aim of the Lord blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore from the rising of the Sun to its going down the Lord's name is to be praised the Lord is high above all nations his glory above the heavens who is light the Lord our God who dwells on high who humbles himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth he raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy out of the ash heap that he may seat him with princes with the princes of his people he grants the barren woman a home like a joyful mother of children praise the Lord amen well please take your Trinity hymnal and turn to number 505 hymn number five zero five and we'll stand together as we say [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] well let us pray but God and Father we gather together on the Sabbath day and we praise your Most High name we say with the psalmist praise the Lord and with the Saints and the angels in heaven we give thanks to you our God for your so great a salvation we acknowledge the fact that you made this world and all things in it you made it by the word of your power and the space of six days and all very good scripture declares that you govern all your creatures and all their actions and your sovereign providence and scripture declares that you are the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ and you have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ how we thank you for the fact that Jesus came into this world he lived in obedience to the law of God he died as a sacrifice and a substitute upon the cross and he was raised the third day we thank you that he is now in heaven that he's enthroned at the right hand of the Father and we look forward to that day when he comes again in glory to judge the living in the dead we pray that we live in light of that reality that it would indeed cause us great joy comfort and hope as well God caused us to pursue those things that are pleasing in your sight and grant us grace to honor you in this lower world we would ask tonight that she would be pleased to be enthroned upon the praises of your people here she would rend the heavens and come down that you would encourage our hearts and strengthen us as we enter into a new week cause us Lord God to shine as lights in a crooked and perverse generation and give us boldness to hold forth your word of truth we ask that you would forgive us for all of our sins and our transgressions so we look at your holy law we see a transcript of your your character your nature your being and we see how far short that we fall so how we thank you that there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared how we praise you that if we confess our sins you are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness so do wash us now in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and fit us for service in your hand we pray that you would look with favor upon this congregation we would ask that you'd be with all of the brothers and the sisters that have ongoing physical challenges and trials and difficulties we know God that the inner man does decay but the outer man is renewed day by day and in this may they take great hope and come and comfort may you watch over all the ladies in our church that are with child how we thank you children are indeed a gift from God and we would pray for these little ones in the wombs that you would bless them and give them safety and give them health and in your time may they come forth physically and one day may they come forth unto salvation in Christ Jesus the Lord and look with favor upon all the children and the young people in our in our church here we would ask God that you would just bless them we know that this is a difficult age in which to grow we know that there are many challenges to the Christian faith in this world we pray that you would get a hold of them when they're young and that you would cause them to find comfort in the Holy Spirit and to find hope in Lord Jesus Christ and to find truth in the Word of God we pray as well Lord that you would be gracious to other churches here in Chilliwack we thank you and praise you that we're not alone in this community we pray for the health and the peace and the prosperity of those other local churches that are seeking to honor you in preaching the truth of the gospel we also pray for the missionary enterprise we thank you that that the gospel is going forth throughout the earth and we would pray with the psalmist that you would let your let the nation's be glad and cause your face to shine upon the people's and may they hear the way of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone be with those in China that we know and love and support and pray for be with those Lord God that are laboring in the word and in doctrine may you uphold them and encourage them and strengthen them and cause them to know the nearness of God as their good we also pray for Cuba and for Puerto Rico and for other places affected by the Hurricanes of this season we just ask that you would bless our brothers and sisters in those nations and she would cause them to be able to minister in light of such circumstances to those in need and may you strengthen the churches of the Lord Jesus Christ and bless their witness in these societies and we also pray for the persecuted church for those who suffer for the cause of Jesus Christ and other lands we know God there is great opposition to the truth and we pray that you would be merciful to your suffering Saints we pray for those who are imprisoned that they would be released we pray for those who are dispossessed that they would be able to find homes that you would be merciful to your saints and that you would uphold your suffering ones and cause them to realize that that even Jesus Christ our Lord promised such would be the case if the world hated him it will certainly hate those who follow him and as Paul said