Message
1 John 2:3-11
Knowing That You Know Jesus.
A distinct memory from my childhood is the method my mum used to cheer me on at a sports day.
When I was doing the 100m sprint she would run along the side yelling and cheering. “Keep going.” “Run faster.” “You’re nearly there.”
For the 50m breast stroke … you guessed it … she would walk alongside the pool. Which sounded like this. “Kee” …. “ing” … “you” … “rly” .. “Al” … “ster”.
There were not many other mothers … actually no other mothers … did that. But you know what. It spurred me on. You just can’t give up when you have that foundation of support.
I didn’t give up. Not once.
John also doesn’t want his readers to give up. John wants his readers
… the readers of the first century.
… the readers of today.
John wants his readers to persist … to keep going in their spiritual walk. In our text today John focusses on the foundation, the key support, which enables all of us to persist in our Christian walk. Let’s turn to
1 John 2:3-11
3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.
At first glance we could come to the conclusion that John is establishing a foundation which is based on rules, regulations and performance.
You can know you know Jesus by keeping commands.
If you don’t keep the commands you are a liar who really doesn’t know Jesus.
Obedience shows that you love God.
Rules. Regulations. Performance. Instinctively we can be sure that this isn’t what John is teaching. You are not saved by rules, regulations and performance. Such an approach to our Christian life will lead to failure every single time.
In Matthew 19 Jesus once met a rich young man who thought he had succeeded in being saved by command keeping.
He asks Jesus “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
Jesus replied, “If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
Just to be sure the rich man asked, “Which ones?”
Jesus replied, ‘“You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honour your father and mother,” and “love your neighbour as yourself.”
Now listen to the response.
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
“Sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
The rich young man went away – knowing he couldn’t do it.
Command keeping cannot earn you a place in God’s family – no matter how many commands you keep you will never keep all of them … ever.
So while, at first, it kind of sounds like John is requiring command-keeping … it is not what John is saying.
You see, the main question here is not, “Do you know the commandments?”
The main question is, “Do you know Jesus?”
Verse 3
We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands
Verse 5
This is how we know we are in him: whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
Verse 7
Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one
Do you know Jesus?
You know that you know by living out the old-but-new command.
Which sounds kind of confusing – until we read what Jesus says in …
John 13:34
A new command I give you: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
In our text John says, “I’m not writing you a new command but an old one.”
It’s not an old command in the sense that the 10 commandments are old commands. Or Deuteronomy 6:5 which says, “love the Lord your God with all your heart.” Or Leviticus 19:18 which says, “love your neighbour as yourself.”
Rather it is an old command which has been heard from the beginning of when the readers of 1 John came to know the Gospel. It is old in the sense that “love others as Jesus loves you” is part of the foundation of what our Christian walk looks like.
It is also an old command in the sense that, when 1 John was written, it has been around 50 years since Jesus ascended.
50 years ago the new commandment was “new”.
50 years later the new commandment is now “old”
It is the old-new commandment.
We understand the old part … but what about the new part?
Let’s go back to John 13:34 and read again, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
Jesus loves us.
His love to us gives us the model for how we are to love one another.
The love Jesus has for us is not defined by rules, or regulations … His love is defined by a relationship. Jesus came into a relationship with me. The new command to love others is that our love is also defined by a relationship. I cannot properly fulfil that command until I know Jesus.
Our capacity to keep this old-new command comes down to asking ourselves a foundational question, “Do you know Jesus?”
Now, I suspect that many of us will say very quickly, “yes I know Jesus”. But I want us to understand that the book of 1 John … in fact all of the epistles of John … actually encourages us to slow down a bit and really think about the answer.
We slow down because it is easy to think you know Jesus. I’m going to go back to John 13:34 … but also read the verses in context.
John 13:34-37
34 ‘A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’
36 Simon Peter asked him, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus replied, ‘Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.’
37 Peter asked, ‘Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’
38 Then Jesus answered, ‘Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
Jesus outlines the new commandment … and Peter immediately missed the point. Peter thinks that “as I have loved you” – he thinks that knowing Jesus – means …
… dying like Jesus.
… giving ones life for Jesus.
… becoming a martyr.
At times this is true. Being like Jesus sometimes means literally laying down our life. But in most cases that is not what being like Jesus means. Indeed if literally laying down ones life was the criteria – well then Peter failed this time didn’t he. Because the rooster did crow.
Do you know Jesus – take some time to think about the answer because it is eternally important that you know that you know. It is a reason that is not easily seen when you look at the NIV translation. I’m specifically looking at 1 John 2:6
1 John 2:6 (NIV)
whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
1 John 2:6 (ESV)
whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
Do you see the difference? The ESV doesn’t use the name of Jesus. That is because the original Greek also doesn’t use the name of Jesus.
Why is that significant?
Well it tells us something about the spiritual maturity of the people to whom 1 John is written.
If I say the phrase, “Luke I am your father.” Some of you will have no idea what I am talking about. But others are now thinking about all the Star Wars movies, and the remastered ones, and the new episodes. Just from one reference.
When John says, “walk in the same way he walked”, someone who has no idea could think I need to follow some random male and copy how they make their steps. John readers know better. They know exactly who “he” is and they know exactly how he “walked” and they know exactly how he “loved”. They know the Gospels. They know the epistles. They know faith. They know baptism. They know repentance.
John is not talking to a group of seekers, or new Christians. John is writing to mature believers, some of whom have been on the journey of faith for many years. Yet John still gets them reflect and ask the question, “Do you know that you know Jesus?”
John wants his readers to know that the know.
John wants to make sure the readers don’t give up. So, to help them reflect, John sets out a simple test.
1 John 2:9-10
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.
This is a test which takes place within the social setting of the church. We know this because the Greek word “adelphos” is used.
… old translations use the word “brethren”.
… the NIV uses the phrase “brothers and sisters” – it is a good translation.
The test is simple.
When you think about your relationship with others within the body of Christ, do you hate them or do you love them?
How can I hate someone who has been a brother or sister?
Is it possible? Actually, it is possible … Jesus tells us it is possible.
Matthew 24:9-10
9 Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.
Those who were once together in the body can get to a point where they hate. The hate comes when darkness sets in. The end result is betrayal … but the road to betrayal starts with with stumbling.
Those in the light don’t stumble … and they know how to love.
Those in the darkness do stumble … and they know how to hate.
Which means that hate comes from a lack of love.
Those who are unloving are always finding problems and troubles.
The unloving see insults where they do not exist and there is always something which causes them to be upset.
The unloving are constantly put out because they are touchy and sensitive.
They stumble around. And, as a result, they cause others to stumble as well. The unloving make the adelphos – the brothers and siters – second-guess. The unloving put the adelphos on the back foot, and cause the adelphos to feel false guilt and false shame.
They hate.
Do you love your brother or sister in Christ, or do you hate them?
It is easy to discern …
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Instead of finding problems and troubles, the loving encourage and restore.
Instead of seeing insults, the loving are patient and forgiving.
Instead of being touchy and sensitive, the loving are governed by an attitude of grace knowing that they themselves were hell-deserving sinners who were saved only by the love of God.
Those in the light run alongside and cheer and encourage and spur on the adelphos – the brothers and sisters – with the foundation of love.
Those in the dark come onto the track and cause the adelphos – the brothers and sisters – to stumble and trip over.
That is the test – the social test.
Take some time to think about who you are. So that you can know that you know Jesus.
Prayer
