jesus, the evidence of their knowing Jesus will be a life of obedience to him. [00:50:03] (45 seconds)  #LifeProvesFaith

So if this litmus test has been dipped into the waters of your life and revealed obedience, I hope that your joy is complete. Stop doubting. Know that you are not deceived. Know with certainty that you are saved. But if what you see is a continued willful rejection of Jesus' command throughout your life, if what you notice is a steady continued disobedience to his commands, a steady continued refusal to repent and obey them, Hear the warning of this passage. You're deceived because disobedience to Jesus's commands proves you do not know him. [01:17:23] (44 seconds)  #CertaintyInChrist

If the litmus test of obedience is being dipped into your life and coming out saying, all you see is disobedience, John's saying, you're not saved. And I'm telling you, based on the word of God, you can be. Obey the gospel. Repent of your sins. Turn in faith to Jesus. And the promise of God's word is you'll be saved, you'll know him. And then from that day forward, you struggle with doubt. Look, look at your life. As I've said before Jesus never told us to look back to a time when we said a prayer, he always said look at your life and see if there's any fruit there. [01:19:21] (47 seconds)  #RepentAndObey

By this, a person can know they're saved. They keep Jesus' word. Verse five, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. It's that word keep again. He keeps using it. Keep keep over and over again. When we repeat something today, we are emphasizing its importance, so is John. John wants us to know that we're saved. He says, evidence of salvation is found in keeping the words of the savior, doing what he said. [01:02:57] (32 seconds)  #KeepHisWord

The spirit lives in you. He is producing a love for God in you, and the results of that love for God will be you obeying Jesus. And obedience to Jesus's commands is proof that you know him. So you walk in in obedience to Jesus. When you look back over your life, do you see a steady watchful obedience to Jesus? Even in those times when you disobeyed, do you see repentance and a response of obedience to his commands? John's like, guess what? Obedience to Jesus is proof that you know Jesus. [01:16:49] (34 seconds)  #FruitOfObedience

Over time, it became obvious that his faith in Christ was not just mere words, the life he lived proved he knew Jesus. What does the life you're living prove about you? Does the life you're living prove that you know Jesus? It should. And through the verses we're going to read this morning, the apostle John tells us, once again, if a person is truly saved, there's going to be evidence. Their evidence isn't just gonna be in the fact that they say they know Jesus, the evidence of their knowing Jesus will be a life of obedience to him. [00:50:03] (45 seconds)

There are many who are sitting in the seats of buildings like this all across America today who say they know Jesus, but they do not. I mean, Jesus himself warned when he said, there's gonna be people who say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we cast out demons in your name? Didn't we do mighty works in your name? And he's gonna look at them and say, I never knew you. I truly believe these people are gonna be surprised to hear these words. [00:53:28] (33 seconds)

So if you're one who wants certainty about your salvation, if you want certainty as to whether or not an internal transforming saving reality has taken place, John says, look externally. Are you keeping his commands? And this is what Jesus expects of his disciples. Those disciples before he ascended, he said, go make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the father, son, and the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I'm with you always to the end of the age. [00:58:54] (36 seconds)

With all my heart, I don't want any of you standing there on those days and hear what I believe are some of the scariest words ever, I never knew you. Depart from me. So if God is dipping this test into your life and saying, don't know you, the good news is you can come to know him. There's still time. He's not returned yet. You can repent of your sins and turn in faith to trusting in Jesus who died and rose again. You can do what scripture says and what we're teaching today. You can obey. Obey what? Obey the gospel. [01:18:10] (42 seconds)

The spirit lives in you. He is producing a love for God in you, and the results of that love for God will be you obeying Jesus. And obedience to Jesus's commands is proof that you know him. So you walk in in obedience to Jesus. When you look back over your life, do you see a steady watchful obedience to Jesus? Even in those times when you disobeyed, do you see repentance and a response of obedience to his commands? John's like, guess what? Obedience to Jesus is proof that you know Jesus. [01:16:49] (34 seconds)

By this, a person can know they're saved. They keep Jesus' word. Verse five, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. It's that word keep again. He keeps using it. Keep keep over and over again. When we repeat something today, we are emphasizing its importance, so is John. John wants us to know that we're saved. He says, evidence of salvation is found in keeping the words of the savior, doing what he said. [01:02:57] (32 seconds)

Those who say they abide in Christ, they ought to walk. They ought to live in the same way that Jesus walked. Those who say they abide in Jesus ought to walk like him. They ought to keep his commands like Jesus kept God's. They ought to walk in the righteous ways of God. They ought to walk in light because God is light. They ought to do the will of God in their life. This is what Jesus did. Jesus always did the things that were pleasing to God. [01:07:42] (30 seconds)

He doesn't want you walking around in doubt. There's no desire for that in him. He doesn't want that for you. If you struggle with doubt, I pray God accomplishes his purpose of giving you certainty as we work through this letter because I know that churches are filled with people who struggle with doubt. But I also know that not only are there churches filled with those who struggle with doubt, there are also churches filled with people who are severely deceived. [00:52:58] (30 seconds)