all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution may they incur be encouraged by the truth of Scripture and may they persevere by your grace alone God continued with us now we pray that you bless Mike as he preaches the word tonight we pray that he would know the presence of the Holy Spirit she would give him grace to handle accurately your word and give us ears to hear and hearts to receive your truth and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well please turn with me again in your Trinity hymnal 2 4 5 for him number 454 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] we can turn to the Prophet Hosea Hosea chapter 6 for our scripture reading this evening remember that Hosea was a prophet in the Northern Kingdom in the eighth century BC and specifically chapters 4 to 12 deal with the Covenant breach in other words Israel was called to be a holy people to be a faithful people and obedient people according to God's command and they go into the land and there they act just the opposite they rebel they reject him and they engage in all manner of sin and so God sends prophets to call them to repentance to call them to faith so beginning in chapter 6 at verse 1 come and let us return to the Lord for he has torn but he will heal us he has stricken but he will bind us up after two days he will revive us on the third day he will raise us up that we may live in his sight let us know let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord is going forth is established as the morning he will come to us like the rain like the latter and former rain to the earth Oh II frame what shall I do to you Oh Judah what shall I do to you well your faithless is like a morning cloud and like the early do it goes away therefore I have hewn them by the prophets I have slain them by the words of my mouth and your judgments are like that are like light that goes forth for I desire mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings like men or like Adam they transgressed the covenant there they dealt treacherously with me Gilead is a city of evildoers and defiled with blood as bands of robbers lie and wait for a man so the company of priests murder on the way to Shechem surely they commit lewdness I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel there is the harlotry of ephraim israel is defiled also Oh Judah a harvest is appointed for you when I return the captives of my people amen well specifically in verse 6 God says I desire mercy and not sacrifice in the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings you'll remember that the Lord Jesus quotes that in his disputes with the religious leaders and the religious leaders give evidence of the very thing spoken against here I desire mercy and not sacrifice God's not saying no God is to be in a right way with God to go back in chapter 4 at verse 6 he says my people are destroyed for a lack of for lack of knowledge because you have rejected knowledge I also will reject you from being priest for me because you have forgotten the law of your God I also will forget your children now the understand unto himself well let us pray our Father we thank you for your word we thank you for these Old Testament prophets and what they speak to the church today and may we learn from them and may we seek by your grace to be a faithful people not solely and alone concerned with the externals and the formalities of religion but to have the heart and to be those focused upon the thing thank you for the word of God how we thank you for the mercy of God how we thank you that you've granted us the knowledge of God as Jesus says this is eternal life that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent how we praise you for this blessed privilege and we pray through Christ our Lord amen well for our final him before the preaching he could turn to 270 hymn number 270 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] well good evening if you'll turn away from your Bibles to first John chapter 2 let's first John chapter 2 this evening we're gonna look at verses three through six but I am going to read chapter 2 verse 1 all the way to chop all the way to verses sorry chapter 2 verses 1 through 11 I will read and then verses 3 through 6 we're gonna look at this evening so first John chapter 2 begin reading at verse 1 my little children these things I write to you sue that you may not sin and if anyone sins we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he himself is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the whole world now by this we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments he who says I know him and does not keep his Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him but whoever keeps his word truly the love of God is perfected in him and by this we know that we are in him he who says he abides in him ought himself also to walk just as he walked brethren I write no new commandment to you but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning the old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning again a new commandment I write to you which thing is true in him and in you because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining he who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in darkness until now but he who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness had blinded his eyes amen well let us pray O Lord God Almighty we thank you for your word we thank you for the truth that is found in it we thank you that you've revealed all the riches of saving knowledge found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ O God we thank you that you've shown us by your fear at these truths for those that know Christ you have shown us our sin and shown us our need for Christ Jesus we pray now God that we would have assurance that we do know you that we do are in league with you through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ assure us O God of the salvation