People who know Christ as Savior ought to walk as He walked. That means obeying His commands, while maintaining a close relationship with Him every day.
You can play, download, or read the transcript of this Take Note Podcast below.
As He Walked
1 John 2:1-6
- We have a passage of scripture to address today that is essentially about obedience
- But it is not focused on the kind of obedience that is meant to gain favor with God
- It is not just a series of encouragements to obey in order to gain something
- Or to look good to others
- This is an obedience that comes about because the one obeying knows Christ
- Accepts Him as their Savior
- And, therefore, wants to become more like Christ day by day
- The disciple of Jesus has a desire to walk even “As He Walked”
- And that is our theme today
- From 1 John 2:1-6
- The Christian life is often referred to in the New Testament as a “walk”
- It is pictured as a journey, one in which we walk with our Savior
- This “walk” has some very specific characteristics
- A few of which we will find in our passage of the day
- We primarily learn some things about the person with which we walk
- Our Savior
- The One we not only journey with
- But the One we journey to be like
- Let’s begin our passage about this walk…
1 John 2:1
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
- The first priority, of course, is to avoid sin
- God has given us the tools to avoid sin
- He has provided us with everything we need to have victory
- But we do make wrong choices
- And that’s why we are so thankful for Christ
- Who is described as our advocate
- That means He is ever pleading our case before God
- A constant reminder that His sacrifice on the cross paid the penalty for our sin
- When we have faith in Him
- His righteousness is imputed to us
- That is, we have a righteous standing before God, through no action of our own
- He is declared Jesus Christ the righteous
- And His blood washes away sin
- Yes, avoid sin
- But we must be encouraged
- And remind ourselves that we have an advocate
- One that is righteous
- Our Savior
- That which He has done for us is described in the next verse…
1 John 2:2
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
- This word “propitiation” means reconciliation with God by atoning for sin
- It means He was our sin offering
- We could never have saved ourselves by doing
- His sacrifice is done
- It is our acceptance of Him and what He has done that saves us
- By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone
- And while we rejoice in what He has done for us
- We are reminded that it was not for our sins alone that He died
- But for the sins of the whole world
- And while His atoning sacrifice may be limited in its application
- Meaning, not everyone will be saved
- It is never limited in its potential
- All men have an offer of salvation from Him
- But they must come to Him in faith
- There is some evidence that a person has come to Him in faith
- We find it in the next verse…
1 John 2:3
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
- Again, this is not a keeping of commandments to obtain salvation
- It is not a keeping of commandments that makes us righteous
- He is righteous and when we are in Him, we are made righteous
- It is not a keeping of commandments to earn His favor
- The Son of God has favor with His Father
- And He is our advocate
- The Father’s favor is turned to us because we accept Him
- And we are reconciled to God through Him
- The commandment keeping a saved person does comes forth of thankfulness
- And of a desire to please the One who has provided eternal life
- He is the Savior that we love because He first loved us
- And we therefore maintain a desire to follow Him
- To do His will
- To walk worthy of that to which He has called us
- When we act in this way
- In this kind of obedience
- We show that we are one of His
- But there is an alternative…
1 John 2:4
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
- It is possible to say that we know Him, but be lying
- It is possible to remain in slavery to sin
- Not capable of having victory through Christ
- But to maintain an assertion of salvation and even an outward appearance to obey
- Neither of which are genuine or authentic
- Those who know Him are obedient to Him
- But those who know Him not remain in their sin
- And have no ability to obtain victory over it
- For this comes only through Christ
- Growth comes to the heart and life of God’s child that obeys…
1 John 2:5
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
- To say the love of God is perfected in the obedient is to say it is made complete
- There is a growth and sanctification – a setting apart – that happens in the life of the truly saved
- One who has trusted Jesus and Him alone
- And is living according to His teachings
- When this growth is taking place, it is evidence of being “in Him”
- Those who abide in Him, walk like Him
- That theme is in the next verse…
1 John 2:6
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
- He is our model for everything
- When we know Him and His gift of salvation
- We understand that He is our example
- We are His follower
- His disciple
- All of us is devoted to Him
- And to becoming like Him
- How are we to walk?
- Not by a list of rules that makes us acceptable
- But in relationship with Him
- Knowing Him better day by day
- And becoming like Him