After John described in 1 John 2:1-2 how Jesus defends those who have accepted His salvation (even when we still sin after that acceptance), he continues in 1 John 2.
We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
1 John 2:3-6 NIV
This passage might seem like the opposite of what we read in the first 2 verses of this chapter (discussed in the previous article). How can we still sin and also keep Jesus’ commandments at the same time? Therein lies the battle that we face while we walk this earth as followers of Jesus!
Maybe it’s like when I’m following instructions from my wife or a GPS app, but I sometimes still miss a turn. In those cases, I’m generally following instructions, but there are times when I stop paying attention, or I forget what I was told, or I think that I know better, or I just do the wrong thing because I’m in a bad mood. I’m often wrong when this happens while driving, and I’m always wrong when I get off track when following God.
I like how John puts things in verse 3, though: keeping Jesus’ commandments is the result of our knowing Him, and that should be what we (and others) see in our choices when we follow Him. We don’t earn the right to be children of God by what we do; instead, giving our heart to Jesus and making Him both our Lord and our Savior results in our following His instructions.
As a commentator described, the heretical teachers (Gnostics and Docetists) whose false gospel that John is refuting here couldn’t legitimately claim to know Jesus while they didn’t do what He taught. [Womack, p.51] Knowing Jesus and willfully choosing a life of sin simply weren’t – and still aren’t – compatible.
To be clear, following Jesus is a much bigger deal than me trying to drive somewhere new, but in light of the “navigation” example above, I follow my wife’s instructions because I know that she is much better at directions than I am. (In fact, most people are better at directions than I am!) I also love my wife and want to respect her navigation choices when there are multiple options. I also – usually – trust her to get us where we’re going.
However, even if my wife occasionally misses a turn (hypothetically, of course), Jesus never fails us. His commandments are always correct, always good, and always right. So, when we do trust Him, and when we do acknowledge His right to tell us the next thing to do, our lives will be filled with righteous behavior, like His life was. Don’t forget, even Jesus submitted Himself to the authority of God the Father, so obeying God’s commandments is something He practiced Himself, even as He taught us to do the same.
Within a passage of the Gospel of John around the time that we call the Last Supper (see John 14:15-24), Jesus tells His disciples multiple times that if they love Him, they should keep His commands. Just as Jesus – God the Son – loved God the Father and obeyed His Father’s commands, we who follow Jesus do the same, if we do truly love Him.
In return, Jesus loved His disciples like God the Father loved Him. I encourage you to read John 15:9-18. for more of Jesus’ words on this topic. This was always meant to be a two-way relationship, where each party loves the other. God loved us first, though, and He lets us decide whether or not to love Him back.
Apparently, some of the Gnostic teachers (whose beliefs were based on the ideas that “spirit = good; flesh = evil”) were suggesting that their spirit was redeemed, but since their flesh was evil, they could just do whatever they wanted. John firmly refutes that concept here. Jesus doesn’t save people to sin, nor to sit, but to serve.
I might describe how we can do good – even while in these imperfect bodies – by saying that a redeemed spirit results in righteous behavior, but both of these are done by following Jesus, and neither can be accomplished without His help. So, even after accepting Jesus as your Savior, don’t forget that He is also your Lord, meaning that He has the right to tell you what to do. He bought us back from eternal separation from God, and He deserves our loyalty and submission (even when our pride, our ego, and others around us tell us to look out for ourselves and not yield to anyone).
Unlike human bosses, though, when Jesus gives us direction, He always – and only – acts out of His love for you, me, and the rest of the world. Don’t forget that the next time you hear from Him!
From Sunday School lesson prepared for February 16, 2025
References:
- 1717 Bible Studies, 1, 2, and 3 John, © 2025 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1, 2 & 3 John, by Morris M. Womack. © 1998 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 