that is found in him may you assure us of this through the ways in which we seek to love you O God we pray that you would help us to keep your Commandments as a test as an evidence of your work in us O God of your sanctifying work by the spirit evidencing that we are saved O God we thank you that you forgive us even when we don't keep your Commandments even as believers we thank you that we can come and confess our transgressions to you O God because we have Jesus Christ our advocate Jesus Christ our high priest but we pray O God that you would help us to live as he did to walk as he walked o God for he is our Lord he is our savior and now if we confess that we know him may we seek to live in a way that pleases him that pleases you if father God we thank you for our union with our Lord we thank you that this is our that this is our ground for living in a way that pleases you that we are found in Christ our Lord that even before the foundation of the world you chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we are united to him through the Holy Spirit we thank you O God for this truth may we ponder these things and may we see our union with him as we seek to live in a way that pleases you but help us to remember O God may this give us comfort and give us assurance and hope as we seek to imitate Christ that it is again an evidence that we are saved that we do know you but we thank you O God that you work in us by your spirit we pray that you continue to work in us by your spirit as we seek to understand your word you give us hope and may you give us assurance for the God for those that know Christ may we keep your Commandments and may we be assured of our salvation in our Lord for those that you know do not know Christ may they come to know him may they come to believe on him may they come to believe on the one who truly lived died and rose again who lived the law in perfection who kept the commandments for we could not we thank you for our Lord we thank you for our Savior we pray O God that you would help us now by your spirit understand these things we pray that you would be glorified this day in the name of Christ amen well just a reminder that the theme of first John is found in 1st John chapter 5 verse 13 there John says I write these things to you that you might know that you have eternal life and then John explains or he introduces the gospel in chapter 1 verses 1 through 4 then he goes into what we would say his two points of his sermon he talks about what it means to know that he has to his believe his recipients have eternal life two main points he talks about living in the light and living as children right now we're still under John's first point of living in the light if you remember the last two sermons that we looked at in 1st John we looked at what it meant it to be in the light what is the light exactly we saw in chapter 1 verse 5 all the way to 2 - that we must renounce sin we saw first of all that God is light he is absolute moral purity he is the one who was above all he is truly and utterly holy and how is it that sinful man can dwell with this God it is through Jesus Christ the righteous Jesus Christ the Advocate Jesus Christ the propitiation and so in first John 1:5 two to two we see that believers must renounce sin what we should not do and then 2 verses 3 through 6 we see what believers should do what is required of believers but you see just like in all the text we've looked at there is a major problem and there's the problem is certainly these false teachers who teach that there is no sin but there's false teachers that teach that there's no need for the law of God in the life of a believer in many ways there antinomian dire anti law and so they say that they don't need to follow God's law not only do they deny sin but they deny the keeping of God's commandments as a pattern of living but as we see as we go through this text keeping God's commandments is an evidence that are saved it is an assurance for us so a lot of ways as we go through first John 2 verses three through six we're gonna add seek to answer this question how do we know that we know him how do we know that we know him we will seek to answer this question under two main headings this evening we will first look at keeping Christ's Commandments in Chapter two three to five a then secondly walking as Christ walk verse five be to verse six so keeping Christ Commandments and walking as Christ walked so how do we know that we know him Oh point one keeping Christ's Commandments notice true knowledge of our Lord notice it says in verse three now by this we know that we know him this is the first instance of this idea of knowledge and it's one that John will repeat many times in his epistle 25 times he uses the word knowledge and he's combating these false teachers these false men perhaps we would call them Gnostics perhaps you've heard of that term before / dear they were a corrupted Christianity teaching that someone too had to have a secret knowledge in order to be saved now historically speaking Gnosticism didn't come out until the second century but nonetheless John is dealing with what we call pre Gnostics men teaching these corruptions of Christianity and so he's combating down by saying we know that we know him by this we know that we know him but even as we see here in verse 3 that the language we know that we know him even though it's the same word they are used differently they have different forms and they actually do mean different things as one one refers to the cognitive process the facts that is by this we know we ponder we consider these things that's perhaps that first instance by this we know but it says that we know or perhaps better rendered that we have known and what that second know highlights is the fact that we are in relationship with the true and living God that we have we are in league with the God of heaven and earth as one commentator says the first refers to a cognitive process and conviction that is we recognize the fact and the latter refers to an interpersonal relationship that we have come into league with him that is we know we think through we think back on our lives we know that we know him that's what he's highlighting that's what he's focusing on perhaps it's akin to what we see in first John 1 verse 3 the idea of fellowship that which we have seen and we heard we declare to you that you may also that you also may have fellowship with us and truly our Fellowship is with the father with his son Jesus Christ as Gill goes on to say John Gill says it's spiritual special and saving being from the spirit and the grace of God by this we know that we know him and notice the emphasis we know him and as him it refers back I think to what said in two verses 1 and 2 that is Jesus Christ the advocate Jesus Christ the propitiation that is we know this one we know this High Priest we know this one who is God we know him he is the one that we have this special a special spiritual and saving knowledge of through the holy spirit and even as we think about Jesus Christ our advocate what does he pray for or what does her advocate are into what does he intercede for that we might have assurance that we might know him and as we move on further that we might keep his commandments so we know that we know him we know that we know him and notice that here we see that this knowledge is not something that secret it's not something that only some possess it's not something that's hidden but it's something that is revealed is something that's found in the word and doesn't John highlight this for us in the opening chapters of 1st he talks about the Gospel he begins this epistle with the gospel that which was from the beginning that which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon in our hands have handled concerning the word of life we have the true witness we have these ones who are his companions his disciples and they bear witness concerning the truth they bear witness concerning the life the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ so what we have is revealed knowledge not secret not special but found in the Word of God so then what even further we can ask what is knowledge notice by this we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments now he's not talking about perfection here but nonetheless he's highlighting the reality of it being habitual that we keep his Commandments and again it's not justifying it's not to be saved but it's because we are saved it's in the realm of sanctification and that seemed very much in the context in 2:1 he tells them my little children and even in the context he's combating these false teachers we've seen that in chapter 1 verse 5 and following and even here if you say that you walk in the light if you say that you do not sin and even here if you say as you hold on to say if you say that you are know him and do not keep his Commandments so how do we know him if we keep his Commandments as one writer says obedience is not the condition for knowing God but obeying orders should characterize that knowledge and may be the means of testing it it's not to be saved but because we are saved and even as John highlights and assurance that we are saved so perhaps we can ask ourself then what do we mean by Commandments what does he refer to what does he mean I think as John Gill highlights he highlights I think Commandments he refers to the moral law but also Christ's Commandments with respect to the ordinances that even as a but especially focusing on that reality of the moral law and as we've gone through first John I think we've seen that John refers to the Old Testament quite a lot he doesn't necessarily quote it explicitly but he refers back to it quite often I think here he's referring to that moral law and I think we have to as we understand the law as we think through the law in reform circles the law the Ten Commandments is used as a pattern for living it's that normative use of the law what did Jesus say in Matthew 5:17 I did not come to abolish the law and the prophets I came to fulfil them then he goes on to explain how the false teachers how the Pharisees got the law wrong and he explains what they actually mean he's not doing away with the law but explaining what it actually means but I think even further we see this in Romans 13 5 in an application section in the book of Romans Paul highlights for us and shows for us and quotes for us that second table of the law romans 13 verses 5 and following sorry verses 8 and following oh no one anything except to love one another for he who loves another has fulfilled the law for the commandments you shall not commit adultery you shall not murder you shall not steal you shall not bear false witness you shall not covet and if there's any other commandment all are summed up in this saying namely you shall love your neighbor as yourself love does no harm to a neighbor therefore love is the fulfillment of the law so the believed believers little children will seek to keep the commandments not perfectly not a right but nonetheless will strive to do that strive to to hold fast to these things even as we think through the idea of sin as we think through the commandments certainly the commandments highlight for us things we should not do you know we should not have any other gods before us we should not murder we should not commit adultery we should not steal we should not lie and we should not covet but as the Westminster larger and Shorter Catechism and the Baptist catechism highlights it's also not it also is not just what's forbidden but what's required as well maybe you don't lust but do you preserve the chastity of others maybe you don't murder but you seek to preserve your own life maybe you don't covet but are you content with the place that God has placed you you see there's parlors negative there's there's things that are forbidden and things that are required as we think about the relationship of sin with law what does John say in 1st John 3 sin is lawless Ness so it's not just what's forbidden but what's required as well what does keep so we know God if we keep his Commandments but then John goes on to speak of false knowledge of Christ notice in verse 4 he who says I know him probably that know him here is that same meaning as the second know him in verse 3 that that interpersonal relationship someone is claiming someone is saying I know him I have relationship with him but notice what it goes on to say they say that they know Christ but then it goes then it goes on to say and does he says I know him but does not keep his Commandments you see keeping the commandments is again an evidence and a test as John is dealing with these hypocrites these men who claim to be believers but they do not keep the commandments and perhaps the reasoning would be as I've said before these men taught that the Spirit is good and matter is bad they taught salvation through secret knowledge so the argument could be you know if matter is bad and I have secret knowledge already why do I even need to keep the commandments why do I even need to fulfill them why do I even need to seek to live in a way that pleases our God why would I need to do that it's a blatant disregard for God's law I don't know if I'm and I don't know if they're very there would be people I'm not talking about sensitive people here overthinking and I say ever am I not know these are blatant disregard of God's law they don't even even want to hold to it and anyways they are had to know him yet you know like the poor we will always have had to no means with us they're always around we talked about this yesterday in in in the theology class antinomian z-- and on the other side people who seek to add works to our salvation then we're always going to have them with us they were there in the first century they're there in the fifth century they're there in the 15th century and they're here in the 21st century even now even Christians now claim to be believers they say I know him but they blatantly disregard God's law many will say perhaps even as we think about the idea of authority you know for most of history authority the way we knew things came from outside of us didn't it that is what does the Bible say what does God say in his word that's how we know things but then certain men came along and that authority that way of knowing shifted from things from without to things from within namely our mind things we touch and see and perhaps even our feelings as well but now we live in a time and age where there's no authority Authority what is that who cares it's just me and what I think what God has said to me personally and not what God has revealed in his word in many ways many Christians even today they have this secret knowledge that overrides what God has said in his word and perhaps even some heinous things people do people perhaps would cheat on their spouse and they'll say God told me to do it perhaps people use that idea of what God said to me personally as a way to justify sin it's okay to do this it's okay to do that because God told me personally surely if I feel so happy it must be from God that's sometimes the argumentation that's the reasoning and it's a blatant again disregard for God's law but what do you do when you go confront a cry and say hey you're you know you're not living in a way that pleases God what do they say you're a legalist that's the reality of anytime you bring up law even in a normative use of the law like John is doing here they're gonna cook you the legalists don't they do that with Paul you know and then he says what shall we say that shall we keep on sinning that grace may abound that never oh that's what that's charging Paul's being an antinomian you know they charge Paul even with being an antinomian but he's not there but even here we're charged with being a legalist or not legalism as using works for salvation works for us is an evidence and assurance of salvation that's the difference and that's an important distinction never bring your work into your right standing with God but always see it as an evidence that God Almighty is working in you and assurance of your salvation I love the quote from Agustin he said everything good that is within me is from God everything else is my fault isn't that the truth brothers and sisters it is God who works in us both to will and to do so in verse 4 we see the result he who says I know him and does not keep his Commandments notice is a liar and the truth is not in him similar language from chapter 1 verse 10 if we say that we have not sinned we make him that is God to be a liar and his word is not in us notice the difference in verse 110 they made God out to be a liar it's not as though if God is a liar but in 1 our sorry - for they are the liar they are the hypocrite and for their evidence is their lawlessness if further evidence is that they are blatantly disregarding that 9th commandment that's what's going on they are hypocrites denying God's law then notice what John goes on to say in verse 5 but whoever again contrasting but whoever keeps his word truly the love of God is perfected in him notice he expands it whoever keeps his word you see we can't pick and choose the heart of God we can't pick and choose what's found in the Word of God I remember one of my professors when an exam time came we would ask him and say hey what's on the exam and he goes everything I ever said and that was true it was everything he ever said which is a lot to study but the same is true here sometimes we a demise that as we pick apart scripture to find the things we like and don't like we're not supposed to do that we find the laws that we like and we don't like even as we learned about the Sabbath this morning many people disregard that fourth commandment perhaps it's because of that little thing called the NFL on Sundays isn't that true we disagree we pick and choose the things we like and the things we don't like but I think there's a connection between what John says here well I know there's a connection what John says here and what Jesus says in John 14:21 if you remember John is just passing down the things that have been given to him from the beginning and there's a lot of connections between first John and the the Upper Room discourse dis cars I don't know why but in John 14 verse 21 through 23 notices 14 21 he who has my Commandments and keeps them it is he who loves me and he who loves me will be loved by my father and I will love him and manifest myself to him and then 23 if anyone loves me he will keep my word and my father will love him and will come to come to him and make our home with him he who does not love me does not keep my words and the word what you hear is not mine but the fathers who sent me so he broadens it but there's still that relationship between the words and the commandments so whoever keeps his word true but whoever keeps his word but notice what he goes on to say truly the love of God is perfected in him now I think love of God here refers to our love to God and I think this is perhaps it's perhaps akin to what is said in first John 3:18 my little children let us not love in Word or in tongue but in deed and in truth you see even here when we seek to love our God it's not so much the feeling of loving our God but it's actually loving our God and doing what pleases him as John Gill says it's a love wherewith God is loved by his people and intends not the absolute perfection of it in them and whom it often waxes cold and is left or the fervor of it abated but sincerity and reality of it it is that fruit it is that fruit that we find that we seek to love our God because he has saved us and even here John Gill is not an antinomian he definitely believes in the place of works as an evidence and assurance for God's people but I think we see this up this objective character about the love of God that is our love to God in second John verses 4 through 6 I rejoice greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth as we received the commandment from the father now I plead with you lady not as though I wrote a new commandment to you but that which we had from the beginning that we love one another and this is love that we walk according to his commandments this is the commandment that as you've heard from the beginning you should walk in it how do we love our God by doing what his law asks us to do how do we love our God doing what he requires of us does not Jesus say this in mark 12 what are the greatest Commandments love the Lord and the second is just like that love your neighbor as yourself as a fruit as an evidence that we are saved in 1st John 5 2 by this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments and we'll move on we'll see that eventually when we get there but even this highlights again back to Deuteronomy I think this is found in Deuteronomy 10 verse 12 John is has lots of Old Testament references the Old Testament illusions but Deuteronomy 10 when Moses is describing the eswin that when when it describes here the essence of the law 1012 and now Israel what does the Lord your God require of you but to fear the Lord your God to walk in all his ways and to love him to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and to keep the commandments of the Lord and the statutes which I command you today for your good now see the blessedness is we're on the other side we are under the New Covenant Christ lived the law and perfection and died as that perfect sacrifice and we'll get to that under the second point but nonetheless we see that as the thing that pleases God you must seek to live in a way that pleases him through the commandments and as one writer says true love for God is expressed in moral rectitude if we love God at all we shall want to obey Him moreover we we shall need to go on loving and obeying him in Christ because at no time does the Christian reach a point of sinless perfection this side of heaven so notice it says truly the love of God is perfected and that language of perfected is difficult to understand but probably the idea of reaching its intended goal the idea of love not perfect but nonetheless it's reaching that intended goal but as we the idea of love I think this is what's in first John 4:12 no one has seen God at any time if we love one another god abides in US and his love has been perfected in us what is the goal of the law to love that's the thrust and the focus but I think even here as we think about this idea of it being our love to God is it not grounded in God's love for us isn't that what John goes on to talk about in first John 4 vert and first John 4 he says in first John 4:7 beloved let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves is born God and knows God he who does not love does not know God for god is love and in this the love of God was manifested toward us that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him and this is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins we love it if God so loved us we also ought to love one another so our love for God is grounded in God's love for us it's grounded in Christ's love for us that very same thing we saw this morning Christ who bore the punishment Christ who bore the ridicule what Christ went through on our behalf to save us demonstrating his immense love for us living the law in perfection dying as that perfect sacrifice for his people he sees something brothers and sisters we are unlovely God is altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 so in a lot of ways the comment that the application we see here brothers and sisters is keep Christ's Commandments pretty easy right and even as you think as you know I was as I was thinking about these applications and think about what John is dealing with you know he calls his recipients little children doesn't he and when you think about the commandments he gives these children a lot of ways what an adult would say to a child aren't they don't sin keep the commandments love one another be happy because the reality is you and I are children we do not grow as we should we do not remember the things that we ought we forget the basics in a lot of ways and a lot of times so what are you saying here is that if he's saying keep Christ's Commandments and again this as we keep Christ's Commandments as we seek to obey Him it should be a reminder for us it should be an assurance for us again an evidence that God is working in us as a fruit of the Holy Spirit I think this is what John is emphasizing in verse three now by this we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments this is an if-then statement but guess what's placed first the van's statement for emphasis then we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments or perhaps we could say if we keep his Commandments then we know that we know him it's kind of an interesting thing isn't it we must keep his Commandments buts in evidence and insurance for us that's what he's highlighting so how do we know that we know him we keep Christ's Commandments then let's move on secondly how do we know that we know him we walk as Christ walked verse five b-26 notice what is said at the end of five by this we know that we are in him I think what he's highlighting here is something called our union with our Lord our union with Christ and what that is and what we think and what that looks like as the Westminster larger our sorry Westminster larger catechism defines our Union it says it is a work of God's grace where believers are spiritually and mystically or mysteriously yet really and inseparably joined to Christ as their head and their husband you see even our brothers and sisters very United to Christ and as reformed theologians thought through this issue thought through this doctrine of union with Christ we even think about the reality that before the foundation of the world we are united to Christ in predestination aren't we what is Paul say in Ephesians he chose us in him before the foundation of the world all the in hims very much highlight this union with Christ but not only are we united with him in the predestination in the decrees but we are also united to Christ in his work objectively as he lived died and rose again we are united to him and then we realized that Union further by the Holy Spirit's application of redemption in lives you see there's a connection with union with Christ and what we call the order of salvation when we think of regeneration we think of faith repentance justification adoption sanctification which I think ties well with what John is saying and even glorification you see are there as one brother says as the order of salvation unfolds we experience our union with our Lord and perhaps even the as we at the or that is the order of salvation manifests our union with our Lord even our sanctification that is we realize that we are spiritually a United with our Lord I think John says this at first John 3:24 now he who keeps his Commandments abides in him and he in him and by this we know that he abides in us by the Spirit whom He has given to us seaweeds that blessed mystery that we are united to our Lord by the Holy Spirit so that blessed mystery that we are united to our Lord and experienced the blessings of the heavenly places even now so as you seek to live in a way that pleases God as you can say God anything you do it any good that is found within me is from you that's a manifestation of the fact that you are united with our Lord even right now and I think even as we think about this idea of union with Christ certainly it's the grounds for our sanctification but you did not spur us on to sanctification or spur us on to keep God's commandments does not Jesus say this in John 15:5 the John's Gospel 15 5 I am the vine you are the branches he who abides in me and I am bears much fruit for without me you can do nothing you see we are united to the vine we're United to this Christ this true in the Living God and if we say that we are in him we ought to live in a way that pleases him I love what Calvin says he says as he has be forced as he has before set before us God as a light for an example he now calls us also to Christ that we meet we may imitate him yet he does not simply exhort us to imitate Christ but from the Union we have with him he proves that we ought to be like him if you are united to your Lord shouldn't you want to live in a way that pleases our Lord if you are united to our Lord she do not want to live as he lived and doesn't John say this in 6 he who says he abides in him ought himself also to walk just as he walked again this language of walking highlight study of practice it ties in with what said in 1:6 if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not practice the truth but if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin but here in - 6 he who says he abides in him ought also himself to walk just as he walked again it's an evidence that we are saved it's an evidence of our justification not to be justified you see Christ is our example isn't he when we put him in the right sphere of here he gave a shining example of absolute obedience to God those who profess to be on his site and abide with him must walk with Him walk after his pattern and example should we not be conformed to the image of our Lord should we not be conformed to the image of our Christ is that not the language of sanctification when we think about sanctification it is God's work in us that is God causes us to die more and more understand that is mortified the sins but what do we do the positive aspect we grow more and more unto the image of Christ as Paul says in Romans 8:29 so if we say we are the family of God if we say we are part of the family of God should we not live like we are part of the family of God should we not live like our brother in that sense Christ who lived along perfection Christ died as that perfect sacrifice now we cannot do it perfectly but because we have been saved we should seek to live in a way that pleases him following his example in many ways this is the climax of the passage this is the punchline as Gordon Clark says they this is the punchline of this section certainly if I'm in Christ I ought to walk as Christ walked I mean it's it's not rocket science is that I mean if I say that I am in Christ I should walk as he walked shouldn't we so the imitator the application here is to imitate our Savior brothers and sisters and again very simple right imitate the Savior supposedly very simple but it's hard enough to do that we that's why we need our Lord that's why we need the means of grace that's why we need the holy spirit that's what we have our advocate Jesus Christ the righteous because it is difficult sometimes to keep God's commandments then he add the commandments of man into all things and it even makes it more difficult we already have a tough time keeping God's commandments and then some people bring their own preferences into play I mean it's just difficult all all around isn't it and then even as we think about the Westminster Divine's fleshing out of the commandments in a larger catechism I know I've referenced that a lot but certainly it finds us out it shows what our Lord lived it shows what he acts how he at like the ways in which he kept the law in ways that we could never ever keep that we have a blessed Lord and a blessed Savior who was that perfect one the only perfect one the only one who perfectly fulfilled the law but thus because he is our Lord because we are united to him because we have been saved by him we must imitate him and again this is an assurance for us John's whole epistle is about assurance assuring you that you are saved and that's one of the assurances that as we see examples perhaps not perfectly perhaps in small degree nonetheless they are exact apples and can assure us that we are saved so brethren in conclusion how do we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments and walk as he walked now unbeliever today how do you how may you know him you must believe on the Lord you must believe on Jesus Christ you must believe on the one who is set forth for us in 1st John 1 verses 1 through 4 this one who was from the beginning this one who John saw you must believe on the one who John set forth in John one who was in the beginning who was with the ugh the Word was with God the Word was God you must believe that he is the true in the Living God you must look to him and find everlasting life because you cannot make yourself right with God by keeping his Commandments that's not what I'm saying to you today I'm saying to you to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ because he is the one who lived that law in perfection and died as that perfect sacrifice I'm when I say to the believers keep the commandments it's because they have been saved but you must believe on the Lord Jesus to find everlasting life in him how may you know that you know him how may you know him believe on him and you shall have everlasting life you shall have eternal life as John highlights in the very theme of first John but also John as well believe on him that you may have everlasting life let us pray our Lord God Almighty we thank you that you do not count our law keeping or our our feeble law keeping and our and our sins before us are to us we thank you O God that Christ is the one and whose sins are imputed to him and we think that then as he died as that sacrifice that one who is the perfect law keeper his righteousness is imputed to us we thank that we receive these benefits through faith O God we thank yet you work in us by the Holy Spirit we thank you God for justification that we are legally a declared righteous in your sight we pray that you would sanctify us O God for it is Christ's work in us by the Holy Spirit we pray that we would seek to live in a way that pleases you we would seek to imitate our Lord and O God made us be an assurance for us may this give us hope may this give us confidence may this give us boldness and you may this give us courage as well for those of God that struggle with assurance may you assure them this day that they are children of God that they are believers O God for those that profess false faith that do not profess the truth and deny your word O God we pray that you would convict them that you would show them their need for the Lord and Savior that you would show them their need for Christ for those that do not even know Christ this day who never professed or you caused them to believe on the Lord that they might have everlasting life maybe profess faith in Jesus Christ this one who was from the beginning this one who was seen and heard and touched by by John the Apostle we thank you that even now lives to make intercession now for his people and we pray that Hugh would continue to bring your people and call them out of darkness into marvelous light father God we thank you for our union with our Lord may we ponder this blessed truth may be we ponder this reality may this spur us on to do things which are pleasing to you and may you spur us O God by your spirit and sanctify us even more than we might die more and more into sin and grow more and more on to the image of Christ our Lord father God we thank you for your mercy and grace upon us we confess that we do not keep your law as we should but we thank you for our advocate Jesus Christ and him we can find cleansing we pray that we can always go to him when we sin but father God we thank you for our righteous one our Lord and Savior we pray that you would be glorified this day in the name of Christ amen we will close with a brief time of meditation then your destroyed
